You can use the REST API to star (bookmark) a repository. Stars are shown next to repositories to show an approximate level of interest. Stars have no effect on notifications or the activity feed. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

In August 2012, we changed the way watching works on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}. Some API client applications may still be using the original "watcher" endpoints for accessing this data. You should now use the "star" endpoints instead (described below). For more information, see AUTOTITLE and the changelog post.

In responses from the REST API, watchers, watchers_count, and stargazers_count correspond to the number of users that have starred a repository, whereas subscribers_count corresponds to the number of watchers.

In July 2026, to ensure responsible use of this data and to protect users from misuse, we are introducing new access restrictions to the endpoints related to starring. Access to the stargazers listing endpoints will be limited to admins and collaborators. For more information, see the changelog post.