Watcher API Changes
We recently changed the Watcher behavior on GitHub. What used to be known as “Watching” is now “Starring”. Starring is basically a way to bookmark interesting repositories. Watching is a…
We recently changed the Watcher behavior
on GitHub. What used to be known as “Watching” is now “Starring”. Starring is
basically a way to bookmark interesting repositories. Watching is a way to
indicate that you want to receive email or web notifications on a Repository.
This works well on GitHub.com, but poses a problem for the GitHub API. How do
we change this in a way that developers can gracefully upgrade their
applications? We’re currently looking at rolling out the changes in three
phases over an extended period of time.
Today we are announcing the first steps towards separate “Watching” and
“Starring” APIs.
New API Endpoints
There are some new Star endpoints for the API. Don’t fret, your
old Watch endpoints are still working. The new Watch endpoints
are available too. However, the paths use the internal “subscriber” and
“subscriptions” terms so they don’t clash with legacy apps using the Watch
endpoints.
We’ve detailed the slow transition of the Star and Watch endpoints,
which will help provide a smooth upgrade path.
Changes Blog
The API Developer site now has a Changes blog for upcoming breaking
changes. It also has a low volume Atom feed for subscriptions. If you
are developing tools on top of the GitHub API, you should keep up through this
blog, or the @GitHubAPI Twitter account.
Written by
Related posts
Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Gaady Awards
The Gaady Awards are like the Emmy Awards for the field of digital accessibility. And, just like the Emmys, the Gaadys are a reason to celebrate! On November 21, GitHub was honored to roll out the red carpet for the accessibility community at our San Francisco headquarters.
Students: Start building your skills with the GitHub Foundations certification
The GitHub Foundations Certification exam fee is now waived for all students verified through GitHub Education.
Announcing GitHub Secure Open Source Fund: Help secure the open source ecosystem for everyone
Applications for the new GitHub Secure Open Source Fund are now open! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until they close on January 7 at 11:59 pm PT. Programming and funding will begin in early 2025.