# GitHub Releases Monitor: New Repo Releases (`accountable_eel/github-releases-monitor`) Actor

GitHub release notifications and dependency release alerts: track new versions of github repos. One row per release, only-new-since-last-run. Works without a token. $1 per 1,000 releases; a miss is free.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/accountable_eel/github-releases-monitor.md
- **Developed by:** [Adrian Voss](https://apify.com/accountable_eel) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 release returneds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## GitHub Releases Monitor: New Repo Releases

**GitHub release notifications** for the repositories you already depend on. Paste `owner/repo` (or a github.com URL) and get one row per public release: tag, name, published date, author, and notes. Turn on "only new since last run" to **track new versions of github repos** on a schedule, or use it as **dependency release alerts** for a watchlist. No GitHub token required. You pay per release returned; a quiet day costs only the start fee.

This reads GitHub's public releases atom feed at request time. If you add your own token, it switches to GitHub's REST releases list (higher rate limit). It does not scrape HTML and it never stores your token.

### Who it's for

- **Platform and security teams** who want GitHub release notifications when a pinned CLI, action, or library ships a new tag.
- **SRE and dependency owners** who need dependency release alerts without polling every repo in a browser.
- **Agents and n8n/Make/Clay flows** that should track new versions of github repos as structured rows.

### Why this one

- **Works without a token.** The public `releases.atom` feed is enough for Apify's Try-it prefill and for light watchlists.
- **Optional buyer token.** Your own GitHub personal access token (secret input) switches to the REST API at 5,000 requests/hour. Empty token stays on the atom feed. The token is never written to the dataset.
- **Honest prerelease field.** With a token, `isPrerelease` is GitHub's own flag. On the atom feed it is `true` only when the tag itself is unambiguous (`-rc`, `-beta`, `-alpha`, …); otherwise it is `null`, never guessed.
- **Only-new monitoring.** Tick the checkbox and you are billed only for `repo` + `tag` pairs this watchlist has not returned before.

### What you get

One dataset row per release by default ("One row per release" is on):

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `repo` | Canonical `owner/repo` |
| `tag` | Git tag |
| `name` | Release title |
| `publishedAt` | When GitHub published it |
| `isPrerelease` | See above |
| `author` | Release author login / atom name |
| `notes` | Release body as plain text, first 1,000 characters |
| `releaseUrl` | GitHub release page |
| `route` | `atom` or `api` |

`query` and `scrapedAt` are on every row. With monitoring on, `isNew` and `firstSeenAt` say whether that tag is new to the watchlist.

A repository that does not exist, or that has no public releases in the window, comes back as `"found": false` (`NOT_FOUND`) and is never charged. A monitoring run that finds nothing new is not charged for releases.

### How to use GitHub Releases Monitor: New Repo Releases

1. **In the Apify Console.** Open the actor page and click **Start** — the `repos` field is already pre-filled with a working example. Results land in the run's dataset as soon as each item is found.
2. **Via the API.** Call it directly with a POST request — no Console needed once you have an API token:
   ```bash
   curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~github-releases-monitor/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>" \
     -X POST \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"repos":["cli/cli"]}'
   ```
3. **On a schedule.** Save this actor as an Apify **Task** with the input you want, then add a **Schedule** (hourly, daily, weekly) so it runs on its own — no server of your own required.

### Input

```json
{
  "repos": [
    "cli/cli"
  ]
}
```

One per line: owner/repo or a github.com URL. Uses the public releases atom feed with no token. Add your own GitHub token below to switch to the REST API (5,000 requests/hour). Accepted formats: cli/cli, https://github.com/cli/cli.

### Output

| query | found | status | releaseCount | releases | repo | tag | name | publishedAt | isPrerelease | author | notes | releaseUrl | route | isNew | firstSeenAt | scrapedAt |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| cli/cli | true | OK | <releases returned> | \<all releases (full list)> | <repository> | <tag> | <release name> | <published> | <prerelease> | <author> | \<release notes (first 1,000 characters)> | <release page> | <data source> | \<is this release new?> | <first seen on a run> | 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z |

### Example runs

Three inputs that need no credentials of any kind and return rows as they stand. Paste one into the Input tab and press Start.

**1. Watch GitHub CLI releases (last 30 days, public atom feed)**

```json
{
  "repos": ["cli/cli"]
}
```

**2. Track two public repos in one run**

```json
{
  "repos": ["cli/cli", "sindresorhus/got"],
  "sinceDays": 90
}
```

**3. Only-new GitHub release notifications on a schedule**

```json
{
  "repos": ["cli/cli"],
  "onlyNewSinceLastRun": true,
  "sinceDays": 30
}
```

### Pricing

- **Release returned**: $2 per 1,000 releases

Plus a $0.00005 start fee per run. Each event above is billed independently, only when it actually returns data — misses (`found:false`) are never charged.

Charged once per release row returned. A repository with no matching releases, or a monitoring run with nothing new, is never charged.

