GitHub Star History REST API Endpoint Provides Privacy-Safe Star Data

What shipped

A new GitHub REST API endpoint tracks repository star history — historical star counts with timestamps — without exposing individual stargazer identities. Announced September 4, 2026.

What changed

Earlier this year, GitHub restricted stargazer listing endpoints to admins and collaborators to protect user privacy, which broke star-growth tracking for third-party tools and integrations. The new star history endpoint restores that data in a privacy-safe form: counts over time, no user identities. GitHub directs tools and integrations that previously tracked star growth to the new endpoint, documented in the GitHub REST API reference.

Why a builder cares

Repo analytics dashboards, badge services, and ecosystem tools that lost star history can rebuild growth charts without scraping or privacy trade-offs. Most tools only need the trend — not who starred — so this restores a feature without resurrecting the privacy problem.