github-stars-organizer 0.2.0

Organize GitHub starred repos into Star Lists — free heuristic categorization, optional LLM

GitHub Stars Organizer

Organize 300+ GitHub stars into lists in minutes — free, no AI required.

GitHub's official API can star/unstar repos, but cannot create or manage Star Lists. This CLI:

1. Fetches your starred repos (public GitHub API)
2. Categorizes them by name, description, language, and topics
3. Creates lists and assigns repos via your browser session

Why this tool?

Tool	Drawback	This project
github-star-organizer	Requires paid LLM API	Free heuristic by default
ghstars	Manual category files only	Auto-plan + custom rules + optional LLM
starred	AI-first, complex	Simple: plan → review → apply

Install

# From source
git clone https://github.com/nishal21/github-stars-organizer.git
cd github-stars-organizer
uv sync

# Or from PyPI (after v0.2.0 release)
pip install github-stars-organizer

Requires Python 3.12+ and uv (recommended).

Quick start

1. Build a plan (no credentials needed)

organize-stars plan --username YOUR_USERNAME

Review categorization-plan.json. Edit assignments or add custom rules:

cp categories.example.toml categories.toml
# edit categories.toml
organize-stars plan --username YOUR_USERNAME --categories categories.toml

2. Configure credentials

organize-stars init

Or copy and edit manually:

cp config.example.toml config.toml

Field	How to get it
username	Your GitHub username
token	GitHub token settings (classic; public_repo if you star private repos)
cookies	See Getting your cookie below

3. Preview and apply

organize-stars apply --dry-run
organize-stars apply

View result: https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME?tab=stars

If interrupted, resume with:

organize-stars apply --resume

Getting your browser cookie

GitHub Star Lists have no public API — applying lists uses your browser session.

1. Log into github.com in Chrome or Edge
2. Press F12 to open DevTools
3. Open the Network tab
4. Refresh the page
5. Click any request to github.com
6. Under Headers, find Cookie
7. Copy the entire cookie string into config.toml → [github.session] → cookies

Cookies expire every few weeks. Refresh from DevTools if you get CSRF or 403 errors.

CLI reference

organize-stars init [--config config.toml] [--force]
organize-stars status [--config config.toml]
organize-stars lists [--config config.toml]

organize-stars plan --username USER [--categories categories.toml] [--output plan.json]
organize-stars plan --config config.toml [--categories categories.toml]
organize-stars plan --config config.toml --llm          # optional AI mode

organize-stars apply [--config config.toml] [--plan plan.json] [--dry-run] [--yes] [--resume]

Optional LLM mode

For smarter categorization, add a [llm] section to config.toml and install the extra:

uv sync --extra llm
organize-stars plan --config config.toml --llm

Heuristic mode remains the default — no API key required.

Default categories

• AI & LLM
• Web Dev & Frontend
• Mobile & Android
• Backend & APIs
• Dev Tools & CLI
• Self-hosting & DevOps
• Security & Privacy
• Media & Creative
• Gaming & Entertainment
• Go & Systems
• Learning & Inspiration
• Misc & Tools

Customize via categories.toml or edit the plan JSON before applying.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
CSRF / 403 error	Refresh browser cookie in config.toml
Rate limited	Wait a few minutes; reduce concurrency in config
More than 32 lists	GitHub hard limit — merge categories in plan or categories.toml
Apply interrupted	Run organize-stars apply --resume
config.toml not found	Run organize-stars init

Check setup anytime:

organize-stars status

Privacy and security

• Token and cookies stay in local config.toml (gitignored) — never commit them
• Plan mode reads only public repo metadata
• LLM mode (optional) sends metadata to your configured provider
• See SECURITY.md

Development

uv sync --dev
uv run pytest
uv run ruff check .

See CONTRIBUTING.md.

Attribution

Web client adapted from luoling8192/github-star-organizer (MIT). See ATTRIBUTION.md.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.