Contribute to Open Source
A field guide for contributing to projects you don't own - and launching ones you do
Find your next project in the live browser below, then follow a pathway to your first pull request - or to a project of your own. Guides, licensing, templates, and tools in one place. Free, no sign-up.
devvkit itself is not open source - this hub teaches you to contribute to any open source project.
Events & Programs
The seasonal rhythms of open source - internships, celebrations, and recognition cycles where contributors get paid, swag, and names on the wall.
Today's Curated First Issues
hand-picked dailyEngine UX, docs, and test-coverage improvements
Massive, welcoming game-engine community with a dedicated good-first-issue tracker and clear contribution docs; GDScript and C# work with mentored reviews.
Small bug fixes and developer-experience polish across the renderer
One of the largest JS codebases on Earth; issues are scoped and labeled, with maintainers who give precise, educational review feedback.
Syntax-highlighting and integration fixes in the web framework
Friendly "good for newcomers" program with a Discord #contribute channel; TypeScript-first and issues ship with explicit guidance.
Compiler diagnostics and scripting-feature improvements
Fast-growing Rust + scripting typesetting engine with a curated good-first-issue list; great for learning compiler and language-design fundamentals.
Type annotations and symbolic-math simplifications
Classic Python math library with an "Easy to Fix" queue mapped to good-first-issue; ideal for first-time contributors who know Python.
Editor UX fixes - labels, icons, and accessibility polish
Huge, well-triaged good-first-issue queue with explicit contribution docs; TypeScript-first and reviews come with precise guidance.
Compiler diagnostics and documentation improvements
The Rust team maintains a curated good-first-issue list for beginners; mentoring is legendary and a merge here stands out on a resume.
Curriculum and documentation updates - always room for one more
The friendliest large community on GitHub. Docs-only contributions, welcoming maintainers, and merges that show up fast on your graph.
$ Curated by a human, refreshed every day. Dead link? File an issue and we will fix it within 24h.
Find Your Next Project
liveSelect a language or search to find projects
Results show repos with open “good first issue” labels
$ Fetched through the devvkit proxy: cached server-side, rate-limit safe. Filters: stars, activity, license · sorted by stars · results with open good-first-issue labels.
Quick Start
Full open source contribution cycle in 8 commands. Install gh and you are ready.
# 1. Find a good first issue gh search issues --repo=vercel/next.js --label="good first issue" --limit=10 # 2. Fork and clone gh repo fork owner/project --clone cd project # 3. Create a branch git switch -c fix/issue-42 # 4. Make changes, then commit git add . git commit -m "fix: resolve login redirect loop" # 5. Push and create PR git push -u origin fix/issue-42 gh pr create --fill # 6. After merge, sync git switch main git pull upstream main
Launchpad Tools
(3 tools)Interactive tools that take you from idea to merged PR. All client-side, free, no sign-up.
License Picker
Answer 2 quick questions and get a scored license recommendation with a full MIT vs GPL comparison.
First PR Checklist
20 guided steps from picking an issue to a merged pull request. Progress auto-saves in your browser.
OSS Scaffold Generator
Generate CONTRIBUTING.md, PR & issue templates, SECURITY.md, Code of Conduct, and LICENSE - download as .zip.
Template Vault
(4 files)The files every serious project ships. Copy, adapt, commit - or generate all of them with your project details, and read the licensing guide before you add a LICENSE.
# Contributing to <project> Thanks for taking the time to contribute! ## Getting started 1. Read the README and run the project locally (`npm ci && npm run dev`). 2. Look for issues labeled `good first issue` - they are scoped and newcomer-safe. 3. Comment on the issue you want to work on so maintainers know it is taken. ## Branch & commit conventions - Branch names: `fix/description`, `feat/description` - Commits follow [Conventional Commits](docs site): `fix:`, `feat:`, `docs:`, ... - Keep changes small and focused. One issue = one PR. ## Making a pull request 1. Fork the repo and create your branch. 2. Write tests for your change (we run coverage in CI). 3. Run `npm test` and `npm run lint` - both must pass. 4. Open the PR against `main` and fill out the template. 5. A maintainer will review within 48 hours. Push fixes as new commits. ## Code of conduct All contributors must follow our Code of Conduct. Please treat others with respect - maintainers and contributors are volunteers.
## What does this PR do? <!-- One or two sentences. What changed and why. --> Fixes #<issue-number> ## How was it tested? - [ ] Unit tests written/updated - [ ] Local run verified (`npm run dev`) - [ ] Lint & type-check pass ## Checklist - [ ] Commit messages follow Conventional Commits - [ ] No unrelated changes in this PR - [ ] Docs updated if behavior changed ## Screenshots (if UI change) <!-- Optional -->
name: Bug report
description: Report a bug to help us improve
labels: [bug]
body:
- type: textarea
id: description
attributes:
label: Description
description: What happened vs what you expected.
validations:
required: true
- type: input
id: version
attributes:
label: Version
description: Package version or commit SHA you are on.
validations:
required: true
- type: textarea
id: steps
attributes:
label: Steps to reproduce
description: Minimal reproduction steps or a link to a repro repo.
validations:
required: true
- type: textarea
id: environment
attributes:
label: Environment
description: OS, Node version, browser, etc.# Security Policy ## Reporting a vulnerability Please do **not** open a public issue. Report privately: - Email: security@example.com (PGP key: <link>) - Or: GitHub private vulnerability reporting (Repos → Settings → Security → Private vulnerability reporting) Include: affected version, steps to reproduce, and impact. ## Response time - Acknowledgment: within 48 hours - Triage: within 7 days - Fix release: as soon as a patch is ready; we coordinate disclosure ## Supported versions | Version | Supported | | ------- | --------- | | latest | yes | Older versions receive security fixes on request when the fix is low-risk for all consumers to upgrade.
The OSS Stack
(7 tools)The release discipline of modern open source: automated versions, honest commits, and a healthy issue tracker - the machinery every top project runs on.
semantic-release: Automated Releases
[4 sections]Fully automated semantic versioning and releases: analyze commits, bump the version, generate the changelog, create the tag, and publish: with zero human decisions.
commitizen: Interactive Commit Wizard
[4 sections]A command-line wizard that prompts for type, scope, and description: producing Conventional Commits without memorizing the format.
commitlint: Commit Message Linter
[4 sections]Enforce Conventional Commits in CI and git hooks: reject malformed messages before they pollute history and break release automation.
release-it: Opinionated Release Orchestration
[4 sections]One command release flow: bump version, generate changelog, commit, tag, push, and publish: simpler than semantic-release, fully scriptable.
Renovate: Automated Dependency Updates
[4 sections]Open-source bot that opens dependency update PRs with grouping, schedule control, and support for every ecosystem: the maintainer's background guard.
Codecov: Coverage in CI
[4 sections]Upload your test coverage after every CI run, gate PRs on coverage changes, and keep the badge honest: the standard for coverage visibility in open source.
Stale Bots & Issue Hygiene
[4 sections]The actions/stale workflow that automatically marks and closes inactive issues and PRs: the difference between a healthy tracker and a graveyard.
Pathways
(pick yours)Also Available
Your GitHub is Your Resume
Hiring managers look at your GitHub before your resume. A profile with consistent, quality contributions across diverse projects speaks louder than any degree or certification. And one well-run project of your own speaks louder than a hundred contributions.