Guide
How to join the GitHub Stars program in 2026
How to get nominated for the GitHub Stars program in 2026. What they look for, what you get, and the official nomination page.
Nominations go through GitHub
GitHub Stars is a recognition program for people who inspire, educate, and shape developer communities. Official hub: stars.github.com.
I run Ambassador Directory. I am a Cursor ambassador and a Raycast ambassador. The rule here is give and take: you already contribute in public, and GitHub may recognize that work with access and a louder platform. If the deal is a tracking link, it is the wrong program.
This page is a how-to. Nominations go through GitHub, not through this directory.
What they look for
Official Stars framing on stars.github.com: inspire, educate and share, and shape communities. The program recognizes people who already do that work.
The listing on this site asks for significant OSS contributions, community leadership, and impactful developer work. Entry is an application or nomination process.
The listing description: an opportunity for impactful developers to showcase their work, reach more people, and shape the future of GitHub. Recognition for community leadership and OSS contribution.
I will not invent a follower count, commit quota, or acceptance rate. GitHub reviews nominees for community impact.
What you get
The exchange is recognition and access for the work, not a commission.
The listing on this site tags Co-marketing, Access, and Networking. Other perk on the listing: free GitHub Team or Enterprise access. I will not invent a credit amount.
How nomination works
Nominations are how people enter. Signed-in GitHub users nominate others at stars.github.com/nominate. You cannot self-nominate through that flow.
The public nominate page lets a signed-in user submit up to three nominations. Nominees are reviewed for community impact.
Official hub: https://stars.github.com/
Official nominate page: https://stars.github.com/nominate
Build visible impact first
Do not start with a nomination ask. Start with work other developers can see.
Ship OSS. Lead a community. Teach in public. Then a peer who knows that work can nominate you. If you already see that trail in someone else, nominate them.
GitHub Campus Experts is a different program. That is the education track. This page is Stars only.
How to get nominated
Read the listing on this site so you know the ask and the perks. Then use GitHub's official nominate page.
Official hub: https://stars.github.com/
Official nominate page: https://stars.github.com/nominate
Do not send a nomination or an application through Ambassador Directory. We list programs. We do not take applications for them.
Related community programs
If Stars is the wrong fit, Docker Captains sits in a similar community-expert lane. Apply on that company's official page, not through this directory.
If you want a general apply path, start with how to get in. If you are comparing a paid DevRel hire to an external program, that is a different page.