Check repository health metrics (coverage, docs, tests, activity) with scores and recommendations. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the DevOps / CI-CD collection.
Use Cases
Assess a potential open-source dependency before adding it to a production project.
Generate a health report for your own repositories as part of a quarterly engineering review.
Identify repositories in an organization that need documentation, CI, or test coverage attention.
Screen repositories before acquisition or open-source contribution investment.
Tips
Check test coverage alongside activity metrics — a repository with 500 recent commits but 0% coverage is not healthy, just busy.
README quality matters: repositories without a README have 40–60% lower contribution rates, per GitHub internal research.
Staleness of the last commit is less important than regularity — monthly releases from an active team are healthier than daily commits with no releases.
Fun Facts
GitHub defines 'active' repositories as those with at least one push in the past year. As of 2023, over 400 million public repositories exist on GitHub, but fewer than 10% are actively maintained.
The OpenSSF Scorecard project, launched by Google and the Open Source Security Foundation in 2020, automated repository health scoring specifically for security posture across 10+ dimensions.
Studies of open-source projects found that the probability of project abandonment increases 60% after the first maintainer goes dormant for 90 days, highlighting how dependent health is on individual contributors.
FAQ
What health metrics matter most for a library dependency?
Recent commit activity (last 90 days), open issue response time, test coverage, presence of CI, and license clarity. For security-sensitive dependencies, also check: signed releases and published CVE response history.
How do I improve repository health score quickly?
Add or improve README (highest single-metric impact), add a LICENSE file, configure CI with a test run, and add a CONTRIBUTING.md. These four items address the most common health deficits.
