Git refs

  • Article

TFS 2017 | TFS 2015 | TFS 2013

Note

Looking for REST APIS that support TFS 2018 or later versions? See the Azure DevOps REST API Reference.

api-version = 1.0

If you haven't already, look at the information on getting started with these APIs.

Refs are named references to Git objects. The most common type of ref is a branch. A branch is a ref that points to a commit.

There are code samples available for this endpoint.

Get a list of references

GET https://{instance}/DefaultCollection/{project}/_apis/repos/git/repositories/{repository}/refs[/{filter}]?api-version={version}[&includeStatuses={bool}]
Parameter Type Notes
URL
instance string TFS server name ({server:port}).
project string ID or name of the project. Optional if specifying an ID for repository.
repository string ID or name of the repository.
filter string Git ref name filter. If you specify this parameter, only refs that start with that string are returned.
Query
api-version string Version of the API to use.
includeStatuses bool If true, gets the status of each ref. If false, doesn't get the status of any ref.

Note

Repositories have both a name and an identifier. Identifiers are globally unique, but several projects may contain a repository of the same name. You don't need to include the project if you specify a repository by ID. However, if you specify a repository by name, you must also specify the project (by name or ID).

Sample request

GET https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs?api-version=1.0

Sample response

{
  "count": 6,
  "value": [
    {
      "name": "refs/heads/develop",
      "objectId": "67cae2b029dff7eb3dc062b49403aaedca5bad8d",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/heads/develop"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/heads/master",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/heads/master"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/heads/npaulk/feature",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/heads/npaulk/feature"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/tags/v1.0",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/tags/v1.0"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/tags/v1.1",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/tags/v1.1"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/tags/v2.0",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/tags/v2.0"
    }
  ]
}

Just branches

Sample request

GET https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/heads?api-version=1.0

Sample response

{
  "count": 3,
  "value": [
    {
      "name": "refs/heads/develop",
      "objectId": "67cae2b029dff7eb3dc062b49403aaedca5bad8d",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/heads/develop"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/heads/master",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/heads/master"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/heads/npaulk/feature",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/heads/npaulk/feature"
    }
  ]
}

Just tags

Sample request

GET https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/tags?api-version=1.0

Sample response

{
  "count": 3,
  "value": [
    {
      "name": "refs/tags/v1.0",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/tags/v1.0"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/tags/v1.1",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/tags/v1.1"
    },
    {
      "name": "refs/tags/v2.0",
      "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/tags/v2.0"
    }
  ]
}

Include commit status

See also: commit status

Sample request

GET https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs/heads/master?includeStatuses=true&api-version=2.1

Sample response

{
  "name": "refs/tags/v1.0",
  "objectId": "278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249",
  "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs?filter=heads%2Fmaster",
  "statuses": {
    "state": "succeeded",
    "description": "The build is successful",
    "context": {
      "name": "Build123",
      "genre": "continuous-integration"
    },
    "creationDate": "2016-01-27T09:33:07Z",
    "createdBy": {
      "id": "278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249",
      "displayName": "Norman Paulk",
      "uniqueName": "Fabrikamfiber16",
      "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/Identities/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249",
      "imageUrl": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_api/_common/identityImage?id=278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249"
    },
    "targetUrl": "https://ci.fabrikam.com/my-project/build/123 "
  }
}

Modify one or more refs

Creating, updating, and deleting refs (branches) are all done by the same endpoint.

  • Updating a ref means making it point at a different commit than it used to. You must specify both the old and new commit to avoid race conditions.
  • Creating a ref is the represented by updating the ref from the nil commit (represented by 40 0s) to a different commit.
  • Deleting a ref is represented by updating the ref from its current commit to the nil commit.
POST https://{instance}/DefaultCollection/{project}/_apis/repos/git/repositories/{repository}/refs?api-version={version}

Content-Type: application/json

[
  {
    "name": {string},
    "oldObjectId": {string},
    "newObjectId": {string}
  }
]
Parameter Type Notes
URL
instance string TFS server name ({server:port}).
project string ID or name of the project. Optional if specifying an ID for repository.
repository string ID or name of the repository.
Query
api-version string Version of the API to use.
Body
name string Name of the new ref or the ref to update.
oldObjectId string The current commit id the ref is at. 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 when creating a new ref.
newObjectId string The new commit id for the ref. 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 when deleting a ref.

Sample request

POST https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249/refs?api-version=1.0

[
  {
    "name": "refs/heads/live",
    "oldObjectId": "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
    "newObjectId": "4b223e9c93ec3b6aaa6499f06e3ebb7c702e6106"
  },
  {
    "name": "refs/heads/master",
    "oldObjectId": "4b223e9c93ec3b6aaa6499f06e3ebb7c702e6106",
    "newObjectId": "7b019e53c7980d7fafcbd84aa71946793d10a881"
  },
  {
    "name": "refs/heads/fabrikamfiber16",
    "oldObjectId": "4b223e9c93ec3b6aaa6499f06e3ebb7c702e6106",
    "newObjectId": "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000"
  }
]

Sample response

{
  "value": [
    {
      "repositoryId": "278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249",
      "name": "refs/heads/live",
      "oldObjectId": "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
      "newObjectId": "4b223e9c93ec3b6aaa6499f06e3ebb7c702e6106",
      "isLocked": "false",
      "updateStatus": "succeeded",
      "success": true
    },
    {
      "repositoryId": "278d5cd2-584d-4b63-824a-2ba458937249",
      "name": "refs/heads/master",
      "oldObjectId": "4b223e9c93ec3b6aaa6499f06e3ebb7c702e6106",
      "newObjectId": "7b019e53c7980d7fafcbd84aa71946793d10a881",
      "isLocked": "false",
      "updateStatus": "succeeded",
      "success": true
    },
    {
      "repositoryId": "7ba192ab-3f08-4fae-a233-ca1fb08c59bf",
      "name": "refs/heads/fabrikamfiber16",
      "oldObjectId": "4b223e9c93ec3b6aaa6499f06e3ebb7c702e6106",
      "newObjectId": "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
      "isLocked": "false",
      "updateStatus": "succeeded",
      "success": true
    }
  ],
  "count": 3
}

Lock a branch

PATCH https://{instance}/DefaultCollection/{project}/_apis/repos/git/repositories/{repository}/{ref}?api-version={version}
Parameter Type Notes
URL
instance string TFS server name ({server:port}).
project string ID or name of the project. Optional if specifying an ID for repository.
repository string ID or name of the repository.
ref string Git ref name.
Query
api-version string Version of the API to use.

Sample request

PATCH https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/5febef5a-833d-4e14-b9c0-14cb638f91e6/refs/heads/master?api-version=1.0

{
  "isLocked": true
}

Sample response

{
  "name": "refs/heads/master",
  "objectId": "23d0bc5b128a10056dc68afece360d8a0fabb014",
  "isLockedBy": {
    "id": "d6245f20-2af8-44f4-9451-8107cb2767db",
    "displayName": "Normal Paulk",
    "uniqueName": "fabrikamfiber16@hotmail.com",
    "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/Identities/d6245f20-2af8-44f4-9451-8107cb2767db",
    "imageUrl": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_api/_common/identityImage?id=d6245f20-2af8-44f4-9451-8107cb2767db"
  },
  "isLocked": true,
  "url": "https://mytfsserver/DefaultCollection/_apis/git/repositories/5febef5a-833d-4e14-b9c0-14cb638f91e6/refs?filter=heads%2Fmaster"
}