Read a Profile SVG

The normal V2 README uses raw GitHub files. These anonymous HTTP routes support previews and custom integrations:

GET /api/:username
GET /api/:username/:profileSlug
GET /api/svg/:username.svg
GET /:username.svg

The default slug is default. Use the named-profile route to select another saved configuration.

curl -i 'https://gitascii.com/api/octocat?theme=light'
curl -L 'https://gitascii.com/api/octocat/work?theme=dark' -o work.svg
curl -i 'https://gitascii.com/api/octocat?widgets=header,stats'

Query parameters

Parameter	Behavior
`theme`	`dark` or `light`; other values fall back to the route default, normally dark
`template`	Preset ID used when no saved configuration is available; lowercased and sanitized
`widgets`	Comma-separated renderer IDs; alias `widget`. IDs are sanitized, deduplicated, filtered against the editor catalog, sorted, and limited to 12
`dynamic=1`	Evaluate enabled Pro rules on the default profile route
`preview_date`	Simulated date for rule evaluation; alias `date`
`timezone`	Simulated timezone; alias `tz`

Use exact widget IDs and template IDs. Unsupported widget IDs are filtered rather than returned as a validation error. Rule selection and fallback are described in dynamic rules; simulation parameters do not modify saved rules.

Responses

Status	Body and headers
`302`	Empty body; `Location` points to an existing raw GitHub SVG; `X-GitAscii-V2-Offload: true`
`200`	`image/svg+xml; charset=utf-8`; rendered SVG with `ETag`
`304`	Empty body for a matching `If-None-Match`
`400`	Missing-username handler error; not a normal routed request
`404`	SVG error image for a missing GitHub account; `/api/badge` is also reserved
`500`	SVG error image for other rendering failures

Clients must inspect both status and content type. An image error is not a JSON error envelope. Follow redirects when downloading an SVG, and preserve returned ETags verbatim for conditional requests.

Cache behavior

Without template, widget, preview-date, or resolved dynamic overrides, the service checks the published file and can redirect. Theme selection alone does not force a backend render.

Response path	Browser `max-age`	CDN policy in the service
Raw-file redirect	300 seconds	`s-maxage=3600`
Normal rendered SVG	300 seconds	`max-age=300, stale-while-revalidate=3600`
Resolved dynamic render	30 seconds	`max-age=60, stale-while-revalidate=180`
Render with asset errors	60 seconds	`max-age=120, stale-while-revalidate=300`

These describe service headers. Framework, CDN, raw GitHub, and GitHub image-proxy caching are separate layers; an origin header is not a guarantee of immediate README refresh. Dynamic rules are evaluated on requests that reach the service, not on every README view. See architecture. Source: SVG service.

HTTP API

Application Interfaces

Read a Profile SVG

Query parameters

Responses

Cache behavior

​Query parameters

​Responses

​Cache behavior

Query parameters

Responses

Cache behavior