Contributing to Open Source

Open source contributions are the best way to level up, build your portfolio, and meet other developers. GitHub makes it easy.

The contribution workflow

1. Fork the repository (creates your own copy)
2. Clone your fork to your computer
3. Create a feature branch
4. Make your changes
5. Push to your fork
6. Open a Pull Request to the original repo

Commands for the fork workflow

# Clone YOUR fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/project.git
cd project

# Add the original as "upstream"
git remote add upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL/project.git

# Keep your fork up to date
git fetch upstream
git merge upstream/main

Finding beginner-friendly issues

• Look for issues labeled good first issue or help wanted
• Start with documentation fixes or typos. These still count!
• GitHub Explore: github.com/explore
• First Contributions: firstcontributions.github.io

Good contribution etiquette

• Read the CONTRIBUTING.md file first
• Open an issue or comment before starting large work
• Keep PRs small and focused
• Be patient. Maintainers are volunteers