We all have a GitHub repository that has been asleep for years: the app that would change everything, the game started on a Sunday night, the SaaS that never had a customer. Rather than letting it rot in silence, bury it properly.
On tombz, every abandoned project gets a grave in the Endless Building Site, with its name, its dates and its epitaph. The badge is a plain image that shows this grave where the project lived: its README, your portfolio, your blog.
What the badge looks like
Live example with "todo-ultime", buried on tombz. The candle count is the real one: click to go and light one.
How to add the badge to your README
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Bury your project
Pick the "Project" category, give its name, its dates and an epitaph. It takes a minute and it is free.
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Copy the code
On your grave page, click the GitHub icon: it copies the small badge as Markdown. For the large headstone or the HTML code, open "Show this grave elsewhere". Both codes are also right below.
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Paste it in the README
At the very top, under the title. You can then archive the repository on GitHub: the project is officially at peace.
Two formats
The small badge
It is 28 pixels high and sits next to your other badges: R.I.P., the project name, its dates and its candles. It is the one the GitHub button on your grave copies.
The large headstone
A card with the stone, the epitaph and flickering candles. Perfect at the very top of a README, instead of the logo. Its code is in the "Show this grave elsewhere" block.
The code to paste
Here are both versions for the example, in Markdown (GitHub or GitLab README) and in HTML (website, portfolio, blog). For your project the identifier changes: it is the one in the address of your grave, and its page gives you the ready-made code.
Small badge
[](https://tombz.fr/en/grave/de53870fd0)<a href="https://tombz.fr/en/grave/de53870fd0"><img src="https://tombz.fr/en/badge/de53870fd0.svg" alt="R.I.P. todo-ultime" height="28"></a>Large headstone
[](https://tombz.fr/en/grave/de53870fd0)<a href="https://tombz.fr/en/grave/de53870fd0"><img src="https://tombz.fr/en/stele/de53870fd0.svg" alt="R.I.P. todo-ultime" height="170"></a>Want to switch format later? In the image address, replace "badge" with "stele" (or the other way round): that is the only difference.
What the badge does
- It shows the project name, its dates and the number of candles lit on its grave.
- It links to the grave, where visitors can light a candle or leave a tribute.
- It is a plain image: no script to install, nothing to maintain.
- It displays on GitHub, GitLab, a portfolio, a blog, anywhere an image can be shown.
Frequently asked questions
Is the README badge free?
Yes. The badge comes with the grave, and burying a project is free.
How do I add a badge to a GitHub README?
Copy the Markdown line offered on your grave page and paste it in the README.md file, usually under the title. GitHub displays the image and makes it clickable.
Which one should I pick, the small badge or the large headstone?
The small badge goes in the row of badges under the README title. The large headstone works better instead of the logo, at the very top. Every grave gives the code for both, in Markdown and in HTML: copy the one you want.
Does the candle count update?
Yes, on its own. The image is recomputed about every half hour. GitHub sometimes keeps the previous version a little longer.
What happens to the badge if the grave is deleted?
It shows "grave not found" instead of breaking your README. You then just remove the line.
Should I archive an abandoned project on GitHub?
It is a good idea: an archived repository becomes read-only and tells visitors the project is no longer maintained. The badge adds the final touch, with a date of death and an epitaph.
Is the badge available in French?
Yes. Copy the code from the French version of your grave page: the headstone reads "Ci-gît" and the link goes to the French page.
Your project deserves a grave
One minute to bury it, one line for the badge.
Bury my projectVisit the Endless Building Site, the district of dead projects
