payloadcms/payload
Grade a repo

97

/ 100

GradeA

A top-tier open source project. Docs, tests, and CI are all in excellent shape.

Top 4% of 5,156 graded repos

Payload is the open-source, fullstack Next.js framework, giving you instant backend superpowers. Get a full TypeScript backend and admin panel instantly. Use Payload as a headless CMS or for building powerful applications.

Documentation100
Engineering100
Health83
TypeScript43,244MIT1mo ago

Outstanding. A score of 97/100 puts this repo in a very small tier of truly well-engineered projects.

Top fixes

Highest-impact changes first, ranked by point weight

5 to address
  1. 1
    Dependency manifest6pt

    Add a one-line description to package.json. It appears in npm search and on GitHub.

  2. 2
    Dependency manifest6pt

    Add a `repository` field pointing to the GitHub URL so npm knows where the source lives.

  3. 3
    Dependency manifest6pt

    Add a `keywords` array to help people find your package on npm.

  4. 4
    Dependency manifest6pt

    Add a `homepage` field pointing to your docs or project website.

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Scorecard

Every check, grouped by category and sorted worst-first

Documentation

100

README12pt100

README is present.

Install and run instructions9pt100

README documents how to install the project.

License6pt100

Licensed under MIT.

Contributing guide5pt100

Contributing guide is detailed and thorough.

Engineering

100

Tests18pt100

Test files detected (.github/actions/ai-reviewer/src/diff.test.ts).

CI/CD14pt100

CI is configured (.github/workflows/main.yml).

Linting and formatting5pt100

Linter or formatter configured (.editorconfig).

Reproducibility6pt100

Lockfile present (pnpm-lock.yaml). Installs are reproducible.

Issue and PR templates6pt100

Issue or PR templates present.

Project health

83

Housekeeping3pt60

.gitignore present.

Dependency manifest6pt65

Dependency manifest found (package.json).

Repository metadata5pt100

Repository has a description.

Activity5pt100

Actively maintained (pushed within the last month).

Repository health signals

Activity, community, and responsiveness at scan time

Activity

  • 192 / 652
    Commits (30d / 90d)
  • 3,847
    Forks
  • 569
    Releaseslatest 5y ago

Community

  • 75% - Good
    Community health
  • 3 bus factor
    authors own >50% of commits
  • 43,244
    Watchers

Responsiveness

  • 7h
    Median issue response
  • 1h
    Median PR merge time
  • 838
    Open issues
Repository files56 root entries
  • .claude
  • .claude-plugin
  • .codex
  • .cursor
  • .devcontainer
  • .github
    Good: Licensed under MIT.
    Good: Test files detected (.github/actions/ai-reviewer/src/diff.test.ts).
    Good: CI is configured (.github/workflows/main.yml).
    Good: Dependabot covers 3 ecosystems (github-actions, npm, npm). Dependencies stay current.
    Good: Issue or PR templates present.
  • .husky
  • .idea
    Issue: Build artifacts or local files may be committed (.idea/payload.iml) (−40 pts).Fix: Remove them and add to .gitignore.
  • .stylelint
  • .vscode
  • app
  • docs
  • examples
    Good: Environment pinned via examples/astro/payload/Dockerfile.
  • packages
  • public
  • scripts
  • templates
  • test
  • tools
  • .editorconfig
    Good: Linter or formatter configured (.editorconfig).
  • .env.example
  • .git-blame-ignore-revs
  • .gitattributes
  • .gitignore
    Good: .gitignore present.
  • .lintstagedrc.mjs
  • .mcp.json
  • .node-version
  • .nvmrc
  • .prettierignore
  • .prettierrc.json
  • .stylelintrc.json
  • .swcrc
  • .tool-versions
  • AGENTS.md
  • CLAUDE.md
  • CONTRIBUTING.md
    Good: Contributing guide is detailed and thorough.
    Good: Contributing guide includes setup/install instructions.
    Good: Contributing guide describes code style expectations.
    Good: Contributing guide explains how to run tests.
    Good: Contributing guide describes the PR/review workflow.
    Good: Contributing guide includes code examples.
  • eslint.config.js
  • github-stars.md
  • instrumentation.ts
  • ISSUE_GUIDE.md
  • LICENSE.md
  • next.config.mjs
  • package.json
    Good: Dependency manifest found (package.json).
  • payload-types.ts
  • pnpm-lock.yaml
    Good: Lockfile present (pnpm-lock.yaml). Installs are reproducible.
  • pnpm-workspace.yaml
  • README.md
    Good: README is present.
    Good: README is well structured with multiple sections.
    Good: README includes screenshots or visuals. Great for first impressions.
    Good: README has code examples.
    Good: README links to a live demo or deployed app.
    Good: README includes status badges.
    Good: README documents how to install the project.
    Good: README documents how to run the project.
  • release.config.js
  • SECURITY.md
    Good: Security policy present.
  • sentry.client.config.ts
  • sentry.server.config.ts
  • tsconfig.base.json
  • tsconfig.json
  • tstyche.json
  • turbo.json
  • vitest.config.ts
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