GitHub event types

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.
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 or removed from the issue.
labels	array	The optional array of label objects describing the labels on the issue.

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, reopened, assigned, unassigned, labeled, and 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

When someone stars a repository. 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	The action that was performed. Currently, can only be started.