Add a repository health badge to your GitHub README in 10 seconds
Source: Dev.to
You know those badges at the top of every GitHub README? They tell you if the build works and what license it uses. Cool.
But they don’t tell you what actually matters:
- Is this repo actively maintained?
- How fast do maintainers respond to issues?
- Is there a massive backlog of ignored issues?
- Should I actually depend on this project?
So I built badges that answer those questions.
Quick Start
Add this to your README (replace owner/repo with your repository):
[](https://gitscope.dev)That’s it. No signup. No API key. No configuration.
→ See live examples on any repo
→ Read the docs
All Available Badges
Visit gitscope.dev/badges for the full list.
Repo Health Score
Overall repository health from 0‑100 %. Combines activity, maintenance, community engagement, and issue management.
[](https://gitscope.dev)Maintenance Status
Shows: very active | active | maintained | stale based on recent commit and issue activity.
[](https://gitscope.dev)Response Time
Activity‑based indicator showing how recently the repo was updated.
[](https://gitscope.dev)Contributors
Actual contributor count from the GitHub API.
[](https://gitscope.dev)Contributor Friendly
Indicates if the repo welcomes new contributors (good‑first‑issues, contributing guide, response patterns).
[](https://gitscope.dev)Issues Welcome
Shows if the project actively accepts and responds to issue reports.
[](https://gitscope.dev)Documentation Quality
Based on README completeness, wiki presence, and linked documentation.
[](https://gitscope.dev)(Replace the placeholder URL with the actual image URL for the “Documentation Quality” badge.)
Customize the Style
Add ?style= to change the look:
| Style | Query |
|---|---|
| Flat (default) | ?style=flat |
| Square | ?style=flat-square |
| Bold (great for headers) | ?style=for-the-badge |
Custom Colors
Change the value color
https://api.gitscope.dev/api/badges/owner/repo.svg?color=purpleDark mode (change label background)
https://api.gitscope.dev/api/badges/owner/repo.svg?labelColor=darkAvailable colors
brightgreen green yellow orange red blue cyan purple pink teal indigo gray
You can also use hex codes, e.g. ?color=ff69b4.
Full README Example
# My Awesome Project
[](https://github.com/owner/repo/actions)
[](LICENSE)
[](https://gitscope.dev)
[](https://gitscope.dev)
[](https://gitscope.dev)
A brief description of your awesome project...→ Generate badges for your repo
Why This Matters
For users / contributors
- Know if a project is actually maintained before depending on it.
- See if maintainers are responsive before opening issues.
- Find contributor‑friendly projects.
For maintainers
- Get credit for your maintenance work.
- Signal that your project is healthy and active.
- Attract contributors who value responsive maintainers.
How Scores Are Calculated
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Activity | 20 pts | Days since last commit |
| Issue Management | 15 pts | Open issues relative to popularity |
| Community | 10 pts | Description, license, homepage |
| Engagement | 5 pts | Stars and forks |
Badges are served from Cloudflare’s edge network with a 15‑minute cache. Typical response times are < 100 ms worldwide.
FAQ
Do I need to sign up?
Nope. Badges work instantly with any public GitHub repository.
How often do badges update?
Data is cached for 15 minutes. Health metrics recalculate hourly.
Will this slow down my README?
No. Edge‑cached, globally distributed, sub‑100 ms response times.
Try It Now
→ Generate badges for your repo
Or construct the URL yourself:
https://api.gitscope.dev/api/badges/YOUR-ORG/YOUR-REPO.svgDrop Your Repo Below 👇
Comment with your repository and I’ll share your health score!
Building GitScope to help OSS maintainers avoid burnout. Badges are free forever. Full docs here.