Create or Update File: GitHub action

Inputs

The fields this action accepts.

Every field can be mapped from an upstream trigger, AI step, table row, or hard-coded literal.

Field	Type	Required	Description
Owner owner	string	Required	GitHub repository owner — the user or organization login (the part before / in owner/repo URLs).
Repository repo	string	Required	GitHub repository name — the part after / in owner/repo URLs. Not the full URL.
File Path path	string	Required	File Path. Example: docs/README.md
Commit Message message	string	Required	Commit Message. Example: Update README
File Content (base64) content	string	Required	Base64-encoded file content
Branch branch	string	Optional	Git branch name.
File SHA (required for updates) sha	string	Optional	Git commit SHA (full 40-char hex, or shortened 7+ chars).

Sample request

{
  "owner": "e.g. octocat",
  "repo": "e.g. hello-world",
  "path": "e.g. docs/README.md",
  "message": "e.g. Update README",
  "content": "{{trigger.content}}"
}

Returns

{
  "commit": {
    "sha": "def456",
    "message": "Update README"
  },
  "content": {
    "sha": "abc123",
    "name": "README.md",
    "path": "docs/README.md"
  }
}

Use these fields in downstream nodes for routing, logging, or error handling.

FAQ

Questions about Create or Update File.

What does the Create or Update File action do in GitHub?

Creates or updates a file in a GitHub repository in a single commit, with branch, commit message, and content. The SHA is auto-fetched on update; the standard tool for small file commits without a full git client.

What inputs does Create or Update File require?

Required: Owner, Repository, File Path, Commit Message, File Content (base64). Every input accepts a static value or a variable from any upstream node in your workflow.

Can I use dynamic inputs from earlier workflow nodes?

Yes. Any field on this action can pull values from upstream nodes, whether that's a form response, a trigger payload, an AI output, or a lookup result.

What happens if GitHub returns an error?

The workflow pauses on the failed node, the error message is captured in the run log, and you can retry the run with one click. Auto-retry policies are configurable per workflow with exponential backoff up to 5 attempts.

Does Create or Update File support batch operations?

Yes. Run Create or Update File inside a Loop node to process arrays. Tiny Command handles GitHub's rate limits automatically so you don't have to throttle manually.

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