FAQ
Can I pay to rank higher?
No. Paying puts your project on the board, and that's all it buys. Every project is scored by the same public formula, and no plan, price, or add-on touches the number.
How much does a listing cost?
$29 a year per project, covering one to three repos. It renews each year, and you can cancel any time.
What's the founding cohort?
The first 100 projects to list pay $15 a year instead, locked in for as long as they keep the listing. Claimed projects share the same 100 spots. Once they're gone, every new listing is $29 a year.
How is my score worked out?
Four signals over the last 28 days: how many days you shipped, commits per week, lines changed per week, and releases. Recent days count more, and each signal is capped, so a steady week beats one giant weekend. Bot commits, lockfiles, and generated code are left out. Read the full formula.
Do AI-assisted commits count?
Yes. A commit counts by the GitHub account that authored it, not by how the code was written. Building with AI tools is normal shipping.
What doesn't count is automation accounts that commit on their own, like Dependabot, Renovate, GitHub Actions, or any account ending in [bot], because nobody shipped anything. We never read commit messages, so trailers like "Co-Authored-By" make no difference.
The same rules apply either way: steady shipping beats volume, and commit floods get flagged for review.
Why is a project I maintain on the board as “Unclaimed”?
To start the board with real projects, we added a limited set of active open-source repos, scored from public GitHub data with the same formula as everyone else. They're always labeled "Unclaimed · scored from public GitHub data", and we never write a pitch in your name.
How do I claim or remove an unclaimed entry?
To claim it, use the "Claim" link on the entry: install the GitHub App (which proves you control the repo), then list it. Your score and history carry over.
To remove it, use the "Remove" link and sign in with GitHub as the repo's owner or a public member of its organization. Or ask us with no account: DM @shipboard_lol on X or email hello@shipboard.lol. It leaves the board right away, its data is deleted within 30 days, and it won't be added again.
Can I list a private repo?
Not yet. Private repos are the first feature planned after launch. We'll keep the repo name hidden and still verify activity through the GitHub App.
What's the Graveyard?
After 30 days without shipping, a project shows as going quiet. After 90, it leaves the board and rests in the Graveyard, with its last ship date and an epitaph its owner writes. Resting is free: the listing won't renew while it's there. Ship again and the project is revived, and you can resume the listing to rejoin the board.
Do you read my code?
No. We read metadata only: commit times, line counts, author logins, and file paths (used to filter out things like lockfiles). We never store or show file contents or commit messages. See the privacy policy.