I added live stats badges to gitstats, and here's how they work without a badge server

Description and use

Gitstats added live stats badges that are generated with the static report, eliminating the need for a badge server and making repository activity visible in README files.

Problem

Gitstats reports are static and not easily discoverable; README badges lack repository activity metrics like commit count, last commit date, and contributor count.

Outcome

Gitstats now provides live, up-to-date badges directly from static reports, eliminating the need for a separate badge server and making repository activity visible in README files.

Workflow

• Generate report with gitstats (v2.6.0) which creates badge.svg and badges/ directory with pre-rendered metrics.
• Configure badge appearance via gitstats config keys (badge_metric, badge_color, badge_style).
• Deploy report to static hosting (e.g., GitHub Pages) using gitstats-action or manual upload.
• Add badge markdown to README: .
• Optionally expose metrics via shields.io endpoint using badges/<metric>.json for advanced styling.

Evidence

Every report gets a badge.svg written next to index.html

Source

Because it's regenerated with the report, the number is never stale.

Source

The gitstats README now carries its own badge, served from the demo report

Source