shell-petA little life in your README
Your code.
Their home.
Meet the tiny hermit crab that grows
with your repository.
No account. No install. Just a README badge.
Meet your crab ↓Find your repository’s resident
Every repo starts with a little personality.
Checking the live repository badge…
This is the real badge for the submitted repository. Updated about hourly when viewed; there is no background job.
Run this inside your repository to add the badge.
npx shell-pet initExplore a demo
These controls change only the example below. Your real badge and copied Markdown always use repository activity.
A frozen example, not a live badge. It will not update from GitHub.
One line of Markdown. A tiny friend for every commit.
A little older. A little bolder.
Small repo. Big personality.
A companion for every chapter of your project.
Juveniles get up to 3 decorations; adults and elders get up to 8.
Shells grow smoothly with stars and a little extra size from major releases. Losing stars can move a crab back a stage.
It has feelings about your commits
A very small emotional range.
A very big personality.
The first matching rule wins. Choose a mood to see the expression and the actual rule behind it.
Play with your crabA commit in the last 7 days.
Recent events take priority. Other repos default to Happy; repos with 180+ quiet days or archived repos use the Resting stage instead. Eggs stay eggs.
Home is where the shell is
Different languages.
Different homes.
A shell for every kind of project.
Entirely their own thing.
Neighbors on the shore
Real repos. Real residents.
Small projects and familiar names, all using live badges.
These are live repository badges, not demo settings. Their stage and mood can change as activity changes.
A few things to know
Small crab.
Fair questions.
How often does my crab update?
About hourly when someone views the badge. There is no background job. GitHub also caches README images, so changes can take longer to appear. The live preview shows when its activity data was fetched, when that information is available.
Does it work with private repositories?
No. Private repositories are never shown. Private and missing repositories return the same lost-egg badge and message, so a badge cannot tell them apart.
Does this track my visitors?
Studio adds no analytics or visitor tracking. Badges are images with no scripts. GitHub normally proxies README images; visiting Studio or an image URL directly still sends a normal web request to its host. No GitHub token or sign-in is needed here.
Why does my crab look like this?
The repository name deterministically seeds its body color, generic shell and decorations. Its main language selects a special shell when available. Stars choose its growth stage, contributor count adds decorations, and major releases add a little shell size. The same name produces the same traits; different repositories can share visible traits.
Why is my crab in this mood?
The first matching activity rule wins, in the order shown above. The live badge’s reason line explains the current result. Demo controls are for exploring expressions and never change the real repository’s mood.
Can my crab get smaller or rest?
Yes. Losing stars can move it back a stage. A repository with a crab rests when archived or after 180 days without commits: it naps inside its shell with a nightcap. A zero-star egg stays an egg.
Is Save SVG a live badge?
No. “Save frozen demo SVG” downloads the selected demo state as a snapshot. Use the copied Markdown for a badge that follows real repository activity.
Make room for a little friend.
Your next commit could use some company.
Find my crab Free. Open source. Unreasonably cute.