Express service that increments a file-backed counter and returns the current value as a customizable SVG image.
GitHub README Counter is a API created to make a real workflow clearer, faster, and easier to trust. It turns a focused product idea into something people can use, evaluate, and understand without needing to inspect the source code.
Why GitHub README Counter exists
README authors need an image-embeddable counter endpoint because Markdown cannot run application JavaScript or call an API and render arbitrary data directly.
The goal is not simply to add another tool. GitHub README Counter is designed to reduce the friction around that problem and give people a more dependable way to complete the work.
What it delivers
- Users can self-host an embeddable counter.
- Customize the generated badge.
- Keep separate counters by identifier.
- Monitor basic process health.
The experience
Express service that increments a file-backed counter and returns the current value as a customizable SVG image.
The project brings the important parts of the workflow into one coherent experience. Its interface and behavior are shaped around the people using it, while the implementation stays focused on predictable results and honest feedback.
What to know
Every product has boundaries. These are the most important considerations for GitHub README Counter:
- Requests from bots, caches, renderers, and refreshes are counted, so values are not unique-human analytics.
- File persistence is single-process and can reset on ephemeral filesystems.
- The endpoint has no authentication or documented rate limiting.
These limitations are presented openly so visitors can understand where the project works well, what it depends on, and what may change in future versions.
Current status
Publicly deployed. The current release demonstrates the core value of the project and the main end-to-end experience.
My role was api design and backend engineering, covering http delivery, state management, and svg generation. The related case study explains the decisions and delivery process in greater depth for visitors who want the engineering story behind the product.