payloadcms/payloadNew scan
95/ 100 · A

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

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.

TypeScript43,004 starsMITupdated 3d ago

Outstanding work. A score of 95/100 puts this repo in a very small tier of truly well-engineered open source projects.

DocumentationREADME, setup, examples, license
100
EngineeringTests, CI, linting, lockfiles
97
Project healthDescription, activity, stars, deps
81

What to fix first

The highest-impact improvements for this repo.

  1. 1
    CI/CD
    EngineeringInfo

    Add `tsc --noEmit`, `mypy`, or `cargo check` to catch type errors before they merge.

  2. 2
    CI/CD
    EngineeringInfo

    Upload coverage to Codecov, Coveralls, or report it with `--coverage` flags.

  3. 3
    Dependency manifest
    Project healthInfo

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

Detailed breakdown

Documentation

100
  • README100
    • README is present.
    • README is well structured with multiple sections.
    • README includes screenshots or visuals. Great for first impressions.
    • README has code examples.
    • README links to a live demo or deployed app.
    • README includes status badges.
  • Install and run instructions100
    • README documents how to install the project.
    • README documents how to run the project.
    • .env.example is present. Contributors can see exactly which env vars to set.
  • License100
    • Licensed under MIT.
  • Contributing guide98
    • Contributing guide is detailed and thorough.
    • Contributing guide includes setup/install instructions.
    • Contributing guide describes code style expectations.
    • Contributing guide explains how to run tests.
    • Contributing guide describes the PR/review workflow.
    • Contributing guide includes code examples.
    • Optional: add a Code of Conduct (+5 pts).A CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md signals that your project is welcoming. GitHub has a template you can add in one click.

Engineering

97
  • Tests100
    • Test files detected (.github/actions/ai-reviewer/src/diff.test.ts).
  • CI/CD100

    Not applicable?

    • CI is configured (.github/workflows/main.yml).
    • CI workflow runs tests.
    • CI runs on pull requests, not just on pushes to main.
    • CI workflow runs a lint or format check.
    • Optional: add type checking to CI.Add `tsc --noEmit`, `mypy`, or `cargo check` to catch type errors before they merge.
    • Optional: report test coverage in CI.Upload coverage to Codecov, Coveralls, or report it with `--coverage` flags.
    • CI caches dependencies for faster runs.
    • CI tests across multiple environments or versions.
    • CI includes a build step.
  • Linting and formatting75
    • Linter or formatter configured (.editorconfig).
    • Lint script wired into package.json.
    • tsconfig.json does not enable strict type checking (−20 pts).Add "strict": true to compilerOptions to catch more bugs at compile time.
  • Reproducibility100
    • Lockfile present (pnpm-lock.yaml). Installs are reproducible.
    • Environment pinned via examples/astro/payload/Dockerfile.
    • Dependabot covers 3 ecosystems (github-actions, npm, npm). Dependencies stay current.
  • Issue and PR templates100
    • Issue or PR templates present.
    • Security policy present.

Project health

81
  • Dependency manifest65
    • Dependency manifest found (package.json).
    • package.json is missing a description (−10 pts).Add a one-line description to package.json. It appears in npm search and on GitHub.
    • package.json has no repository field (−10 pts).Add a `repository` field pointing to the GitHub URL so npm knows where the source lives.
    • package.json has no keywords (−8 pts).Add a `keywords` array to help people find your package on npm.
    • package.json has no homepage field (−7 pts).Add a `homepage` field pointing to your docs or project website.
  • Repository metadata70
    • Repository has a description.
    • Primary language detected: TypeScript.
  • Activity100
    • Actively maintained (pushed within the last month).
    • 43,004 stars.
  • Housekeeping100
    • .gitignore present.
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
  • .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