Compare two commits - GitHub v3 REST API

Compares two commits against one another. You can compare branches in the same repository, or you can compare branches that exist in different repositories within the same repository network, including fork branches. For more information about how to view a repository's network, see "Understanding connections between repositories."

This endpoint is equivalent to running the git log BASE...HEAD command, but it returns commits in a different order. The git log BASE...HEAD command returns commits in reverse chronological order, whereas the API returns commits in chronological order. You can pass the appropriate media type to fetch diff and patch formats.

The API response includes details about the files that were changed between the two commits. This includes the status of the change (if a file was added, removed, modified, or renamed), and details of the change itself. For example, files with a renamed status have a previous_filename field showing the previous filename of the file, and files with a modified status have a patch field showing the changes made to the file.

When calling this endpoint without any paging parameter (per_page or page), the returned list is limited to 250 commits, and the last commit in the list is the most recent of the entire comparison.

Working with large comparisons

To process a response with a large number of commits, use a query parameter (per_page or page) to paginate the results. When using pagination:

The list of changed files is only shown on the first page of results, but it includes all changed files for the entire comparison.

The results are returned in chronological order, but the last commit in the returned list may not be the most recent one in the entire set if there are more pages of results.

For more information on working with pagination, see "Using pagination in the REST API."

Signature verification object

The response will include a verification object that describes the result of verifying the commit's signature. The verification object includes the following fields:

Name	Type	Description
`verified`	`boolean`	Indicates whether GitHub considers the signature in this commit to be verified.
`reason`	`string`	The reason for verified value. Possible values and their meanings are enumerated in table below.
`signature`	`string`	The signature that was extracted from the commit.
`payload`	`string`	The value that was signed.

These are the possible values for reason in the verification object:

Value	Description
`expired_key`	The key that made the signature is expired.
`not_signing_key`	The "signing" flag is not among the usage flags in the GPG key that made the signature.
`gpgverify_error`	There was an error communicating with the signature verification service.
`gpgverify_unavailable`	The signature verification service is currently unavailable.
`unsigned`	The object does not include a signature.
`unknown_signature_type`	A non-PGP signature was found in the commit.
`no_user`	No user was associated with the `committer` email address in the commit.
`unverified_email`	The `committer` email address in the commit was associated with a user, but the email address is not verified on her/his account.
`bad_email`	The `committer` email address in the commit is not included in the identities of the PGP key that made the signature.
`unknown_key`	The key that made the signature has not been registered with any user's account.
`malformed_signature`	There was an error parsing the signature.
`invalid`	The signature could not be cryptographically verified using the key whose key-id was found in the signature.
`valid`	None of the above errors applied, so the signature is considered to be verified.

