New API endpoint provides privacy-safe star history data
GitHub has introduced a new REST API endpoint that allows users to retrieve repository star growth data over time. This endpoint provides historical star counts without exposing the individual identities of the users who starred the repository.
Verified State Diff
Impact & Verification Analysis
Developers, data analysts, and third-party tool maintainers who track repository growth metrics.
It restores public access to repository growth analytics while adhering to stricter privacy standards, enabling the development of ecosystem tools without compromising user anonymity.
Full Fact Overview
This release addresses the privacy concerns that led to the restriction of stargazer listing endpoints earlier this year. By decoupling aggregate growth metrics from individual user data, GitHub enables developers and third-party analytics tools to track repository popularity trends while maintaining user privacy compliance. This architectural shift moves from granular, identity-linked data access to anonymized, time-series data aggregation.