diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/create/create.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/create/create.go
index 8024cfc24..85fcb158f 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/create/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/create/create.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package create
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -14,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/MakeNowJust/heredoc"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/api"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/internal/ghinstance"
+	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/cmd/gist/shared"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/iostreams"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/utils"
@@ -121,7 +124,7 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	gist, err := apiCreate(httpClient, ghinstance.OverridableDefault(), opts.Description, opts.Public, files)
+	gist, err := createGist(httpClient, ghinstance.OverridableDefault(), opts.Description, opts.Public, files)
 	if err != nil {
 		var httpError api.HTTPError
 		if errors.As(err, &httpError) {
@@ -139,8 +142,8 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func processFiles(stdin io.ReadCloser, filenameOverride string, filenames []string) (map[string]string, error) {
-	fs := map[string]string{}
+func processFiles(stdin io.ReadCloser, filenameOverride string, filenames []string) (map[string]*shared.GistFile, error) {
+	fs := map[string]*shared.GistFile{}
 
 	if len(filenames) == 0 {
 		return nil, errors.New("no files passed")
@@ -169,13 +172,15 @@ func processFiles(stdin io.ReadCloser, filenameOverride string, filenames []stri
 			filename = path.Base(f)
 		}
 
-		fs[filename] = string(content)
+		fs[filename] = &shared.GistFile{
+			Content: string(content),
+		}
 	}
 
 	return fs, nil
 }
 
-func guessGistName(files map[string]string) string {
+func guessGistName(files map[string]*shared.GistFile) string {
 	filenames := make([]string, 0, len(files))
 	gistName := ""
 
@@ -193,3 +198,29 @@ func guessGistName(files map[string]string) string {
 
 	return gistName
 }
+
+func createGist(client *http.Client, hostname, description string, public bool, files map[string]*shared.GistFile) (*shared.Gist, error) {
+	path := "gists"
+
+	body := &shared.Gist{
+		Description: description,
+		Public:      public,
+		Files:       files,
+	}
+
+	result := shared.Gist{}
+
+	requestByte, err := json.Marshal(body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	requestBody := bytes.NewReader(requestByte)
+
+	apliClient := api.NewClientFromHTTP(client)
+	err = apliClient.REST(hostname, "POST", path, requestBody, &result)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &result, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/create/create_test.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/create/create_test.go
index 043b6f2d1..dd1912909 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/create/create_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/create/create_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/cmd/gist/shared"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/httpmock"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/iostreams"
@@ -27,21 +28,23 @@ func Test_processFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(files))
-	assert.Equal(t, "hey cool how is it going", files["gistfile0.txt"])
+	assert.Equal(t, "hey cool how is it going", files["gistfile0.txt"].Content)
 }
 
 func Test_guessGistName_stdin(t *testing.T) {
-	files := map[string]string{"gistfile0.txt": "sample content"}
+	files := map[string]*shared.GistFile{
+		"gistfile0.txt": {Content: "sample content"},
+	}
 
 	gistName := guessGistName(files)
 	assert.Equal(t, "", gistName)
 }
 
 func Test_guessGistName_userFiles(t *testing.T) {
-	files := map[string]string{
-		"fig.txt":       "I am a fig.",
-		"apple.txt":     "I am an apple.",
-		"gistfile0.txt": "sample content",
+	files := map[string]*shared.GistFile{
+		"fig.txt":       {Content: "I am a fig"},
+		"apple.txt":     {Content: "I am an apple"},
+		"gistfile0.txt": {Content: "sample content"},
 	}
 
 	gistName := guessGistName(files)
@@ -178,7 +181,9 @@ func Test_createRun(t *testing.T) {
 			wantStderr: "- Creating gist fixture.txt\n✓ Created gist fixture.txt\n",
 			wantErr:    false,
 			wantParams: map[string]interface{}{
-				"public": true,
+				"description": "",
+				"updated_at":  "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+				"public":      true,
 				"files": map[string]interface{}{
 					"fixture.txt": map[string]interface{}{
 						"content": "{}",
@@ -197,6 +202,8 @@ func Test_createRun(t *testing.T) {
 			wantErr:    false,
 			wantParams: map[string]interface{}{
 				"description": "an incredibly interesting gist",
+				"updated_at":  "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+				"public":      false,
 				"files": map[string]interface{}{
 					"fixture.txt": map[string]interface{}{
 						"content": "{}",
@@ -214,6 +221,9 @@ func Test_createRun(t *testing.T) {
 			wantStderr: "- Creating gist with multiple files\n✓ Created gist fixture.txt\n",
 			wantErr:    false,
 			wantParams: map[string]interface{}{
+				"description": "",
+				"updated_at":  "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+				"public":      false,
 				"files": map[string]interface{}{
 					"fixture.txt": map[string]interface{}{
 						"content": "{}",
@@ -234,6 +244,9 @@ func Test_createRun(t *testing.T) {
 			wantStderr: "- Creating gist...\n✓ Created gist\n",
 			wantErr:    false,
 			wantParams: map[string]interface{}{
+				"description": "",
+				"updated_at":  "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+				"public":      false,
 				"files": map[string]interface{}{
 					"gistfile0.txt": map[string]interface{}{
 						"content": "cool stdin content",
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/create/http.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/create/http.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 42b970221..000000000
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/create/http.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-package create
-
-import (
-	"bytes"
-	"encoding/json"
-	"net/http"
-
-	"github.com/cli/cli/api"
-)
-
-// Gist represents a GitHub's gist.
-type Gist struct {
-	Description string                    `json:"description,omitempty"`
-	Public      bool                      `json:"public,omitempty"`
-	Files       map[GistFilename]GistFile `json:"files,omitempty"`
-	HTMLURL     string                    `json:"html_url,omitempty"`
-}
-
-type GistFilename string
-
-type GistFile struct {
-	Content string `json:"content,omitempty"`
-}
-
-func apiCreate(httpClient *http.Client, hostname string, description string, public bool, files map[string]string) (*Gist, error) {
-	gistFiles := map[GistFilename]GistFile{}
-
-	for filename, content := range files {
-		gistFiles[GistFilename(filename)] = GistFile{content}
-	}
-
-	path := "gists"
-	body := &Gist{
-		Description: description,
-		Public:      public,
-		Files:       gistFiles,
-	}
-	result := Gist{}
-
-	requestByte, err := json.Marshal(body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	requestBody := bytes.NewReader(requestByte)
-
-	apiClient := api.NewClientFromHTTP(httpClient)
-	err = apiClient.REST(hostname, "POST", path, requestBody, &result)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return &result, nil
-}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared.go
index f285621ab..d8a753dfe 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared.go
@@ -10,13 +10,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cli/cli/api"
 )
 
-// TODO make gist create use this file
-
 type GistFile struct {
-	Filename string `json:"filename"`
+	Filename string `json:"filename,omitempty"`
 	Type     string `json:"type,omitempty"`
 	Language string `json:"language,omitempty"`
-	Content  string `json:"content"`
+	Content  string `json:"content,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type Gist struct {
@@ -25,6 +23,7 @@ type Gist struct {
 	Files       map[string]*GistFile `json:"files"`
 	UpdatedAt   time.Time            `json:"updated_at"`
 	Public      bool                 `json:"public"`
+	HTMLURL     string               `json:"html_url,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func GetGist(client *http.Client, hostname, gistID string) (*Gist, error) {