How to Use the exclude_repo Parameter in GitHub Readme Stats to Hide Specific Repositories

Set the exclude_repo query parameter to a comma-separated list of repository names, or configure the EXCLUDE_REPO environment variable on self-hosted instances, to filter out specific repositories from your Stats and Top Languages cards.

The exclude_repo parameter in the anuraghazra/github-readme-stats repository provides a powerful mechanism for omitting specific repositories from your generated statistics cards. Whether you need to hide private experiments, forked repositories, or outdated projects, this parameter integrates seamlessly with both the public API and self-hosted deployments to give you granular control over your GitHub profile visualizations.

How the exclude_repo Parameter Works Internally

The exclusion system operates through two complementary pathways that merge before data aggregation. According to the source code in anuraghazra/github-readme-stats, the implementation spans environment configuration and request-level parameters.

Environment Variable Configuration

For self-hosted instances, the system reads the EXCLUDE_REPO variable from src/common/envs.js. This comma-separated list is parsed and stored as excludeRepositories, providing a global exclusion list that applies to all incoming requests regardless of query parameters.

Query Parameter Processing

When using the public API endpoint defined in api/index.js, the exclude_repo query parameter is extracted and converted to an array using the parseArray utility. This occurs at lines 86-92, where the parameter is sanitized and prepared for the fetcher functions.

Repository Filtering Logic

Both src/fetchers/stats.js and src/fetchers/top-languages.js implement identical exclusion logic. The fetchers merge the environment-level exclusions with request-level exclusions into a single Set (referenced as repoToHide in the source). When processing GraphQL responses, repositories whose name property exists in this set are filtered out before calculating total stars or language statistics, ensuring excluded repositories never contribute to the final SVG output.

Implementation Examples for the exclude_repo Parameter

Public API Endpoint Usage

To exclude specific repositories from your Stats card via the public API, append the repository names as a comma-separated list:

https://github-readme-stats.vercel.app/api?username=yourname&exclude_repo=repo1,repo2

This URL structure instructs the fetcher to omit repo1 and repo2 from star count calculations and repository totals.

Self-Hosted Instance Configuration

For private deployments, configure the environment variable before starting the application:

# .env file or deployment platform environment settings

EXCLUDE_REPO=repo1,repo2,private-repo

After redeployment, all requests to your instance automatically exclude these repositories, even when clients do not specify the exclude_repo parameter.

Combining Environment and Query Parameters

When both configuration methods are present, the system merges the exclusions:

https://your-self-hosted-instance/api?username=yourname&exclude_repo=repo3

In this scenario, the response excludes repo3 (from the query) plus any repositories defined in the EXCLUDE_REPO environment variable.

Top Languages Card Exclusion

The exclude_repo parameter functions identically for the Top Languages card:

https://github-readme-stats.vercel.app/api/top-langs?username=yourname&exclude_repo=repo1,repo2

Languages from the specified repositories are excluded from percentage calculations and the final visualization.

Key Source Files for the exclude_repo Implementation

Understanding the codebase structure helps when debugging or extending functionality:

• src/common/envs.js — Reads and parses the EXCLUDE_REPO environment variable into the excludeRepositories constant.
• api/index.js — Handles incoming HTTP requests, extracts the exclude_repo query parameter at lines 86-92, and converts it to an array using parseArray.
• src/fetchers/stats.js — Implements the exclusion logic for the Stats card, merging environment and request exclusions into a Set and filtering repositories before star aggregation.
• src/fetchers/top-languages.js — Applies identical filtering for language statistics, ensuring excluded repositories do not influence language percentages.

Summary

The exclude_repo parameter in github-readme-stats provides flexible repository filtering through two complementary mechanisms:

• Query Parameter: Append exclude_repo=repo1,repo2 to API URLs for per-request exclusions on the Stats or Top Languages cards.
• Environment Variable: Set EXCLUDE_REPO on self-hosted instances to enforce global exclusions across all requests.

Both methods merge seamlessly in the fetcher logic, ensuring specified repositories are filtered out before calculating stars, repository counts, or language statistics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between EXCLUDE_REPO and exclude_repo?

The EXCLUDE_REPO environment variable configures global exclusions for self-hosted instances of github-readme-stats, affecting all incoming requests regardless of query parameters. The exclude_repo query parameter provides request-level exclusions that apply only to the specific API call. When both are present, the system merges the lists and excludes all specified repositories from the final statistics.

Can I use exclude_repo with the Top Languages card?

Yes, the exclude_repo parameter works identically for the Top Languages card. When you append exclude_repo=repo1,repo2 to the /api/top-langs endpoint, the fetcher filters out those repositories before calculating language percentages. This prevents languages from specific projects from dominating your statistics or hides repositories you do not want to include in your profile visualization.

How do I exclude repositories on a self-hosted instance?

To exclude repositories on a self-hosted instance, set the EXCLUDE_REPO environment variable in your deployment configuration. Format the value as a comma-separated list of repository names (e.g., EXCLUDE_REPO=repo1,repo2,private-repo). After redeploying your instance, these repositories will be automatically excluded from all generated cards, even when clients do not explicitly request exclusion via query parameters.

Does excluding a repository affect the star count on the Stats card?

Yes, excluding a repository removes its contribution from all aggregated metrics on the Stats card, including the total star count. When you specify repositories via exclude_repo or EXCLUDE_REPO, the fetcher in src/fetchers/stats.js filters out those repositories before summing stars and counting total repositories. The resulting SVG card reflects statistics calculated only from the remaining, non-excluded repositories.

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