Roadmaps are essential for any open-source project, but keeping them updated and easy to read can be a chore. Often, they exist in static slides, outdated wikis, or complex project management tools that stakeholders never look at.
I recently ran into this exact challenge while working on the 2026 roadmap for FINOS CALM. I needed a way to provide our community with an easily digestible, “at a glance” view of where we were going. I didn’t want to manually update a graphic every week, nor did I want to force people to dig through a Kanban board to understand the high-level vision.
I wanted something that lived right where the work happened—on GitHub—but looked good enough to present.
So, I built Roadmapper.
Roadmapper
Why I Built Roadmapper
The goal was simplicity. I wanted to turn existing GitHub issues into a clean, visual timeline without any friction.
Most tools require you to sync data, create accounts, or manage a separate “roadmap” document. Roadmapper takes a different approach: it treats your GitHub Issues as the single source of truth. If you update an issue label on GitHub, your roadmap updates automatically everywhere it’s embedded.
How It Works
Roadmapper generates a live SVG visualization of your roadmap based on specific labels you apply to your issues.
1. Register Your Repository
Visit roadmapper.rocketstack.co and enter your repository details to get an API key. This key verifies ownership and enables roadmap generation.
2. Add Your Key
Create a .roadmapper file in the root of your repository containing only your API key:
echo "rm_your_key_here" > .roadmapper && git add .roadmapper && git commit -m "Add Roadmapper key" && git pushRoadmapper checks this key once every 24 hours to verify access.
3. Label Your Issues
Go to your GitHub repository and tag your issues with one of three labels:
- Roadmap: Now
- Roadmap: Next
- Roadmap: Later
4. Generate Your URL
Once registered, you can construct your URL using your GitHub details:
https://roadmapper.rocketstack.co/{owner}/{repo}/{bgColor}/{textColor}
For example, to view the roadmap for the Roadmapper repo itself with a white background and dark text, the URL looks like this:
https://roadmapper.rocketstack.co/rocketstack-matt/roadmapper/ffffff/24292f
5. Embed It Anywhere
Because the output is a live SVG or standard HTML, you can drop it right into your README.md, your project documentation, or your personal website.
- For GitHub READMEs: You can wrap the image in a link that takes users to an interactive viewer where they can click on the cards to open specific issues.
- For Websites: You can use an
iframeto embed a fully interactive version directly on your landing page.
This is what the live roadmap for the Roadmapper repo looks like:
Key Features
- Simple Authentication: A single file in your repo proves ownership. No complex OAuth apps to install.
- Auto Updates: Your roadmap automatically refreshes every 60 minutes to reflect your latest issue labels.
- Customizable Design: It pulls your actual label colors from GitHub and allows you to define background and text colors to match your brand or dark mode preferences.
- Interactive: The viewer allows users to click cards to jump straight to the discussion on GitHub.
Try It Out
If you are looking for a low-maintenance way to show your users what you are working on, give it a try.
👉 Check it out at roadmapper.rocketstack.co