# Octokit.js — The Official GitHub SDK for JavaScript

> A batteries-included JavaScript SDK for the GitHub REST and GraphQL APIs, usable in browsers, Node.js, and Deno with full TypeScript support.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Octokit.js — The Official GitHub SDK for JavaScript

## Quick Use
```bash
npm install octokit
# In your script:
# import { Octokit } from "octokit";
# const octokit = new Octokit({ auth: process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN });
# const { data } = await octokit.rest.repos.get({ owner: "octokit", repo: "octokit.js" });
```

## Introduction
Octokit.js is the official GitHub SDK for JavaScript and TypeScript. Maintained by GitHub, it provides a unified interface to the GitHub REST API, GraphQL API, and webhooks. It combines several lower-level packages (@octokit/rest, @octokit/graphql, @octokit/webhooks) into one cohesive library with automatic pagination, authentication, and rate limit handling.

## What Octokit.js Does
- Provides typed methods for every GitHub REST API endpoint (repos, issues, PRs, actions, etc.)
- Offers a GraphQL client for flexible, efficient queries against GitHub's GraphQL API
- Handles multiple authentication strategies: personal access tokens, GitHub Apps, OAuth, and installation tokens
- Includes automatic pagination helpers that iterate through all pages of results
- Supports webhook event parsing and signature verification for GitHub App development

## Architecture Overview
Octokit.js is a meta-package that combines @octokit/core (the HTTP client foundation), @octokit/rest (REST endpoint methods), @octokit/graphql (GraphQL queries), and @octokit/webhooks (event handling). The core layer handles authentication plugin injection, request/response hooks, and retry logic. REST endpoint methods are auto-generated from GitHub's OpenAPI specification, ensuring complete and up-to-date API coverage. The library runs in Node.js, browsers, and Deno without modification.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via npm: `npm install octokit`
- Create a personal access token or GitHub App for authentication
- Pass the token via the `auth` constructor option
- For GitHub Apps, use `createAppAuth` from @octokit/auth-app
- Configure custom base URLs for GitHub Enterprise Server instances

## Key Features
- Auto-generated REST methods from GitHub's OpenAPI spec ensure complete API coverage
- Built-in pagination with `octokit.paginate()` for iterating large result sets
- Plugin architecture for extending functionality (retry, throttle, custom endpoints)
- Full TypeScript types for all API methods, parameters, and responses
- Webhook event verification for secure GitHub App development

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **PyGithub** — Python equivalent for GitHub API access; Octokit.js is the JavaScript counterpart
- **@actions/github** — A thin Octokit wrapper pre-configured for GitHub Actions; Octokit.js is the full standalone SDK
- **gh CLI** — Command-line GitHub tool; Octokit.js is for programmatic access in applications
- **graphql-request** — Generic GraphQL client; Octokit.js adds GitHub-specific auth, pagination, and REST support

## FAQ
**Q: Can I use Octokit.js in the browser?**
A: Yes. It works in browsers, Node.js, and Deno with the same API.

**Q: How do I authenticate as a GitHub App?**
A: Use the @octokit/auth-app strategy, which handles JWT generation and installation token exchange.

**Q: Does it support GitHub Enterprise?**
A: Yes. Pass a custom `baseUrl` pointing to your GitHub Enterprise Server API endpoint.

**Q: What license is Octokit.js under?**
A: MIT License.

## Sources
- https://github.com/octokit/octokit.js
- https://github.com/octokit

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-732ce846
Author: Script Depot