Directories & comparison

GitHub awesome lists

Open a pull request to the curated list for your category. Readers there are your target users.

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Cost
Free

Free to use. No paid tier is needed to list or post.

Verdict
works

Works: curated lists are read by developers, but each list has its own rules.

Difficulty
Medium

Needs preparation, a review, or a steady habit before results.

Effort
Low

About 2 to 4 hours a month.

First result
1 to 4 weeks (pull request review)

A rough range for one person working on it part-time.

Payoff
Compounds

keeps growing while you keep at it.

Best for

Open-source tools and developer libraries.

Not for

Products that a list maintainer would call promotional.

Pros

  • Readers are your exact users
  • Free and lasting

Cons

  • Each list has strict rules
  • Pull requests can wait for weeks

The full guide

Last verified 2026-10-30

Links checked 2026-10-30 · All links answer

01What it is and who is there

"Awesome lists" are curated lists on GitHub, each covering one topic, such as Python libraries or design tools. Maintainers accept additions through pull requests. Readers are developers and practitioners who use the list to find tools, so a listing puts you in front of the exact people who need your project. Each list sets its own rules.

02Cost and what you actually pay for

It is free. Your cost is finding the right lists, reading each one's contribution rules, and writing a pull request that fits the list's format.

03Is it right for you?

It fits open-source tools, libraries and developer resources. It fits poorly for closed-source SaaS on lists that only accept open source, and for products that list maintainers would see as promotional. If your project is too new or too small for a list's standards, wait.

04Before you start

  • Find lists for your topic on GitHub's "awesome" topic page.
  • Read each list's CONTRIBUTING file. Many require a minimum project age, a license or a certain number of users.
  • Make sure your README explains what the project does in one line.

05Step-by-step: how to distribute here

  1. Pick two or three lists that match your project exactly.
  2. Read the contribution rules and follow the format to the letter: section, alphabetical order, description length.
  3. Open a pull request that adds one line, with a short, factual description.
  4. Respond to maintainer comments and adjust the entry.
  5. If the pull request is closed, accept it and do not reopen it under a new account.
  6. Keep the README current, since readers will click through to it.

06What to post or submit

List entry:

- [Project name](https://github.com/[owner]/[repo]) - [What it does in under 15 words].

Pull request description:

Adds [project] to the [section] section. [One sentence on what it does]. License: [license]. Meets the contribution rules: [point to the rule it meets].

07Common mistakes and do-nots

  • Do not ignore the list's format rules.
  • Do not add the same project to dozens of lists at once. Maintainers notice.
  • Do not argue with maintainers who decline.
  • Do not submit closed-source products to open-source-only lists.

08How to measure it

  • Track GitHub traffic referrers in your repository insights.
  • Track stars and clones over the weeks after a merge.
  • A realistic test: one merged pull request in a well-read list is enough to see whether it sends traffic.

09Time budget

  • Before: 1 to 2 hours to find lists and read rules.
  • During: 30 minutes per pull request.
  • After: occasional replies to maintainers.

10Pair it with

11Sources

Sources