{ "ahead_by": 4, "base_commit": { "author": { "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif", "email": "string", "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}", "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers", "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}", "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}", "gravatar_id": "41d064eb2195891e12d0413f63227ea7", "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat", "id": 1, "login": "octocat", "name": "string", "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=", "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs", "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events", "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos", "site_admin": true, "starred_at": "\"2020-07-09T00:17:55Z\"", "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}", "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions", "type": "User", "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat" }, "comments_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/comments", "commit": { "author": { "date": "\"2007-10-29T02:42:39.000-07:00\"", "email": "\"chris@ozmm.org\"", "name": "\"Chris Wanstrath\"" }, "comment_count": 0, "committer": { "date": "\"2007-10-29T02:42:39.000-07:00\"", "email": "\"chris@ozmm.org\"", "name": "\"Chris Wanstrath\"" }, "message": "Fix all the bugs", "tree": { "sha": "827efc6d56897b048c772eb4087f854f46256132", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/tree/827efc6d56897b048c772eb4087f854f46256132" }, "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "verification": { "payload": "string", "reason": "string", "signature": "string", "verified": true } }, "committer": { "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif", "email": "string", "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}", "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers", "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}", "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}", "gravatar_id": "41d064eb2195891e12d0413f63227ea7", "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat", "id": 1, "login": "octocat", "name": "string", "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=", "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs", "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events", "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos", "site_admin": true, "starred_at": "\"2020-07-09T00:17:55Z\"", "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}", "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions", "type": "User", "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat" }, "files": [ { "additions": 103, "blob_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt", "changes": 124, "contents_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/file1.txt?ref=6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "deletions": 21, "filename": "file1.txt", "patch": "@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ module Test @@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ module Test", "previous_filename": "file.txt", "raw_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/raw/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt", "sha": "bbcd538c8e72b8c175046e27cc8f907076331401", "status": "added" } ], "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/commit/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "node_id": "MDY6Q29tbWl0NmRjYjA5YjViNTc4NzVmMzM0ZjYxYWViZWQ2OTVlMmU0MTkzZGI1ZQ==", "parents": [ { "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/commit/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd", "sha": "7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd" } ], "sha": "6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "stats": { "additions": 0, "deletions": 0, "total": 0 }, "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e" }, "behind_by": 5, "commits": [ { "author": { "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif", "email": "string", "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}", "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers", "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}", "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}", "gravatar_id": "41d064eb2195891e12d0413f63227ea7", "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat", "id": 1, "login": "octocat", "name": "string", "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=", "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs", "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events", "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos", "site_admin": true, "starred_at": "\"2020-07-09T00:17:55Z\"", "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}", "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions", "type": "User", "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat" }, "comments_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/comments", "commit": { "author": { "date": "\"2007-10-29T02:42:39.000-07:00\"", "email": "\"chris@ozmm.org\"", "name": "\"Chris Wanstrath\"" }, "comment_count": 0, "committer": { "date": "\"2007-10-29T02:42:39.000-07:00\"", "email": "\"chris@ozmm.org\"", "name": "\"Chris Wanstrath\"" }, "message": "Fix all the bugs", "tree": { "sha": "827efc6d56897b048c772eb4087f854f46256132", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/tree/827efc6d56897b048c772eb4087f854f46256132" }, "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "verification": { "payload": "string", "reason": "string", "signature": "string", "verified": true } }, "committer": { "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif", "email": "string", "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}", "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers", "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}", "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}", "gravatar_id": "41d064eb2195891e12d0413f63227ea7", "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat", "id": 1, "login": "octocat", "name": "string", "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=", "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs", "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events", "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos", "site_admin": true, "starred_at": "\"2020-07-09T00:17:55Z\"", "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}", "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions", "type": "User", "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat" }, "files": [ { "additions": 103, "blob_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt", "changes": 124, "contents_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/file1.txt?ref=6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "deletions": 21, "filename": "file1.txt", "patch": "@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ module Test @@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ module Test", "previous_filename": "file.txt", "raw_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/raw/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt", "sha": "bbcd538c8e72b8c175046e27cc8f907076331401", "status": "added" } ], "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/commit/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "node_id": "MDY6Q29tbWl0NmRjYjA5YjViNTc4NzVmMzM0ZjYxYWViZWQ2OTVlMmU0MTkzZGI1ZQ==", "parents": [ { "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/commit/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd", "sha": "7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd" } ], "sha": "6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "stats": { "additions": 0, "deletions": 0, "total": 0 }, "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e" } ], "diff_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/compare/master...topic.diff", "files": [ { "additions": 103, "blob_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt", "changes": 124, "contents_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/file1.txt?ref=6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "deletions": 21, "filename": "file1.txt", "patch": "@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ module Test @@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ module Test", "previous_filename": "file.txt", "raw_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/raw/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt", "sha": "bbcd538c8e72b8c175046e27cc8f907076331401", "status": "added" } ], "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/compare/master...topic", "merge_base_commit": { "author": { "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif", "email": "string", "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}", "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers", "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}", "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}", "gravatar_id": "41d064eb2195891e12d0413f63227ea7", "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat", "id": 1, "login": "octocat", "name": "string", "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=", "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs", "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events", "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos", "site_admin": true, "starred_at": "\"2020-07-09T00:17:55Z\"", "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}", "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions", "type": "User", "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat" }, "comments_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/comments", "commit": { "author": { "date": "\"2007-10-29T02:42:39.000-07:00\"", "email": "\"chris@ozmm.org\"", "name": "\"Chris Wanstrath\"" }, "comment_count": 0, "committer": { "date": "\"2007-10-29T02:42:39.000-07:00\"", "email": "\"chris@ozmm.org\"", "name": "\"Chris Wanstrath\"" }, "message": "Fix all the bugs", "tree": { "sha": "827efc6d56897b048c772eb4087f854f46256132", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/tree/827efc6d56897b048c772eb4087f854f46256132" }, "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "verification": { "payload": "string", "reason": "string", "signature": "string", "verified": true } }, "committer": { "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif", "email": "string", "events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/events{/privacy}", "followers_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/followers", "following_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/following{/other_user}", "gists_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/gists{/gist_id}", "gravatar_id": "41d064eb2195891e12d0413f63227ea7", "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat", "id": 1, "login": "octocat", "name": "string", "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=", "organizations_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/orgs", "received_events_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/received_events", "repos_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos", "site_admin": true, "starred_at": "\"2020-07-09T00:17:55Z\"", "starred_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/starred{/owner}{/repo}", "subscriptions_url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/subscriptions", "type": "User", "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat" }, "files": [ { "additions": 103, "blob_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt", "changes": 124, "contents_url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/file1.txt?ref=6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "deletions": 21, "filename": "file1.txt", "patch": "@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ module Test @@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ module Test", "previous_filename": "file.txt", "raw_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/raw/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt", "sha": "bbcd538c8e72b8c175046e27cc8f907076331401", "status": "added" } ], "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/commit/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "node_id": "MDY6Q29tbWl0NmRjYjA5YjViNTc4NzVmMzM0ZjYxYWViZWQ2OTVlMmU0MTkzZGI1ZQ==", "parents": [ { "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/commit/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd", "sha": "7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/7638417db6d59f3c431d3e1f261cc637155684cd" } ], "sha": "6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e", "stats": { "additions": 0, "deletions": 0, "total": 0 }, "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e" }, "patch_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/compare/master...topic.patch", "permalink_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/compare/octocat:bbcd538c8e72b8c175046e27cc8f907076331401...octocat:0328041d1152db8ae77652d1618a02e57f745f17", "status": "ahead", "total_commits": 6, "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/compare/master...topic" }

