---
stage: Create
group: Source Code
info: "To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#designated-technical-writers"
type: reference, api
---

# Repositories API

## List repository tree

Get a list of repository files and directories in a project. This endpoint can
be accessed without authentication if the repository is publicly accessible.

This command provides essentially the same functionality as the `git ls-tree` command. For more information, see the section _Tree Objects_ in the [Git internals documentation](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Git-Objects/#_tree_objects).

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/repository/tree
```

Parameters:

- `id` (required) - The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user
- `path` (optional) - The path inside repository. Used to get content of subdirectories
- `ref` (optional) - The name of a repository branch or tag or if not given the default branch
- `recursive` (optional) - Boolean value used to get a recursive tree (false by default)
- `per_page` (optional) - Number of results to show per page. If not specified, defaults to `20`.
  Read more on [pagination](README.md#pagination).

```json
[
  {
    "id": "a1e8f8d745cc87e3a9248358d9352bb7f9a0aeba",
    "name": "html",
    "type": "tree",
    "path": "files/html",
    "mode": "040000"
  },
  {
    "id": "4535904260b1082e14f867f7a24fd8c21495bde3",
    "name": "images",
    "type": "tree",
    "path": "files/images",
    "mode": "040000"
  },
  {
    "id": "31405c5ddef582c5a9b7a85230413ff90e2fe720",
    "name": "js",
    "type": "tree",
    "path": "files/js",
    "mode": "040000"
  },
  {
    "id": "cc71111cfad871212dc99572599a568bfe1e7e00",
    "name": "lfs",
    "type": "tree",
    "path": "files/lfs",
    "mode": "040000"
  },
  {
    "id": "fd581c619bf59cfdfa9c8282377bb09c2f897520",
    "name": "markdown",
    "type": "tree",
    "path": "files/markdown",
    "mode": "040000"
  },
  {
    "id": "23ea4d11a4bdd960ee5320c5cb65b5b3fdbc60db",
    "name": "ruby",
    "type": "tree",
    "path": "files/ruby",
    "mode": "040000"
  },
  {
    "id": "7d70e02340bac451f281cecf0a980907974bd8be",
    "name": "whitespace",
    "type": "blob",
    "path": "files/whitespace",
    "mode": "100644"
  }
]
```

## Get a blob from repository

Allows you to receive information about blob in repository like size and
content. Note that blob content is Base64 encoded. This endpoint can be accessed
without authentication if the repository is publicly accessible.

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/repository/blobs/:sha
```

Parameters:

- `id` (required) - The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user
- `sha` (required) - The blob SHA

## Raw blob content

Get the raw file contents for a blob by blob SHA. This endpoint can be accessed
without authentication if the repository is publicly accessible.

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/repository/blobs/:sha/raw
```

Parameters:

- `id` (required) - The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user
- `sha` (required) - The blob SHA

## Get file archive

Get an archive of the repository. This endpoint can be accessed without
authentication if the repository is publicly accessible.

This endpoint has a rate limit threshold of 5 requests per minute.

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/repository/archive[.format]
```

`format` is an optional suffix for the archive format. Default is
`tar.gz`. Options are `tar.gz`, `tar.bz2`, `tbz`, `tbz2`, `tb2`,
`bz2`, `tar`, and `zip`. For example, specifying `archive.zip`
would send an archive in ZIP format.

Parameters:

- `id` (required) - The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user
- `sha` (optional) - The commit SHA to download. A tag, branch reference, or SHA can be used. This defaults to the tip of the default branch if not specified. For example:

```shell
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/repository/archive?sha=<commit_sha>"
```

## Compare branches, tags or commits

This endpoint can be accessed without authentication if the repository is
publicly accessible. Note that diffs could have an empty diff string if [diff limits](../development/diffs.md#diff-limits) are reached.

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/repository/compare
```

Parameters:

- `id` (required) - The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user
- `from` (required) - the commit SHA or branch name
- `to` (required) - the commit SHA or branch name
- `straight` (optional) - comparison method, `true` for direct comparison between `from` and `to` (`from`..`to`), `false` to compare using merge base (`from`...`to`)'. Default is `false`.

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/repository/compare?from=master&to=feature
```

Response:

```json

{
  "commit": {
    "id": "12d65c8dd2b2676fa3ac47d955accc085a37a9c1",
    "short_id": "12d65c8dd2b",
    "title": "JS fix",
    "author_name": "Example User",
    "author_email": "user@example.com",
    "created_at": "2014-02-27T10:27:00+02:00"
  },
  "commits": [{
    "id": "12d65c8dd2b2676fa3ac47d955accc085a37a9c1",
    "short_id": "12d65c8dd2b",
    "title": "JS fix",
    "author_name": "Example User",
    "author_email": "user@example.com",
    "created_at": "2014-02-27T10:27:00+02:00"
  }],
  "diffs": [{
    "old_path": "files/js/application.js",
    "new_path": "files/js/application.js",
    "a_mode": null,
    "b_mode": "100644",
    "diff": "--- a/files/js/application.js\n+++ b/files/js/application.js\n@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@\n //= require g.raphael-min\n //= require g.bar-min\n //= require branch-graph\n-//= require highlightjs.min\n-//= require ace/ace\n //= require_tree .\n //= require d3\n //= require underscore\n+\n+function fix() { \n+  alert(\"Fixed\")\n+}",
    "new_file": false,
    "renamed_file": false,
    "deleted_file": false
  }],
  "compare_timeout": false,
  "compare_same_ref": false
}
```

## Contributors

Get repository contributors list. This endpoint can be accessed without
authentication if the repository is publicly accessible.

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/repository/contributors
```

CAUTION: **Deprecation:**
The `additions` and `deletions` attributes are deprecated [as of GitLab 13.4](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/39653) because they [always return `0`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/233119).

Parameters:

- `id` (required) - The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user
- `order_by` (optional) - Return contributors ordered by `name`, `email`, or `commits` (orders by commit date) fields. Default is `commits`
- `sort` (optional) - Return contributors sorted in `asc` or `desc` order. Default is `asc`

Response:

```json
[{
  "name": "Example User",
  "email": "example@example.com",
  "commits": 117,
  "additions": 0,
  "deletions": 0
}, {
  "name": "Sample User",
  "email": "sample@example.com",
  "commits": 33,
  "additions": 0,
  "deletions": 0
}]
```

## Merge Base

Get the common ancestor for 2 or more refs (commit SHAs, branch names or tags).

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/repository/merge_base
```

| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
| --------- | ---- | -------- | ----------- |
| `id` | integer/string | yes | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) |
| `refs` | array | yes | The refs to find the common ancestor of, multiple refs can be passed |

```shell
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/repository/merge_base?refs[]=304d257dcb821665ab5110318fc58a007bd104ed&refs[]=0031876facac3f2b2702a0e53a26e89939a42209"
```

Example response:

```json
{
  "id": "1a0b36b3cdad1d2ee32457c102a8c0b7056fa863",
  "short_id": "1a0b36b3",
  "title": "Initial commit",
  "created_at": "2014-02-27T08:03:18.000Z",
  "parent_ids": [],
  "message": "Initial commit\n",
  "author_name": "Example User",
  "author_email": "user@example.com",
  "authored_date": "2014-02-27T08:03:18.000Z",
  "committer_name": "Example User",
  "committer_email": "user@example.com",
  "committed_date": "2014-02-27T08:03:18.000Z"
}
```
