How To Connect Github to Google Sheets - Github API Tutorial

Many programmers rely on GitHub to host their code and create a portfolio that employers can view. Developers also use Github to collaborate together on code.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to connect the Github REST API to Google Sheets in 5 steps, using the Apipheny Google Sheets add-on:

Install the Apipheny Add-on
Get a Github access token
Get the Github endpoints’ URL
Enter the Github API endpoint into Apipheny
Run the Github API Endpoint Request

Step 1.) Install and open the Apipheny add-on for Google Sheets

Apipheny is an API connector for Google Sheets. You can use Apipheny to connect your Google Sheets to unlimited API data sources, make unlimited API requests, and more. There is a 30 day free trial included.

1.) Install Apipheny by opening the following link on desktop and then clicking the Install button in the Google Marketplace: https://apipheny.io/install

2.) After you’ve installed Apipheny, open a Google Sheet and then click on the Extensions dropdown in the menu at the top.

In the dropdown list you should see Apipheny. Click Apipheny then click Import API to open the Apipheny sidebar in your Google Sheet.

Tip: you can open a new Google Sheet by entering this URL in your browser: sheet.new

Step 2.) Get a Github Access Token

In order to access most Github REST API endpoints, you will need an access token. To obtain an access token, follow these instructions:

1. Log in to Github. Then, in the upper-right corner, click your profile photo and then click Settings:

2. On the left, click Developer settings:

3. In the left sidebar, click Personal access tokens:

4. Click Generate new token:

5. Give your token a descriptive name:

6. Select the scopes, or permissions, you’d like to grant this token:

7. Click Generate token:

8. Click the small button next to the token, to copy it to your clipboard. Then paste it somewhere safe because you will need it in the next step.

For security reasons, after you navigate off the page, you will not be able to see the token again.

Copy access token somewhere safe — Copy Github access token somewhere safe

Step 3.) Get the Github endpoints’ URLs

In this section I show you how to browse the Github API documentation to create an API URL that retrieves the information you need. If you already know your URL, or you want to use the same example URL as us, just skip to step 4.

First, open the Github API documentation page: https://developer.github.com/v3/

The menu on the right contains a list of the available API groups, linking to individual APIs or to API categories, with each API page linking to a list of its endpoints.

Clicking on an API group opens the main page for that API or API category and expands a list of associated APIs.

For instance, the Projects group opens the main Projects API page and expands the list of three other related APIs: the Project Cards API, the Project Collaborators API and the ProjectColumns API:

Clicking on an associated API in the expanded list opens that API’s page.

As an example, this is the page for the Project Cards API:

Another example of an API category is Activity. It contains the Events API, the Atom Feeds API, the Notifications API, Repository Starring and RepositoryWatching APIs:

Clicking on one of the APIs on this page opens its dedicated documentation, containing the list of available endpoints.

For instance, clicking the Events API reveals its description and a summary listing of its endpoints:

One of the available endpoints is List events for the authenticated user:

https://developer.github.com/v3/activity/events/#list-events-for-the-authenticated-user

It’s documentation contains a short description, the HTTP method used (GET) and the link you should append to the root API url for querying this endpoint (/users/:username/events/public):

For endpoints that accept parameters, this documentation is where you would find them listed and explained, along with example inputs and responses.

Click here to browser Github API documentation

Step 4.) Add your URL for a Github REST API endpoint into the Apipheny Add-on

Now, open your Google Sheet back-up, with the Apipheny sidebar open (screenshot below). With the Import Tab open, enter these details into the add-on:

Method: At the top of the Apipheny sidebar, select the HTTP method (GET or POST) required by your API endpoint. For this example, we are using the GET method.

API URL: In Step 3 I explained how you can find the Github REST API endpoint that you need. Now copy the complete URL into the Apipheny add-on, where it says API URL Path, followed by any parameters required for your query.

For this example, we are using the User API endpoint, to get the current user’s details:

https://api.github.com/user

Headers: In the Headers section, add two rows with the following keys and values:

Key 1:
Accept
Value 1:
application/vnd.github.v3+json

Key 2:
Authorization
Value 2:
token your-access-token

your-access-token is the value you generated previously, in Step 2. There should be a space between “token” and “your-access-token” in the header value 2.

Both the Accept and Authorization keys and values are required, so you should add them in to the add-on like this:

Github API URL and Headers entered into the Apipheny add-on

Step 5.) Run the Github API Request

Click the Run button at the bottom of the Apipheny add-on and then wait for the Github API data to be retrieved and added to your Google spreadsheet:

After making a successful request to Github’s API, try querying a different endpoint, or try using one of the more advance features in the Apipheny add-on.