Is there any way to track download history (or who downloaded files) from a personal GitHub repo after switching it to private?

[dohoon84]

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Hi everyone,

I maintain a personal GitHub repository where I share downloadable files (e.g., release assets or direct links to files in the repo). I recently changed the repository from public to private, and I'm trying to understand what download or access history I can still see.

Specifically, I'm looking for answers to a few related questions:

Can GitHub show whether someone downloaded a file from my repo?
For example, if I share a download link (via Releases, raw file URL, or a link in the README), is there any built-in way to see who downloaded it, or even a detailed per-download log?

What repo-level activity or traffic data is actually available?
I understand GitHub has a Traffic graph (views, clones, referrers, popular paths), but from what I've read:

Traffic for private repositories appears to require GitHub Pro, GitHub Team, or GitHub Enterprise Cloud
On the Free plan, Traffic seems to be available mainly for public repositories
Native traffic data is only retained for about 14 days
Since my repo is now private and I'm not on GitHub Pro, it looks like I may no longer be able to use the Traffic insights I could see when the repo was public. Can anyone confirm whether that's correct?

Are Release download counts different from Traffic?
I know Release assets have a download_count via the Releases API, but my understanding is that this is only an aggregate total (not per-user, not timestamped). Is that accurate? And does this still work the same way for private repos if I have access?

Are there recommended workarounds?
If GitHub doesn't support per-user download tracking, what do people typically do instead? For example:

Host files externally (S3, CDN, etc.) with analytics
Use signed or trackable download links
Periodically snapshot Release download_count via API to build a time series
Archive Traffic API data before the 14-day window expires (for repos where Traffic is available)
My situation:
The repo was public for a while, then I switched it to private. I'm on the Free plan (not GitHub Pro). I'd like to know whether any historical download/access data from when the repo was public is still accessible, or if that visibility is effectively lost once the repo becomes private without a paid plan.

If you've solved a similar problem—or if I'm misunderstanding how Traffic, Releases, or private repo permissions work—I'd really appreciate any guidance or pointers to official docs.

Thanks!