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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the GitHub Dashboard agent skill (github-dashboard)

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The github-dashboard skill lets an AI agent turn a request about one public GitHub repository into a styled HTML dashboard with key counts, top contributors and recent activity. It is aimed at maintainers, developer advocates and community managers who want a read-only visual status page. This guide explains what an agent skill is, how to install this one, how to trigger it, and what to watch for.

GitHub Repo Dashboardnexu-io/open-design · Apache-2.0

Quick start

  1. 1Download the ZIP. Download the github-dashboard skill ZIP from this page.
  2. 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
  3. 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. Go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.
  4. 4Confirm capabilities. Make sure the agent has file write and shell capability and can reach GitHub public data.
  5. 5Make a request. Ask for a GitHub dashboard for one owner/repo, using a trigger phrase such as repo dashboard.
  6. 6Review the output. Open index.html in a browser and check the numbers and any estimated or synthetic labels.

What an agent skill is and what this one does

An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file and supporting files that an AI agent loads when a request matches the skill's description. This one is named github-dashboard.

Once installed, the agent can take a request about one GitHub repository and produce a dashboard showing stars, forks, contributors, open issues and pull requests, plus top contributors and recent activity. It pulls public data from GitHub's API or CLI, arranges it into a fixed data shape, and outputs either a standalone index.html page or a set of files for a refreshable version. The skill also tells the agent to note where any numbers are estimated or synthetic.

  • Output: a single index.html page with inline CSS, or a live-artifact set (template.html, data.json, artifact.json, provenance.json)
  • Scope: one repository per dashboard
  • Data: public GitHub data only

Install the github-dashboard skill

Download the ZIP for the skill from this page. Then choose one of the following methods.

For a personal install that applies to all your projects, unzip the download into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

  • Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project only: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
  • Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP

Check what the skill needs before you start

The skill declares that it needs an agent with file write and shell capability. It also needs GitHub CLI or GitHub API access to read public repository data. A GitHub token is optional, but the skill says not to save it anywhere.

A design-system file called DESIGN.md is optional. If you do not provide one, the skill uses built-in default styling.

  • File write and shell capability (declared in the skill metadata)
  • GitHub CLI or GitHub API access for public data
  • Optional: DESIGN.md for your own visual tokens

Trigger the skill with a natural request

You do not need a special command. Ask for a GitHub dashboard in plain language and name the repository as owner/repo. The skill's trigger phrases include "github dashboard", "repo dashboard", "repository dashboard", "github analytics", "open source dashboard" and "github growth".

If you name several repositories, the agent will ask you to pick one primary repository or make one dashboard per repository. If you omit the repository, it will ask for the GitHub URL or owner/repo.

  • Name one repository in owner/repo form or as a GitHub URL
  • Say whether you want a plain page or a refreshable one, since that changes the output files
  • Ask for a specific focus such as contributors or recent activity
Build a GitHub dashboard for nexu-io/open-design — stars, forks, contributors, issues, PRs, recent activity, and top contributors.

Examples of requests and outputs

A plain request produces a self-contained index.html. Adding a request for refreshability, source auditability or scheduled updates makes the agent produce the live-artifact source set instead, following the live-artifact contract.

The skill's own example request is shown above, and the bundled example.html is a rendered reference dashboard you can compare your output against.

  • "Make a repo dashboard for owner/repo I can open in a browser." gives index.html.
  • "I want a refreshable GitHub analytics page for owner/repo with a provenance record." gives template.html, data.json, artifact.json and provenance.json.

Safety notes: scripts and network access

The skill runs scripts and uses the network, because it reads public data from GitHub. Review what the agent runs before approving shell commands, especially on machines with sensitive data.

The skill says not to store auth tokens, raw HTTP responses, cookies, rate-limit headers or private repository metadata. Growth figures may be estimated or synthetic, since GitHub's REST API does not expose complete star or fork history. The output should label these as such, and the provenance file records how they were produced.

  • Runs scripts: yes
  • Uses network: yes (public GitHub data)
  • Tokens are optional and should not be persisted
  • Check the provenance notes for estimated or synthetic values

Tips for better dashboards

Use a public repository. The skill is built around public data and is not meant for private repos. If you want precise growth history, ask for it to be marked as estimated rather than expecting exact figures.

Open the generated page at normal zoom and check that the labels name your repository and that the numbers match what you see on GitHub.

  • Keep one repository per request
  • Provide DESIGN.md if you want your own colours and fonts
  • Ask for the live-artifact set only when you need refreshing or an audit trail

What people use it for

  • A maintainer checking the health of an open-source project's stars, issues and pull requests
  • A developer advocate preparing a repository status page for a community update
  • A community manager sharing a clean, read-only visual report of one public repo
  • A team producing a refreshable live-artifact page with a provenance record

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the github-dashboard skill?

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

What does the github-dashboard skill need to run?

It needs an agent with file write and shell capability, plus GitHub CLI or GitHub API access for public repository data. A GitHub token is optional, and the skill says not to store it. A DESIGN.md file is optional.

Is the github-dashboard skill free?

The skill is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence. The source does not state pricing for the agent or the Claude apps, so check those products' own terms.

Can it compare several repositories at once?

No. The skill is scoped to one repository per dashboard. For several repositories, the agent asks you to pick a primary one or creates a separate dashboard for each.

Does it show exact star and fork growth over time?

Not always. GitHub's REST API does not expose complete historical star or fork data, so the skill may use estimated or synthetic chart data and marks it as such in the provenance notes.

Can I use it for a private repository?

The skill is built around public data and says not to store tokens or private metadata. It is not designed for private repositories or anything that needs authenticated private information.

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Our verdict

This skill suits maintainers, developer advocates and community managers who want a quick, read-only visual overview of one public GitHub repository. Pick something else if you need to compare several repos, need exact historical growth figures, or must report on private repositories.

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