ActionGitHubUpdated May 2026

How do I get the contents of a file from GitHub?

Short answer: Drop the "GitHub → Get File" action anywhere in your workflow, map the inputs from upstream nodes, and publish.

Use this action All 23 GitHub actions

Inputs

The fields this action accepts.

Every field can be mapped from an upstream trigger, AI step, table row, or hard-coded literal.

Field	Type	Required	Description
Owner owner	string	Required	GitHub repository owner — the user or organization login (the part before / in owner/repo URLs).
Repository repo	string	Required	GitHub repository name — the part after / in owner/repo URLs. Not the full URL.
File Path path	string	Required	File Path. Example: src/main.js
Branch / Tag / SHA ref	string	Optional	Branch / Tag / SHA. Example: main

Sample request

{
  "owner": "e.g. octocat",
  "repo": "e.g. Hello-World",
  "path": "e.g. src/main.js",
  "ref": "e.g. main"
}

Returns

{
  "sha": "abc123",
  "name": "main.js",
  "path": "src/main.js",
  "size": 1024,
  "content": "Y29uc29sZS5sb2coJ2hlbGxvJyk=",
  "encoding": "base64",
  "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/main/src/main.js"
}

Use these fields in downstream nodes for routing, logging, or error handling.

Triggered by

Apps that pair well as the trigger for Get File.

Any of these apps can fire this action as part of a workflow.

Google Sheets → GitHub

2 Google Sheets triggers

HubSpot → GitHub

18 HubSpot triggers

FAQ

Questions about Get File.

What does the Get File action do in GitHub?

Gets the contents of a file in a GitHub repository at a specific ref. Returns base64-encoded content along with SHA, size, and download_url.

What inputs does Get File require?

Required: Owner, Repository, File Path. Every input accepts a static value or a variable from any upstream node in your workflow.

Can I use dynamic inputs from earlier workflow nodes?

Yes. Any field on this action can pull values from upstream nodes, whether that's a form response, a trigger payload, an AI output, or a lookup result.

What happens if GitHub returns an error?

The workflow pauses on the failed node, the error message is captured in the run log, and you can retry the run with one click. Auto-retry policies are configurable per workflow with exponential backoff up to 5 attempts.

Does Get File support batch operations?

Yes. Run Get File inside a Loop node to process arrays. Tiny Command handles GitHub's rate limits automatically so you don't have to throttle manually.

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