github-user

name	github-user
description	Get GitHub user profile information including repos, followers, and activity. Use when the user asks for GitHub user details, profile information, or developer stats.

Get GitHub User Profile

Retrieve detailed information about a GitHub user or organization.

Usage

npx tsx scripts/user.ts <username> [options]

Arguments

Argument	Required	Description
username	Yes	GitHub username

Options

Option	Description
--token=TOKEN	GitHub Personal Access Token (optional, overrides GITHUB_TOKEN env var)
--no-cache	Bypass cache and fetch fresh data from API

Output

torvalds (Linus Torvalds)
--------------------------
Bio: Creator of Linux
Location: Portland, OR
Company: Linux Foundation

Account:
  Type: User
  Created: 2010-08-19
  Updated: 2023-10-01
  Hireable: Yes

Statistics:
  Public repos: 12
  Public gists: 5
  Followers: 156,789
  Following: 0

Links:
  Profile: https://github.com/torvalds
  Blog: https://lkml.org/
  Avatar: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/102402?v=4

Script Execution (Preferred)

npx tsx scripts/user.ts <username> [options]

Options:

• --token=TOKEN - GitHub Personal Access Token (optional, overrides GITHUB_TOKEN env var)
• --no-cache - Bypass cache and fetch fresh data from API

Run from the github-api plugin directory: ~/.claude/plugins/cache/github-api/

User API

GET https://api.github.com/users/{username}

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
username	Yes	GitHub username

Examples

Get user information:

https://api.github.com/users/torvalds

Response Format

The response contains comprehensive user profile metadata:

• login - Username
• id - User ID
• node_id - Node ID
• avatar_url - Avatar image URL
• gravatar_id - Gravatar ID
• url - API URL for the user
• html_url - GitHub profile URL
• type - User type ("User" or "Organization")
• site_admin - Whether the user is a GitHub admin
• name - Display name
• company - Company
• blog - Blog/website URL
• location - Location
• email - Email address
• hireable - Whether seeking employment
• bio - Profile bio
• public_repos - Number of public repositories
• public_gists - Number of public gists
• followers - Number of followers
• following - Number of following
• created_at - Account creation timestamp
• updated_at - Last profile update timestamp

Authentication

User profile data access:

• Public profiles: No authentication required for basic information
• Private information: Authentication may be required for email addresses and other private details
• Rate limits: Higher limits with authentication (5,000/hr vs 60/hr)

Provide a GitHub Personal Access Token:

Via environment variable:

export GITHUB_TOKEN=your_token_here
npx tsx scripts/user.ts username

Via command-line option:

npx tsx scripts/user.ts username --token=your_token_here

Caching

User profiles are cached for 1 hour. Profile information changes relatively infrequently, so this provides good freshness while improving performance.

Use the --no-cache flag to bypass the cache.

Related

• Use github-repo to get detailed repository information
• Use github-readme to fetch repository documentation
• Use github-rate-limit to check your remaining API quota

Error Handling

User not found: Verify the username is correct. Usernames are case-insensitive but must be exact otherwise.

Organization vs User: The API returns the same data structure for both users and organizations. Check the type field.

Rate limit exceeded: Use a Personal Access Token for higher rate limits, or wait for the quota to reset (hourly).

Use Cases

Developer Research

Get information about package maintainers:

npx tsx scripts/user.ts zce
npx tsx scripts/user.ts sindresorhus

Company Profiles

Check organization profiles:

npx tsx scripts/user.ts facebook
npx tsx scripts/user.ts microsoft

Follower Analysis

Check follower counts and activity:

npx tsx scripts/user.ts gaearon

Notes

• Email addresses are only returned if visible on the user's profile
• Private information requires authentication with appropriate scopes
• Organization profiles have similar structure but different data fields
• Avatar URLs can be used directly in HTML <img> tags