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Overview

This endpoint retrieves the raw content of a specific file within a repository using a viewer token. It’s used by recruiters to read source code files without authentication.

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Endpoint

GET /view-files/:token/file?path={file_path}

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Path Parameters

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token
string
required
The unique viewer token that grants access to the repository

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Query Parameters

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path
string
required
The file path within the repository (e.g., “src/main.go” or “README.md”)

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How It Works

  1. Token is extracted from URL path
  2. File path is read from query parameters
  3. Link is validated (including soft-deleted check)
  4. Expiration and view limits are verified
  5. File content is fetched from GitHub API
  6. Raw file content is returned as plain text

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Response

Returns the raw file content as text/plain. The response body contains the actual file contents without any JSON wrapping.

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Example Request

curl "https://api.privycode.com/view-files/abc123xyz456/file?path=src/main.go"

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Example Response

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    fmt.Println("Hello, World!")
}

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Error Responses

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400
error
Invalid viewer URL - Malformed URL structureMissing token or path - Either token or path query parameter is missing
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404
error
Invalid link or deleted link - Token not found or link has been soft-deleted
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410
error
This link has been deleted - The viewer link was deleted by the owner
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403
error
This link has expired - Token expiration date has passedView limit reached - Maximum views exceeded
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GitHub errors
error
Proxied errors from GitHub API if the file cannot be accessed

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Use Case

When a recruiter clicks on a file in the repository viewer, this endpoint fetches and displays the file’s contents. The raw text format allows for syntax highlighting on the frontend.

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Notes

  • This endpoint uses Unscoped() query to check for soft-deleted links
  • Returns raw file content with Content-Type: text/plain
  • GitHub API is called with Accept: application/vnd.github.v3.raw header

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