Growing GitHub
People find projects through READMEs and topics. Write both before anything paid.
Basics
How many people use GitHub?
225 million users, Microsoft said on 29 Jul 2026. GitHub's last yearly report counted 630 million repositories by 31 August 2025.[1, 9]
How do people find your GitHub organization?
Through each repository's README and topics, and your organization's profile page.
| Step | GitHub's advice |
|---|---|
| README | Say what the project does, why it's useful and how to start |
| Topics | Up to 20 per repository, lowercase, 50 characters or fewer |
| Profile README | Add profile/README.md to a public .github repository |
| Pinned repositories | Pin up to six for the public |
Using the same name on npm or a website? Check it on npm and the .com too.[2, 3, 4]
Advanced
How do you get a GitHub Verified badge?
Verify your domain with a DNS TXT record. The badge shows when your profile's website and email use the verified domain; DNS changes can take up to three days.[5]
Can people sponsor your GitHub organization?
Yes, through GitHub Sponsors, if you operate in a supported region. GitHub takes no fee on sponsorships from personal accounts, and up to 6% on those from organizations.[6]
What can you do with GitHub's API?
Read and manage repositories, issues and more through the REST API, within hourly limits.
| Caller | Requests an hour |
|---|---|
| Not signed in | 60 |
| Personal access token | 5,000 |
| GitHub App | 5,000, rising to 12,500 |
| GitHub App on Enterprise Cloud | 15,000 |
Sources [7]
Which GitHub paid plans are worth it?
Stay on Free while you build in public; pay once a team needs reviews and controls. The order is our view.
| Option | Cost | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited public and private repositories |
| Team | $4 per user a month | Required reviewers, code owners, more CI/CD minutes |
| Enterprise | From $21 per user a month | Single sign-on, audit log API, data residency |
Sources [8]
Sources (9)
- PrimaryGitHub Blog: Octoverse 2025
- PrimaryGitHub Docs: Classifying your repository with topics
- PrimaryGitHub Docs: About READMEs
- PrimaryGitHub Docs: Customizing your organization's profile
- PrimaryGitHub Docs: Verifying or approving a domain for your organization
- PrimaryGitHub Docs: About GitHub Sponsors
- PrimaryGitHub Docs: Rate limits for the REST API
- PrimaryGitHub: Pricing
- PrimaryMicrosoft: FY26 Q4 earnings call