GitHub
A GitHub stars widget displays the current star count, fork count, watcher count, and last-push timestamp of any public GitHub repository. WidgetCraft's GitHub Stars widget routes through our hosted proxy by default (no setup required), shows a star-delta pill when the count changes between polls, and embeds in Notion, Obsidian, or any iframe-capable website.
WidgetCraft's GitHub Stars widget is the fastest way to put a live repo stat badge inside a Notion page, an Obsidian vault, or a personal project site. Point it at any public repo with `?repo=owner/name` and it fetches star count, fork count, watcher count, open issue count, primary language, and last-push timestamp. The widget calls our hosted proxy at `/api/proxy/github`, which carries the operator's server-side GITHUB_TOKEN (5000 req/hr shared across all embeds) and caches upstream responses for 5 minutes — so ten users embedding the same repo don't burn ten times the budget. Between polls it compares the new star count to the cached value in localStorage and renders a green +N or red -N delta pill, giving you a real-time feel without webhooks. The compact layout option (`?layout=compact`) hides the secondary stats and description for tight spaces. The default refresh cadence is every 5 minutes.
Questions, answered.
Can I track any public repo?
Yes. Add `?repo=owner/reponame` to the embed URL — for example `?repo=vercel/next.js`. The widget intentionally supports public repositories only.
What's the rate limit?
Our hosted proxy uses an operator-shared token with 5000 requests per hour, so the default path easily handles any refresh cadence you'd set. When self-hosting without a token, the fallback path calls GitHub unauthenticated (60 req/hr per IP), which is still plenty for a 5-minute refresh interval (12 calls per hour per widget).
Can I put a personal access token in the widget URL?
No. Query-string credentials leak through browser history, logs, referrers, and copied embed URLs. The hosted proxy keeps its optional GitHub token server-side; self-hosters should configure GITHUB_TOKEN in the server environment.
What is the delta pill next to the star count?
Between polls the widget compares the latest star count to the value it stored locally on the previous load. If the number changed, it shows a green +N (gain) or red -N (loss) pill. The delta clears once a new poll returns the same count.
How often does the star count refresh?
Every 5 minutes by default. Set `?refresh=N` to change the interval in minutes. Values below 1 are ignored.
Does it show forks and open issues too?
Yes, in the full layout. The widget shows stars as the hero stat, then a row of chips for forks, watchers, and open issues below it. Switch to `?layout=compact` to show only the star count and last-push timestamp.
What happens if the repo doesn't exist?
The widget displays an error message: 'Repo not found: owner/name'. Double-check the slug format — it must be exactly `owner/reponame` with no leading slash.