---
title: REST API endpoints for source imports
shortTitle: Source endpoints
allowTitleToDifferFromFilename: true
intro: >-
  Use the REST API to start an import from a Git source repository.
versions: # DO NOT MANUALLY EDIT. CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN BY A 🤖
  fpt: '*'
  ghec: '*'
topics:
  - API
autogenerated: rest
---

## About source imports

> [!WARNING]
> Due to very low levels of usage and available alternatives, the Source Imports API has been {% data variables.release-phases.retired %}. For more details and alternatives, see the [changelog](https://gh.io/source-imports-api-deprecation).

{% data variables.migrations.source_imports_intro %} A typical source import would start the import and then (optionally) update the authors and/or update the preference for using Git LFS if large files exist in the import. You can also create a webhook that listens for the [`RepositoryImportEvent`](/webhooks-and-events/webhooks/webhook-events-and-payloads#repository_import) to find out the status of the import.

{% data reusables.user-settings.imports-api-classic-pat-only %}

The following diagram provides a more detailed example:

```text
+---------+                     +--------+                              +---------------------+
| Tooling |                     | GitHub |                              | Original Repository |
+---------+                     +--------+                              +---------------------+
     |                              |                                              |
     |  Start import                |                                              |
     |----------------------------->|                                              |
     |                              |                                              |
     |                              |  Download source data                        |
     |                              |--------------------------------------------->|
     |                              |                        Begin streaming data  |
     |                              |<---------------------------------------------|
     |                              |                                              |
     |  Get import progress         |                                              |
     |----------------------------->|                                              |
     |       "status": "importing"  |                                              |
     |<-----------------------------|                                              |
     |                              |                                              |
     |  Get commit authors          |                                              |
     |----------------------------->|                                              |
     |                              |                                              |
     |  Map a commit author         |                                              |
     |----------------------------->|                                              |
     |                              |                                              |
     |                              |                                              |
     |                              |                       Finish streaming data  |
     |                              |<---------------------------------------------|
     |                              |                                              |
     |                              |  Rewrite commits with mapped authors         |
     |                              |------+                                       |
     |                              |      |                                       |
     |                              |<-----+                                       |
     |                              |                                              |
     |                              |  Update repository on GitHub                 |
     |                              |------+                                       |
     |                              |      |                                       |
     |                              |<-----+                                       |
     |                              |                                              |
     |  Map a commit author         |                                              |
     |----------------------------->|                                              |
     |                              |  Rewrite commits with mapped authors         |
     |                              |------+                                       |
     |                              |      |                                       |
     |                              |<-----+                                       |
     |                              |                                              |
     |                              |  Update repository on GitHub                 |
     |                              |------+                                       |
     |                              |      |                                       |
     |                              |<-----+                                       |
     |                              |                                              |
     |  Get large files             |                                              |
     |----------------------------->|                                              |
     |                              |                                              |
     |  opt_in to Git LFS           |                                              |
     |----------------------------->|                                              |
     |                              |  Rewrite commits for large files             |
     |                              |------+                                       |
     |                              |      |                                       |
     |                              |<-----+                                       |
     |                              |                                              |
     |                              |  Update repository on GitHub                 |
     |                              |------+                                       |
     |                              |      |                                       |
     |                              |<-----+                                       |
     |                              |                                              |
     |  Get import progress         |                                              |
     |----------------------------->|                                              |
     |        "status": "complete"  |                                              |
     |<-----------------------------|                                              |
     |                              |                                              |
     |                              |                                              |
```

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