GitHub Released Repository Star History API

The new endpoint provides aggregated star counts to developers without exposing the identities of individual users.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Software

GitHub Released Repository Star History API

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On Sept. 4, 2026, GitHub announced a new star history API endpoint designed to streamline how developers track repository growth. By providing daily star counts grouped by calendar week, the update removes the need to access individual user data.

Why it matters

The new feature addresses privacy concerns by ensuring that aggregate repository metrics are accessible while protecting the identities of individual stargazers. This change simplifies data retrieval for developers who previously had to process thousands of requests to track engagement history.

The new API provides up to 30 weeks of history in a single request, excluding any removed stars. Developers access this via the GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/stargazers/history endpoint.

The players

GitHub

GitHub is a global platform used by developers to host and review code, manage projects, and build software.

The details

The endpoint allows developers to page backward through a repository's historical data, providing a more efficient way to monitor trends over time. Because it does not track removed stars or individual identifiers, it offers a cleaner view of repository popularity.

GitHub announced the star history API on Sept. 4, 2026.
The design explanation for the API was published on Oct. 14, 2026.

The Tech Race

This development reflects a broader industry shift toward privacy-preserving data access in developer platforms. It replaces manual, high-volume scraping methods with optimized endpoints that position the company to compete on developer productivity.

Developers can now track engagement history with significantly fewer API requests, reducing the risk of rate limiting. This change enables more efficient data analysis and cleaner reporting for project maintainers.

The takeaway

The new endpoint simplifies how developers analyze project growth while upholding stricter privacy standards for the platform's user base. Developers should transition to the new history API to optimize their data collection workflows and reduce request overhead.