Used By (Dependents)

Measures how many other projects depend on this codebase.

Methodology

What We Look For

The number of other projects that depend on your code indicates real-world utility and adoption.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Public repositories depending on this project
• Legitimacy of dependent projects (not test repos)
• Activity level of dependent projects
• Package manager statistics

Data Sources:

• GitHub Dependency Graph
• NPM, PyPI, RubyGems download stats
• Blockchain contract dependencies

Significance

High dependent count indicates:

• Real utility and value
• Developer trust
• Integration adoption
• Infrastructure status

Guide

Finding Information

Step 1: Check GitHub "Used by" Section

For each repository:

• Navigate to the main repository page
• Look for "Used by" count in the right sidebar
• Click to see list of dependent repositories

Step 2: Check Package Managers

If you publish packages:

• NPM: Check npm package page for dependents
• PyPI: Use tools like libraries.io
• RubyGems: Check gem page for dependents
• Cargo: Check crates.io

Step 3: Verify Quality

Review dependent projects:

• Are they active (recent commits)?
• Are they legitimate projects (not tests)?
• Do they meaningfully use your code?
• Are they public repositories?

Submitting Evidence

When submitting "used by" data:

1. Dependent Count: Total number of legitimate dependents

2. GitHub Link: Link to "Used by" section

3. Package Stats (if applicable): NPM/PyPI/etc. dependents

4. Notable Dependents (optional): Highlight significant projects using your code