API to get repositories of a user

[utkarsha-ubale-sp]

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I am trying the below API to get repositories access to a user, but not getting any response even though the user has repo access. Is something missing here. Is there any other API to get the list?
https://docs.github.com/en/rest/repos/repos?apiVersion=2022-11-28#list-repositories-for-a-user

[krishparmar22242]

It is very common to get an empty result or a 404 when using this endpoint because GitHub has two very similar-looking APIs that behave differently depending on who you are looking for.

The issue is likely that you are using the "Public User" endpoint to try and find "Private" or "Organization" access. Here is the breakdown of how to fix this.

1. The "Owner" vs. "Collaborator" Problem
   The endpoint you linked (GET /users/{username}/repos) is designed to show repositories that a user publicly owns.
   If the user has access to a repository as a collaborator or through an organization, those repositories will not show up in this specific API call.
   If the repositories are private, they will also not show up here unless you are using a token with the highest permissions.

2. The Solution: Use the "Authenticated User" Endpoint
   If you want to see all repositories that the currently logged-in user has access to (including private ones and those they are invited to), you must use this endpoint instead:
   Endpoint: GET /user/repos
   Documentation:https://docs.github.com/en/rest/repos/repos?apiVersion=2022-11-28#list-repositories-for-the-authenticated-user.

3. Checklist for a successful response

• If you are still getting an empty list, check these three things:
• Authentication Token: Ensure you are passing a Personal Access Token (PAT) in the header. Without it, GitHub will only ever show you public data.
• Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN
• Token Scopes: Your token must have the repo scope checked. If the token only has "read:user" or no scopes, it will return an empty list for any private data.
• The "Type" Parameter: By default, the API might only show repos the user owns. Try adding the type=all parameter to see everything:
• https://api.github.com/user/repos?type=all

4. Sample curl command to test
   Try running this in your terminal (replace {token} with your PAT) to see if you get a different result:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" \
     -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
     https://api.github.com/user/repos?visibility=all

If switching to the /user/repos endpoint fixed your issue and you can now see the repositories, please consider marking this as the accepted answer so it can help others in the community find the right API!

[John-Varghese-EH]

I just want to add a couple more practical tips that helped me debug similar API issues:

Testing Token Scopes

If you're still getting empty results, verify your token has the right permissions by checking the response headers:

curl -I -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" https://api.github.com/user

Look for the x-oauth-scopes header in the response - it will show you exactly what permissions your token has. For repository access, you need at least repo or read:org scopes.

Filtering by Affiliation

The affiliation parameter is super useful when you want specific types of repos:

https://api.github.com/user/repos?affiliation=owner,collaborator,organization_member

This will show repos you own, collaborate on, or access through orgs - all in one call. By default, it only shows owned repos.

Pagination for Large Accounts

If a user has many repos, GitHub paginates the results (30 per page by default). Add per_page and page parameters:

https://api.github.com/user/repos?per_page=100&page=1

The response headers will include Link information for navigating through pages.

Common Gotcha: Organisation Repos

If you need to list repos from a specific organisation the user belongs to, use:

https://api.github.com/orgs/{org_name}/repos

But remember - this only works if the org has made repos visible to members, or if your token has admin:org scope.

Great answer - the /users/{username}/repos vs /user/repos distinction trips up so many developers!

[Awaisprogram]

simple answer:

❌ GET /users/{username}/repos → Not for access-based repos

✅ GET /user/repos → Correct API for repos a user can access

[LeteenZ]

The List repositories for a user API only returns public repositories unless you authenticate properly.
If the user has access to private repositories, they will not be returned unless:

You call the API with an authenticated token

The token has the correct scope (repo for classic PAT, or appropriate fine-grained permissions)

Also note:

This endpoint lists repos owned by the user, not all repos the user has access to via organizations.

To get repositories the authenticated user can access, use:
GET /user/repos

So the issue is not missing repos, but using the wrong endpoint or missing authentication/scopes.

[Larusajs]

The API endpoint you're using (GET /users/{username}/repos) only returns public repositories owned by that user. It won't show:

Private repositories (unless you're authenticated and have access)
Repositories where the user is a collaborator but not the owner
Organization repositories where the user has access

To get repositories a user has access to, try these alternatives:

For authenticated user's accessible repos:

GET /user/repos
This returns all repos the authenticated user can access (owned, member of, or has collaborator access).

To filter by affiliation:

GET /user/repos?affiliation=owner,collaborator,organization_member

For organization repos a user has access to:

GET /orgs/{org}/repos

Example with authentication:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     https://api.github.com/user/repos

Could you share which specific scenario you're trying to accomplish? That would help provide a more targeted solution.