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The GitHub List repository contributors action retrieves users who have contributed code to a specific repository. Use this read-only action to identify active contributors, understand team composition, or audit repository activity. The action supports pagination to handle repositories with many contributors.

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Limitations

  • Like other GitHub actions, calls are subject to GitHub API rate limits. Heavy automation or tight loops can cause intermittent failures until rate limits reset.

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Prerequisites

  • Your admin must install and configure the GitHub connector, add the GitHub actions pack under Admin > Actions, and enable this action.
  • A GitHub app must be installed on the relevant organization(s) and linked to the correct GitHub datasource in the Glean admin console.

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Supported parameters

ParametersTypeDescription
Include anonymousStringAnonymous access level filter or flag.
OwnerStringRequired. Owner of the repository.
PageIntegerPage number for paginated results. Defaults to 1.
Results per pageIntegerNumber of results per page. Defaults to 30.
RepositoryStringRequired. Name of the repository.

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Usage example

You want to identify the top contributors to your open source project to recognize their work in the monthly newsletter. Instruction to an agent: “Show me all contributors to the openai/gpt-4 repository, including anonymous contributors. Get the first 50 contributors.” Resulting behavior:
  • Calls List repository contributors with:
    • Owner set to “openai”.
    • Repository set to “gpt-4”.
    • Include anonymous set to true to include anonymous contributors.
    • Results per page set to 50 to retrieve a larger batch.
    • Page set to 1 (default) for the first page.
  • Retrieves contributor data including:
    • Contributor username or identifier
    • Contribution count
    • Profile information
    • Whether the contributor is anonymous
  • Presents the list of contributors sorted by contribution count.
  • User can review the list and identify top contributors for recognition.
Workflow tip: Use Results per page to control batch size (default is 30). For repositories with many contributors, use the Page parameter to iterate through multiple pages. The action returns contributors based on the GitHub API’s definition, which typically includes users with committed code that was merged into the repository.

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Troubleshooting

  • Possible cause: The GitHub app is not installed on the target organization, or the app is missing required permissions.
  • Fix: Confirm that the GitHub app is installed on the correct organization(s), and that it has the necessary repository and organization scopes. If using a custom app, verify that permissions such as contents, issues, pull requests, and commit-related scopes are enabled.

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FAQs

Yes. Use the Include anonymous parameter to control whether anonymous contributors are included in the results.