Request

Path Params

owner

string

required

The account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive.

repo

string

required

The name of the repository. The name is not case sensitive.

basehead

string

required

The base branch and head branch to compare. This parameter expects the format BASE...HEAD. Both must be branch names in repo. To compare with a branch that exists in a different repository in the same network as repo, the basehead parameter expects the format USERNAME:BASE...USERNAME:HEAD.

Query Params

page

integer

optional

Page number of the results to fetch.

per_page

integer

optional

The number of results per page (max 100).

Responses

🟢200Response

application/json

Body

Commit Comparison

ahead_by

integer

required

Example:

base_commit

object (Commit)

required

Commit

author

object (Simple User) | null

required

A GitHub user.

comments_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/comments

commit

object

required

committer

object (Simple User) | null

required

A GitHub user.

files

array[object (Diff Entry) {11}]

optional

html_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/commit/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e

node_id

string

required

Example:

MDY6Q29tbWl0NmRjYjA5YjViNTc4NzVmMzM0ZjYxYWViZWQ2OTVlMmU0MTkzZGI1ZQ==

parents

array [object {3}]

required

sha

string

required

Example:

6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e

stats

object

optional

url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e

behind_by

integer

required

Example:

commits

array[object (Commit) {11}]

required

author

object (Simple User) | null

required

A GitHub user.

comments_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/comments

commit

object

required

committer

object (Simple User) | null

required

A GitHub user.

files

array[object (Diff Entry) {11}]

optional

html_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/commit/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e

node_id

string

required

Example:

MDY6Q29tbWl0NmRjYjA5YjViNTc4NzVmMzM0ZjYxYWViZWQ2OTVlMmU0MTkzZGI1ZQ==

parents

array [object {3}]

required

sha

string

required

Example:

6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e

stats

object

optional

url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/commits/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e

diff_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/compare/master...topic.diff

files

array[object (Diff Entry) {11}]

optional

additions

integer

required

Example:

103

blob_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/blob/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt

changes

integer

required

Example:

124

contents_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/contents/file1.txt?ref=6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e

deletions

integer

required

Example:

filename

string

required

Example:

file1.txt

patch

string

optional

Example:

@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ module Test @@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ module Test

previous_filename

string

optional

Example:

file.txt

raw_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/raw/6dcb09b5b57875f334f61aebed695e2e4193db5e/file1.txt

sha

string

required

Example:

bbcd538c8e72b8c175046e27cc8f907076331401

status

enum<string>

required

Allowed values:

addedremovedmodifiedrenamedcopiedchangedunchanged

Example:

added

html_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/compare/master...topic

merge_base_commit

object (Commit)

required

Commit

patch_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/compare/master...topic.patch

permalink_url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World/compare/octocat:bbcd538c8e72b8c175046e27cc8f907076331401...octocat:0328041d1152db8ae77652d1618a02e57f745f17

status

enum<string>

required

Allowed values:

divergedaheadbehindidentical

Example:

ahead

total_commits

integer

required

Example:

url

string <uri>

required

Example:

https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/compare/master...topic

🟠404404

🔴500500

🔴503503