Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about RepoPulse, its features, and usage

Getting Started

What is RepoPulse?

RepoPulse is a GitHub Intelligence Engine that analyzes repository health using metrics, insights, and scores. It transforms raw GitHub data into actionable intelligence for developers, maintainers, and organizations.

How do I get started?

Visit the home page and enter any GitHub repository in owner/name format (e.g., vercel/next.js). You'll immediately see health scores, insights, and visualizations. For badges and cards, copy the provided URLs into your README.md.

Is RepoPulse free?

Yes, RepoPulse is completely free and open source. All features are available without registration or API keys.

Do I need a GitHub account?

No, you can analyze any public GitHub repository without an account. However, having a GitHub account allows you to access more features and contribute to repositories.

Health Scores & Insights

What does the health score mean?

The health score (0-100) represents overall repository vitality based on activity, responsiveness, growth, maintenance, and contributor diversity. 90-100 is excellent, 70-89 is good, 50-69 needs attention, below 50 indicates serious concerns.

How accurate are the health scores?

Health scores are calculated from available GitHub data using transparent, rule-based analysis. They provide reliable insights but should be considered alongside code review and community interaction.

What are insights?

Insights are rule-based intelligence that identify specific strengths, weaknesses, or recommendations. Each insight includes a confidence level (High/Medium/Low) and severity (Error/Warning/Info).

Why do insights have confidence levels?

Confidence levels indicate how certain the analysis is based on data quality and quantity. High confidence insights are reliable; low confidence ones may need verification.

Can I customize the analysis?

Yes, you can adjust analysis time windows (30/90/365 days), filter insight categories, and choose different themes. Use URL parameters like ?window=90&insights=activity,growth.

Badges & Cards

What's the difference between badges and cards?

Badges are small status indicators (stars, health, activity) for README headers. Cards are comprehensive visualizations showing detailed repository information in a larger format.

How do I add badges to my README?

Copy the Markdown code from the badges page or repository analysis. For example: ![Health](https://repopulse-one.vercel.app/api/badge/health?repo=yourusername/yourrepo)

Do badges update automatically?

Yes, RepoPulse badges are dynamic and update automatically. Repository data is cached for 1 hour, badge SVGs for 24 hours, ensuring fresh information without manual updates.

Can I customize badge and card themes?

Yes, RepoPulse offers 100+ card themes and 25+ badge styles. Add ?theme=theme-name to any badge or card URL. Browse all themes in the themes gallery.

Why are some badges not showing?

Check that the repository exists and is public. Badge images may take a few seconds to generate on first request. If issues persist, verify the URL format.

Technical Questions

How often is data updated?

Repository data is cached for 1 hour. Badge and card SVGs are cached for 24 hours. You can force a refresh by adding cache-busting parameters, but this should be used sparingly.

Are there rate limits?

GitHub API limits apply: 60 requests/hour for unauthenticated users, 5,000/hour for authenticated. RepoPulse uses intelligent caching and authenticated requests to minimize limits.

Does RepoPulse store my data?

No, RepoPulse only analyzes publicly available GitHub data and doesn't store personal information. All analysis happens in real-time using GitHub's APIs.

Can I use RepoPulse for private repositories?

No, RepoPulse only analyzes public GitHub repositories. Private repositories require authentication that RepoPulse doesn't support.

How does RepoPulse handle API failures?

RepoPulse includes graceful degradation - if GitHub APIs are unavailable, it serves cached data with appropriate warnings. The service is designed for high reliability.

Troubleshooting

Repository not found error

Verify the repository exists and is public. Check the spelling: owner/repository-name. Some organizations may have different naming conventions.

Slow loading times

Large repositories may take longer to analyze. First requests are slower; subsequent requests use cached data. Complex analysis windows also increase processing time.

Inconsistent data

Data may vary due to GitHub API caching, repository updates, or analysis time windows. Use the same parameters for consistent comparisons.

Badge not updating

Badges cache for 24 hours. For immediate updates after repository changes, wait for cache expiration or use cache-busting parameters (not recommended for production).

Theme not applying

Ensure the theme name is spelled correctly. Some themes may not be available for all badge types. Check the themes gallery for valid combinations.

Contributing & Development

How can I contribute?

RepoPulse is open source! Check the contributing guide for development setup, coding standards, and issue guidelines. We welcome bug reports, feature requests, and code contributions.

Can I run RepoPulse locally?

Yes, clone the repository and follow the development setup instructions. You'll need Node.js, and optionally a GitHub token for higher API limits.

How do I report bugs?

Use GitHub Issues with detailed reproduction steps, expected vs actual behavior, and environment information. Include repository URLs when applicable.

Can I suggest new features?

Absolutely! Open a GitHub Issue with the "enhancement" label. Include use cases, expected behavior, and why the feature would benefit the community.

How does the scoring algorithm work?

The health score combines weighted metrics: Activity (25%), Responsiveness (25%), Growth (20%), Maintenance (20%), Diversity (10%). Each component is scored 0-100 and combined for the final score.

Still Need Help?

Documentation

Explore our comprehensive documentation for detailed guides and examples.

View Documentation →

Community Support

Report issues, suggest features, or ask questions on GitHub.

GitHub Issues →

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