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Terms of Service

Last updated: May 3, 2026

TL;DR

  • • Your code stays yours. We only read metadata like README and file structure.
  • • Subscriptions are via Stripe. 14-day refund window for paid plans.
  • • Scorecards are advisory tools, not guarantees of security or quality.
  • • Liability is capped at $100 or what you paid over the last 12 months, whichever is greater.
  • • Questions? Reach out to [email protected]

1. Service Description

Specmark is a software-as-a-service platform that provides automated scorecards for GitHub repositories. By installing our GitHub App, you authorize us to access repository metadata including file structures, README files, commit activity, and public configuration files. We analyze this metadata against configurable rulesets and display the results in a public catalog, per-repository drilldown pages, and embeddable SVG badges.

2. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use Specmark to: (a) violate any applicable laws or regulations; (b) infringe on intellectual property rights of others; (c) transmit malicious code, viruses, or harmful content; (d) attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users' data; (e) abuse rate limits or overload our infrastructure; (f) scrape or harvest data from Specmark beyond what our API explicitly permits; or (g) impersonate others or misrepresent your affiliation.

3. User Content and Ownership

Your code remains yours. Specmark does not claim ownership of any code, documentation, or repository content you provide access to. We only access and process repository metadata necessary to generate scorecards. This includes:

  • README files (to extract description and detect documentation)
  • File tree structure (to detect presence of configuration files)
  • Recent commit activity (to measure maintenance cadence)
  • Public configuration files like .specmark.yml

We do not read, store, or process your application source code. If you submit custom scorecard rules via .specmark.yml, those rules are stored and executed within our infrastructure to generate your scorecards.

4. Subscriptions and Billing

Specmark offers a Free plan and paid plans (Pro and Team). Paid plans are billed monthly per contributor (defined as any GitHub user who has committed to a repository in your organization within the past 90 days). Billing is handled through Stripe. By subscribing to a paid plan, you authorize us to charge your payment method on a recurring basis.

Refunds: We offer a 14-day refund window for first-time subscriptions. To request a refund, email [email protected]. Refunds are prorated for downgrades after the first 14 days. Refunds for Free-tier users are not applicable.

5. Termination

You may cancel your subscription at any time by uninstalling the GitHub App or contacting [email protected]. Upon cancellation, you will retain access until the end of your current billing period, after which no further charges will occur.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, abuse the service, or engage in fraudulent activity. In such cases, we will provide reasonable notice unless immediate suspension is necessary to protect our systems or other users.

6. Intellectual Property

The Specmark platform, including the web application, badge rendering engine, and documentation, is proprietary and protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Our scorecard rule engine (the packages/scorecards package) is open-source and licensed under the MIT License. You may use it separately under those terms.

You grant Specmark a limited, non-exclusive license to display your organization name and repository names in your public catalog and in promotional materials (e.g., "Used by [Your Org]") unless you opt out by emailing [email protected].

7. Disclaimers

Specmark is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Scorecards are advisory tools based on heuristic analysis. They do not guarantee security, quality, or compliance with any standard.

We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from vulnerabilities. You are responsible for independently verifying the accuracy of scorecard results before relying on them for decision-making.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Specmark's total liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the service is limited to the greater of: (a) $100 USD, or (b) the total amount you paid to Specmark in the 12 months preceding the claim.

In no event shall Specmark be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, including lost profits, data loss, or business interruption, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

9. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of Specmark shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.

10. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email (if you have provided one) or by posting a notice on our website at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the service after changes constitute acceptance of the updated Terms.

11. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact us at [email protected].

Terms of Service — Specmark