New to open source? Here’s everything you need to get started

So, you’ve heard about open source. You know it’s a great way to learn new skills, build up your resume, and give back to the developer community—but maybe you’re not sure where to begin.

Getting involved in open source can raise all sorts of questions: Are there specific contribution guidelines? Or a certain level of involvement required before tackling issues? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

This guide is packed with resources to help you go from curious newcomer to confident contributor. Whether it’s finding the perfect project, understanding how open source communities work, or submitting your first pull request, we’ll walk you through all of it. Let’s get started. 🚀

1. Pick a project: start with what you know

Finding the right project to contribute to can make all the difference. Here are a few ways to get started:

• Contribute to what you use: Think about the open source tools, libraries, or apps you use daily. Familiarity with a project’s goals and features will help you start confidently. You can also visit github.com/explore for personalized project suggestions based on your past activity, stars, and contributions.
• Browse by topic or collection: Still stumped? Explore projects by topic or peruse project collections to find something that matches your interests. Are you into machine learning or natural language processing? There’s even a collection focused on how to choose (and contribute to) your first open source project!

💡 Pro tip: Choose a project you’re genuinely interested in. It’s easier to stay engaged and make meaningful contributions when you care about the work.

👉 For Good First Issue: Introducing a new way to contribute

2. Learn the project: know before you contribute

Jumping into an open source project without understanding its structure, rules, or community can feel like walking into a conversation without context. You might have the best intentions, but if you don’t know the norms of the project, your efforts might go unnoticed—or worse, be rejected. That’s why it’s so important to take some time to get acquainted with the project before contributing.

Here’s how to read the room and get started the right way:

• README.md: The README is the project’s introduction. It explains why the project exists, what it does, and how to get started.
• CONTRIBUTING.md: This file outlines how to contribute. It might include coding standards, submission guidelines, and how maintainers prefer to receive contributions.
• CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md: A code of conduct (CoC) sets expectations for community behavior and provides information on how to report incidents. Having a CoC signals that a project values diverse perspectives and encourages respectful collaboration.
• LICENSE.txt: The license determines how the project’s code can be used, modified, and redistributed. If a project doesn’t have a license, it isn’t technically open source.
• Join discussions: Many projects have forums, synchronous chat channels (like Slack or Discord), or mailing lists. Read the most recent posts to understand what’s going on.

💡 Pro tip: If a project lacks a license, maybe you can help choose the appropriate license.

👉 How to orient yourself to a project

3. Find your place: contributions go beyond code

When you’re looking for that first contribution, don’t get too hung up on the idea that you need to contribute code. Non-code contributions are critical to a project’s success and a fantastic way to get involved. Not to mention, some maintainers don’t even want code contributions!

Here are some of the most impactful ways you can contribute, without writing code:

• 📚 Documentation: According to the 2021 Octoverse report, good documentation can boost productivity by 50%. Clarify confusing text, help write docs for new features, and share your knowledge.
• 🎨 Design: A strong visual identity signals a project’s health and professionalism. But not everyone has the design skills to create visuals, logos, or improve the user experience.
• 🐞 Bug reports and testing: Bug reports and tests are invaluable to maintainers… though don’t forget to tell them what’s working great, too!
• 🌟 Community engagement: Active communities foster collaboration and growth. Pitch in by helping answer questions, onboarding new contributors, or even moderating discussions.

💡 Pro tip: Non-code contributions aren’t necessarily non-technical. Tasks like testing or documentation often require a deep understanding of the codebase.

👉 How non-code contributions are the secret to open source success

4. Make your first move: get involved and contribute

Some of the most valuable contributions are small, incremental changes that improve the project bit by bit. Fixing typos, reporting bugs, or improving documentation can be a great way to get started.

Here’s how to find your first contribution:

• Good first issues: Look for issues labeled “good first issue”. These are beginner-friendly tasks identified by maintainers. You can find them easily by adding /contribute to any project’s URL. For example, explore beginner-friendly tasks for the Node.js project at github.com/nodejs/node/contribute.
• Bug reports: If you find something broken, file a detailed issue. Describe the problem, include steps to reproduce it, and explain what you expected to happen.

Once you’ve identified your contribution, let maintainers know you’d like to work on an issue. They might offer guidance or confirm no one else is tackling it. From there, all that’s left is the actual work!

💡 Pro tip: Since you need to read the documentation anyway, it’s a perfect place to get started, along with submitting bug reports. These low-stakes contributions can help you get familiar with the project’s workflow.

👉 Step-by-step guide: make your first contribution

Open source relies on people like you to make it work, and every contribution matters, whether it’s writing documentation, submitting code, or reporting bugs. You’ll not only grow your skills and build connections, you’ll make an impact, too. So go on and get involved!

See you in the pull requests! ✨

Written by

Mike Melanson

@mikethemelanson