GitHub event types

For the GitHub Events API, learn about each event type, the triggering action on GitHub, and each event's unique properties.

The Events API can return different types of events triggered by activity on GitHub. Each event response contains shared properties, but has a unique payload object determined by its event type. The Event object common properties describes the properties shared by all events, and each event type describes the payload properties that are unique to the specific event.

Event object common properties

The event objects returned from the Events API endpoints have the same structure.

Event API attribute name Type Description
id integer Unique identifier for the event.
type string The type of event. Events uses PascalCase for the name.
actor object The user that triggered the event.
actor.id integer The unique identifier for the actor.
actor.login string The username of the actor.
actor.display_login string The specific display format of the username.
actor.gravatar_id string The unique identifier of the Gravatar profile for the actor.
actor.url string The REST API URL used to retrieve the user object, which includes additional user information.
actor.avatar_url string The URL of the actor's profile image.
repo object The repository object where the event occurred.
repo.id integer The unique identifier of the repository.
repo.name string The name of the repository, which includes the owner and repository name. For example, octocat/hello-world is the name of the hello-world repository owned by the octocat personal account.
repo.url string The REST API URL used to retrieve the repository object, which includes additional repository information.
payload object The event payload object is unique to the event type. See the event type below for the event API payload object.
public boolean Whether the event is visible to all users.
created_at string The date and time when the event was triggered. It is formatted according to ISO 8601.
org object The organization that was chosen by the actor to perform action that triggers the event.
The property appears in the event object only if it is applicable.
org.id integer The unique identifier for the organization.
org.login string The name of the organization.
org.gravatar_id string The unique identifier of the Gravatar profile for the organization.
org.url string The REST API URL used to retrieve the organization object, which includes additional organization information.
org.avatar_url string The URL of the organization's profile image.

Example WatchEvent event object

This example shows the format of the WatchEvent response when using the Events API.

HTTP/2 200
Link: <https://api.github.com/resource?page=2>; rel="next",
      <https://api.github.com/resource?page=5>; rel="last"

[
  {
    "id": "12345",
    "type": "WatchEvent",
    "actor": {
      "id": 1,
      "login": "octocat",
      "display_login": "octocat",
      "gravatar_id": "",
      "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",
      "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif"
    },
    "repo": {
      "id": 3,
      "name": "octocat/Hello-World",
      "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World"
    },
    "payload": {
      "action": "started"
    },
    "public": false,
    "created_at": "2011-09-06T17:26:27Z",
    "org": {
      "id": 1,
      "login": "github",
      "gravatar_id": "",
      "url": "https://api.github.com/orgs/github",
      "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif"
    }
  }
]

CommitCommentEvent

A commit comment is created. The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see REST API endpoints for commit comments.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for CommitCommentEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action performed. Can be created.
comment object The commit comment resource.

CreateEvent

A Git branch or tag is created. For more information, see REST API endpoints for Git database.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for CreateEvent

Key Type Description
ref string The git ref resource branch, or null if ref_type is repository.
ref_type string The type of Git ref object created in the repository. Can be either branch, tag, or repository.
full_ref string The fully-formed ref resource, meaning that for branches the format is refs/heads/<branch_name>.
master_branch string The name of the repository's default branch (usually main).
description string The repository's current description.
pusher_type string Can be either user or a deploy key.

DeleteEvent

A Git branch or tag is deleted. For more information, see the REST API endpoints for Git database REST API.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for DeleteEvent

Key Type Description
ref string The git ref resource branch.
ref_type string The type of Git ref object deleted in the repository. Can be either branch or tag.
full_ref string The fully-formed ref resource, meaning that for branches the format is refs/heads/<branch_name>.
pusher_type string Can be either user or a deploy key.

DiscussionEvent

A discussion is created in a repository. For more information, see GitHub Discussions documentation.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for DiscussionEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action performed. Can be created.
discussion object The discussion that was created.

ForkEvent

A user forks a repository. For more information, see REST API endpoints for repositories.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for ForkEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action performed. Can be forked.
forkee object The created repository resource.

GollumEvent

A wiki page is created or updated. For more information, see About wikis.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for GollumEvent

Key Type Description
pages array The pages that were updated.
pages[][page_name] string The name of the page.
pages[][title] string The current page title.
pages[][summary] string An optional note about the page. Can be null.
pages[][action] string The action that was performed on the page. Can be created or edited.
pages[][sha] string The latest commit SHA of the page.
pages[][html_url] string Points to the HTML wiki page.

IssueCommentEvent

Activity related to an issue or pull request comment. The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see the REST API endpoints for issues.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for IssueCommentEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action that was performed on the comment. Can be created.
issue object The issue the comment belongs to.
comment object The comment itself.

IssuesEvent

Activity related to an issue. The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see the REST API endpoints for issues.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for IssuesEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action that was performed. Can be one of opened, closed, reopened, assigned, unassigned, labeled, or unlabeled.
issue object The issue itself.
assignee object The optional user who was assigned or unassigned from the issue.
assignees array The optional array of assignee objects detailing the assignees on the issue.
label object The optional label that was added to or removed from the issue if the action was labeled or unlabeled.
labels array The optional array of label objects describing the labels on the issue if the action was labeled or unlabeled.

MemberEvent

Activity related to repository collaborators. The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see REST API endpoints for collaborators.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for MemberEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action that was performed. Can be added to indicate a user accepted an invitation to a repository.
member object The user that was added.

PublicEvent

When a private repository is made public.

Event payload object for PublicEvent

This event returns an empty payload object.

PullRequestEvent

Activity related to pull requests. The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see REST API endpoints for pull requests.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for PullRequestEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action that was performed. Can be one of opened, closed, merged, reopened, assigned, unassigned, labeled, or unlabeled.
number integer The pull request number.
pull_request object The pull request itself.
assignee object The optional user who was assigned or unassigned from the issue.
assignees array The optional array of assignee objects detailing the assignees on the issue.
label object The optional label that was added or removed from the issue if the action was labeled or unlabeled.
labels array The optional array of label objects describing the labels on the pull request if the action was labeled or unlabeled.

PullRequestReviewEvent

Activity related to pull request reviews. The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see REST API endpoints for pull requests.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for PullRequestReviewEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action that was performed. Can be created, updated, or dismissed.
pull_request object The pull request the review pertains to.
review object The review that was affected.

PullRequestReviewCommentEvent

Activity related to pull request review comments in the pull request's unified diff. The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see REST API endpoints for pull requests.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for PullRequestReviewCommentEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action that was performed on the comment. Can be created.
pull_request object The pull request the comment belongs to.
comment object The comment itself.

PushEvent

One or more commits are pushed to a repository branch or tag.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for PushEvent

Key Type Description
repository_id integer The unique identifier of the repository where the push occurred.
push_id integer The unique identifier for the push.
ref string The full git ref that was pushed. Example: refs/heads/main.
head string The SHA of the most recent commit on ref after the push.
before string The SHA of the most recent commit on ref before the push.

ReleaseEvent

Activity related to a release. The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see the REST API endpoints for releases and release assets REST API.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for ReleaseEvent

Key Type Description
action string The action that was performed. Can be published.
release object The release object.

WatchEvent

A user stars a repository (historically referred to as "watching"). The type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. For more information, see REST API endpoints for activity.

The event object includes properties that are common for all events. Each event object includes a payload property and the value is unique to each event type. The payload object for this event is described below.

Event payload object for WatchEvent

Key Type Description
action string Can only be started to indicate a user starred a repository.