How it works and data sources

Last updated: 11/10/2026

This page explains how Open Repo collects, refreshes and displays repository data.

1. Data source

Information comes from the GitHub REST API: description, stars, forks, primary language, topics, license, default branch, latest release, contributors and README content. Open Repo is not owned by or endorsed by GitHub.

2. Refresh cadence

New repos: synced right after they are added.
Regular repos: refreshed about once a day.
Trending repos: refreshed about every 6 hours.

To respect GitHub API limits, only a share of the quota is used for routine refreshes; the rest is reserved for new and trending repos.

3. The Trending label

The system checks GitHub's trending pages a few times a day and labels repos that appear there. The label is removed once a repo leaves the lists. Administrators can also flag repos by hand.

4. README rendering

READMEs are re-rendered as sanitized Markdown: unsafe code is stripped, and relative images and links point back to the original repo on GitHub.

5. Accuracy

Because data is refreshed on a schedule, figures can lag behind GitHub. Use the View on GitHub button for the latest information.