If you have ever needed to add a clean star-rating display to a webpage, product listing, or content block, you already know the annoying part is not the stars themselves. It is the repetitive HTML, the image paths, the spacing tweaks, and the trial-and-error to get everything looking right.
That is exactly why I built Star Generator.
Star Generator is a lightweight browser-based tool that helps you generate star-rating HTML in seconds. You choose the rating, number of stars, size, spacing, heading style, and optional text, and the tool instantly gives you a live preview plus the finished code.
Why I Made It
Sometimes the simplest UI elements still create unnecessary friction during content publishing or frontend work. A star rating seems small, but when you need full stars, half stars, empty stars, custom sizing, and a reusable snippet, it can turn into a tedious manual task.
I wanted something that:
- Works instantly in the browser
- Requires no framework or setup
- Lets me visually tune the result before copying code
- Makes the image assets easy to reuse
That led to a single-page utility that focuses on one job and does it well.
What It Does
Star Generator lets you customize:
- The rating value
- The maximum number of stars
- Star size
- Star spacing
- The base URL for hosted star images
- Optional text before the stars
- Optional text after the stars
- Whether the output should be inline or wrapped in a heading tag
As you adjust the controls, the preview updates immediately and the generated HTML is refreshed in real time.
Practical Use Cases
This is useful for more than just product reviews. You can use Star Generator for:
- Ecommerce product highlights
- Testimonial sections
- Service review summaries
- CMS content blocks
- Landing pages
- Static HTML snippets for clients
Because the output is simple HTML using image assets, it fits nicely into systems where you do not want to introduce a JavaScript dependency.
A Few Details I Like
One thing I especially like about this tool is that it keeps the workflow straightforward. Open the page, set the rating, copy the code, done.
It also includes:
- Support for full, half, and empty star images
- Download links for the image assets
- Cookie-based setting persistence
- A clean live preview panel
That makes it handy for repeat use instead of being a one-off demo.
GitHub Repository
If you want to check out the code, download it, or use it as a starting point for your own version, the project is available on GitHub:
Try It Live In The Demo
https://consultingjoe.com/stargen
Final Thoughts
I am a big fan of small tools that remove friction from everyday work. Star Generator is one of those utilities. It is focused, simple, and immediately useful when you need to build a rating display without wasting time hand-coding each star.
If that sounds useful for your workflow, take a look at the repository and give it a try.