### Use it from Clay, n8n, Make, or an AI agent

This actor runs synchronously over plain HTTP — call it directly from a script, a workflow tool, or an AI agent, no Apify Console needed once you have an API token.

```bash
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~github-releases-monitor/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>" \
  -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"repos":["cli/cli"]}'
```

**n8n.** Add an HTTP Request node: Method `POST`, URL `https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~github-releases-monitor/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>`, Body Content Type `JSON`, JSON Body `{"repos":["cli/cli"]}` (swap in an expression from an earlier node for a real value).

**Clay.** Add an "HTTP API" column: Method `POST`, URL `https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~github-releases-monitor/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>`, Body `{"repos":["{{repository}}"]}`, mapping the row's repository into the `repos` array.

**MCP.** In Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client with the Apify MCP server, ask for "GitHub new release monitor by repo" — the agent will find and run this actor.

### vs. the alternatives

Store search for a dedicated GitHub release monitor is empty. Bulk GitHub scrapers dump stars, issues, or profile HTML. This actor is a release monitor: you name the repos, you get new tags, and a scheduled run bills only what is new.

### FAQ

**Do I need a GitHub token?** No. The default path is the public atom feed. Add a token only if you watch many repos and hit GitHub's anonymous 60 requests/hour ceiling.

**Will a missing repository fail the run?** No. It is a `NOT_FOUND` row (free). Same if the repository has no public releases.

**Are prereleases included?** Not by default. Turn on "Include prereleases" to keep them.

# Actor input Schema

## `repos` (type: `array`):

One per line: owner/repo or a github.com URL. Uses the public releases atom feed with no token. Add your own GitHub token below to switch to the REST API (5,000 requests/hour). Accepted formats: cli/cli, https://github.com/cli/cli. You're only charged for the ones we actually find — a miss costs nothing.

## `githubToken` (type: `string`):

Optional. Leave empty to use GitHub's public releases atom feed (no login, about 60 requests/hour). Paste your own personal access token to call the REST API instead (5,000 requests/hour). Classic or fine-grained tokens with public-repo read are enough. The token is never written to the dataset or logs.

## `testRun` (type: `boolean`):

Turn this on to test your input on a small sample before running the full list. Turn it off to process everything.

## `onlyFound` (type: `boolean`):

Only keep rows where something was actually found. Misses are always free, whether or not you show them here.

## `includeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Optional. Only keep results that mention at least one of these words (e.g. a job title, a city, a product name). Leave empty to keep everything.

## `excludeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Optional. Drop any result that mentions one of these words. Leave empty to skip nothing.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Optional. Stop the run once this many results have been found — useful for a quick, cheap sample. Leave blank for no limit.

## `includePrereleases` (type: `boolean`):

Off (default): drop releases GitHub marks as prerelease (API path) and tags that are unambiguously prerelease (atom path). On: keep them.

## `sinceDays` (type: `integer`):

How far back to keep releases by published date. Default 30.

## `onlyNewSinceLastRun` (type: `boolean`):

On: only new tags (per repository) since your last run are returned and charged — run this on a schedule as GitHub release notifications. Off: every matching release is returned every time. A quiet run costs only the start fee.

## `deltaName` (type: `string`):

Optional. Name this watchlist's memory so two schedules stay apart, or keep one memory across a filter change. Leave empty to auto-derive one from your filters.

## `columns` (type: `array`):

Choose which pieces of information to include in each result row. All are included by default.

## `expandRows` (type: `boolean`):

When on, each release found gets its own row instead of being grouped under its repository. You're still only charged once per repository, no matter how many rows it produces.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Parallel requests. Keep conservative — this target has no browser fallback, so getting blocked costs more than slow-and-steady.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Apify Proxy config. Residential recommended for anti-bot-sensitive targets.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "repos": [
    "cli/cli"
  ],
  "testRun": false,
  "onlyFound": false,
  "includeKeywords": [],
  "excludeKeywords": [],
  "includePrereleases": false,
  "sinceDays": 30,
  "onlyNewSinceLastRun": false,
  "deltaName": "",
  "columns": [
    "releaseCount",
    "releases",
    "repo",
    "tag",
    "name",
    "publishedAt",
    "isPrerelease",
    "author",
    "notes",
    "releaseUrl",
    "route",
    "isNew",
    "firstSeenAt"
  ],
  "expandRows": true,
  "maxConcurrency": 2,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "repos": [
        "cli/cli"
    ],
    "includeKeywords": [],
    "excludeKeywords": []
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("accountable_eel/github-releases-monitor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "repos": ["cli/cli"],
    "includeKeywords": [],
    "excludeKeywords": [],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("accountable_eel/github-releases-monitor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "repos": [
    "cli/cli"
  ],
  "includeKeywords": [],
  "excludeKeywords": []
}' |
apify call accountable_eel/github-releases-monitor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,accountable_eel/github-releases-monitor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/BNMwuMA2LWTgU7RCE/builds/OwtrMs8mZvHR8gUPZ/openapi.json