---
title: "Download a source archive"
method: GET
path: "/api/repos/{owner}/{repo}/archive/{kind}/{archive}"
tags: ["Repository source"]
---

# Download a source archive

`GET /api/repos/{owner}/{repo}/archive/{kind}/{archive}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://git.cafe`
- URL: `https://git.cafe/api/repos/{owner}/{repo}/archive/{kind}/{archive}`
- Auth: one of:
  - none
  - API key in cookie `gc-session`
  - HTTP bearer
  - HTTP basic
  - HTTP token
  - OAuth 2
    - Authorization code: `/api/oauth/authorize`
    - Token URL: `/api/oauth/token` scopes: `repo:contents:read`

Streams a gzip-compressed tar archive for a branch, tag, or full commit OID. Public repositories allow anonymous reads; supplied credentials are validated and may expand access to private resources.

## Path parameters

- `owner` string, required
- `repo` string, required
- `kind` 'branch' | 'tag' | 'commit', required
- `archive` string, required

## Response `200`

Gzip-compressed tar archive.

## Other responses

- `400`: Response for status 400
- `401`: Authentication is required, or the supplied credential is invalid.
- `403`: The credential does not permit this operation. A `code`, when present, names the refusal.
- `404`: Response for status 404
- `409`: The request conflicts with the current state. A `code`, when present, names the refusal; `retryable` says whether the same request can succeed later, and `operationId` names the operation in the way.
- `413`: Response for status 413
- `429`: A rate limit is exhausted. Wait Retry-After seconds; the value is a hint, so back off on a repeat 429.
- `501`: Response for status 501
- `503`: Response for status 503

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/gitcafe/apis/git-cafe-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/gitcafe/apis/git-cafe-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/gitcafe/apis/git-cafe-api/revisions/9fa233d2986d?raw)