gh-boost

Fills your GitHub contribution graph with backdated commits, real issues, and merged pull requests — all against a repo you own.

Activity is modeled on how real developers actually work: focus runs of a few days, short breaks in between, longer gaps for holidays and summer, quieter months in January and December, weekends mostly empty.

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Setup

1. Create a fresh empty repo on GitHub

Go to github.com/new, give it any name, and leave it completely empty. No README, no license, no .gitignore.

2. Get the files

Download this project as a ZIP and extract it, or clone it into a temporary folder:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/gh-boost.git
cd gh-boost

Then wipe its own history and point it at your new empty repo:

npm run reset

This clears the cloned history and pushes a blank slate to your repo before the real run begins. Skip this if you downloaded the ZIP.

3. Install dependencies

npm install

4. Create a GitHub token

Go to github.com/settings/tokens and generate a fine-grained personal access token:

• Set repository access to your new empty repo only
• Grant: Contents (read/write), Issues (read/write), Pull requests (read/write)

Alternatively, generate a classic token with the repo scope (broader access, simpler to set up).

Copy the token value and set it in your terminal:

# PowerShell
$env:GITHUB_TOKEN="ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx"

# CMD
set GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx

# Mac or Linux
export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx

5. Run

npm start

Takes 15 to 30 minutes. Check your profile once it finishes.

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Commands

Command	What it does
npm start	Full run -- commits, issues, and PRs
npm run dry	Preview the plan, no writes
npm run reset	Wipe history, then full run
npm run commits	Commits and push only, no issues or PRs

CLI flags (for running node run.js directly):

Flag	Effect
--dry	Show the plan without writing anything
--reset	Wipe git history first, then run
--no-gh	Skip issue and PR creation

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Configuration

Open config.js. It is the only file you need to change.

Set the years on your graph:

profile: [
  { yearsAgo: 2, era: "new"     },  // two years ago -- sparse, just starting
  { yearsAgo: 1, era: "growing" },  // last year     -- more consistent
  { yearsAgo: 0, era: "active"  },  // this year     -- active, up to today
]

Change the streak length:

streak: { days: 103 }   // consecutive days ending yesterday

Change issue and PR counts:

github: { issueCount: 30, prCount: 10 }

Skip issues and PRs:

github: { enabled: false }

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If something goes wrong

If the run is interrupted (Ctrl+C, network failure, power loss), you will have partial history. Clean up with:

npm run reset

This wipes everything and lets you start fresh.

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Environment variables

Variable	Required	Description
GITHUB_TOKEN	Yes, for issues/PRs	Personal access token
GITHUB_OWNER	No	Your GitHub username (auto-detected from remote)
GITHUB_REPO	No	Target repo name (auto-detected from remote)

GITHUB_OWNER and GITHUB_REPO are only needed if auto-detection from the git remote fails.

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What gets generated

Type	Default	Counts on profile
Backdated commits	~300-500	yes
Issues opened	30	yes
Pull requests merged	10	yes

Built-in natural patterns:

• Work runs of 2-6 days with 1-3 day rests in between (not random per-day coin flips)
• Calendar-aware gaps: winter holidays, summer break in July/August, a spring and autumn trip
• Month density: April/May/October most active, January/December lightest
• Saturdays ~15%, Sundays ~4%
• Commits between 9am and 10pm, weighted toward afternoon

Note: Files in content/ are regenerated on every run. Do not manually edit them.

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Files

config.js   -- edit this
run.js      -- entry point
profile.js  -- generates the commit schedule
commits.js  -- file changes and git operations
github.js   -- issues and PRs via the GitHub API
content/    -- files changed per commit (auto-created, do not edit)

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Output

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