dpdownloader

GitHub avatar downloader

GitHub publishes avatars through a documented public API, making this the most stable lookup on the site, and the only one where the size parameter turns out not to matter.

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How it works

  1. A GitHub profile with the username highlighted in the browser address bar
    1

    Find the username

    The username is the part after github.com in the address bar. Organisations work the same way.

  2. A GitHub username typed into the dpdownloader box next to the Get picture button
    2

    Paste it in the box

    Enter it above and press Get picture. No token or sign-in is needed.

  3. The retrieved GitHub avatar shown at full resolution with a download button
    3

    Save the file

    The avatar appears at the size GitHub stores. Press Download to keep it.

A size comparison for GitHub avatars: the small profile thumbnail beside the full stored image served here
GitHub caps rather than enlarges, so the stored file is the maximum.

The size setting that does nothing

GitHub avatar links accept a size setting that is widely described as controlling resolution. Testing it produced an identical byte count at every value.

RequestedFile size
Default, nothing requested28,573 bytes
Capped at 460 pixels28,573 bytes
Capped at 1024 pixels28,573 bytes
Capped at 2048 pixels28,573 bytes

The reason is that the setting caps the size rather than setting it. When the stored image is already smaller than the number requested, GitHub serves the original unchanged. Asking for 2048 pixels does not manufacture them. This tool therefore ignores the setting and serves the stored file directly, which is the largest version that exists.

A useful habit. Whenever a service offers a size option, check whether raising it changes the file size in bytes rather than assuming it works. Several figures on this site changed after doing exactly that, in both directions.

Gravatar accounts

Some older accounts never uploaded an avatar to GitHub and instead show one from Gravatar, keyed to the email address on the account. Those still resolve normally here, because GitHub returns the effective avatar URL either way. The difference is that the image lives on Gravatar's servers rather than GitHub's.

Accounts with no avatar

An account that has never set a picture gets an identicon, the small geometric pattern generated from the user ID. These are produced on the fly, so what you download is that generated pattern rather than a photograph. They are deterministic, meaning the same account always produces the same pattern.

Organisations work too

Organisation avatars use the same endpoint as user accounts, so a name like facebook or microsoft returns the organisation logo. No separate lookup is needed, and you do not have to say which type you are entering.

Why this one rarely breaks

Every other tool on this site reads a public web page, which means a redesign can break it overnight. That happened to Instagram and Facebook, and both had to be withdrawn. GitHub instead publishes a documented, versioned, unauthenticated API, and documented APIs change with notice.

The practical result is that this is the tool least likely to stop working, even though it is not the one most people come here for.

Saving the file on your device

iPhone. Download opens the image in Safari. Long press and choose Add to Photos.

Android. The file saves to Downloads and appears in your gallery.

Desktop. Right click Download and choose Save link as to rename it first.

Using the picture afterwards

A GitHub avatar is usually a photograph or a logo belonging to the person or organisation. Using one to illustrate who wrote a piece of software, in documentation or a contributor list, is ordinary use. Using a company logo in a way that implies endorsement is a trademark question rather than a copyright one, and the two are governed differently.

Last updated: · Maintained by Farid Honarvar

Common questions

Do I need a GitHub personal access token?

No. The endpoint used here is public and unauthenticated, and this tool never asks for credentials of any kind.

Why does asking for a bigger size not change anything?

The size parameter is a cap, not an instruction to enlarge. Where the stored image is smaller than the cap, GitHub returns it unchanged.

Can I download an organisation logo?

Yes. Organisations and user accounts use the same lookup.

What is the geometric pattern I received?

An identicon, generated automatically for accounts that never uploaded a picture. There is no underlying photograph to retrieve.

Does this work for GitHub Enterprise?

No. Self-hosted and Enterprise instances run on their own domains and are not reachable from here.

Can I look someone up by email or by their Gravatar?

Not here. This tool takes a GitHub username. If that account uses a Gravatar image, it is returned automatically.

Is there a rate limit?

This site limits requests to prevent abuse, and results are cached for several hours, so repeated lookups of the same account cost nothing extra.

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