How to Contribute to Open Source Projects: A Complete Guide

Contributing to open source can feel intimidating at first. You're working with code written by others, following unfamiliar conventions, and putting your work out there for review. But here's the truth: every experienced developer started exactly where you are now.

This guide walks you through the entire contribution workflow, from forking a repository to getting your pull request merged. Whether you're fixing a typo in documentation or adding a major feature, the process remains the same.

Let's break it down step by step.

Understanding the fork and clone workflow

Before you write any code, you need to get the project onto your machine. The approach depends on your access level to the repository.

Contributing to public projects

If you're contributing to a project where you don't have write access, you'll need to fork it first. A fork creates a complete copy of the repository under your GitHub account. This gives you a safe playground to make changes without affecting the original project.

Here's how it works:

1. Navigate to the project on GitHub
2. Click the Fork button in the top-right corner
3. GitHub creates a copy in your account at https://github.com/your-username/the-project

Now clone your fork to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/the-project.git
cd the-project

Working as a collaborator

If you've been added as a collaborator or team member on a project, you can skip the fork and clone directly:

git clone https://github.com/original-owner/the-project.git
cd the-project

Being a collaborator means you have write access to the repository. You can push branches directly without going through a fork. This is common in workplace repositories or projects where you're a core contributor.

Creating a feature branch

Never commit directly to main or master. This is one of the golden rules of collaborative development. Instead, create a dedicated branch for your changes.

git checkout -b feature/your-change

Branch names should be descriptive and follow a convention. Here are some common patterns:

• fix/login-bug for bug fixes
• feature/add-user-profile for new features
• chore/update-readme for maintenance tasks
• docs/api-documentation for documentation updates

A good branch name tells other developers what to expect before they even look at the code. When you're working on multiple features simultaneously, clear branch names help you stay organized.

Making and committing your changes

Now comes the fun part: actually writing code. Make your changes in your favorite editor, then stage and commit them.

git add .
git commit -m "feat: add user profile section"

Your commit message matters more than you might think. A well-written message helps reviewers understand your changes quickly and makes the project history easier to navigate.

Follow these commit message patterns:

• fix: resolve login issue on mobile for bug fixes
• feat: implement dark mode for new features
• chore: update README with instructions for maintenance
• docs: add API usage examples for documentation
• refactor: simplify authentication logic for code improvements

Notice the pattern: a prefix that categorizes the change, followed by a concise description in present tense. This convention, inspired by Conventional Commits, makes it easy to scan through project history and even generate changelogs automatically.

Keep commits focused on a single logical change. If you're tempted to write a commit message with "and" in it, you probably should split it into multiple commits.

Pushing your branch to GitHub

Once you're happy with your changes locally, push your branch to GitHub:

git push origin feature/your-change

If this is the first time you're pushing this branch, you might see a message suggesting you set an upstream tracking branch. Don't worry about it for now. The command above works perfectly fine.

Your changes are now visible on GitHub, ready for the next step: creating a pull request.

Creating a pull request

A pull request, or PR, is where collaboration truly happens. It's your way of saying "Hey, I made some changes. Can we merge them into the main project?"

Here's how to create one:

1. Navigate to the repository on GitHub (either the original repo or your fork)
2. You'll see a yellow banner suggesting you create a pull request from your recently pushed branch
3. Click "Compare & pull request"
4. Fill out the PR form with a clear title and description

Your PR description is your chance to explain your changes. Include:

• What you changed
• Why you made these changes
• How to test the changes
• Screenshots or GIFs for UI changes
• Links to related issues or discussions

A well-documented PR makes the reviewer's job easier and increases the chances of a quick merge. Remember, maintainers often review PRs in their free time. Respect their time by being clear and thorough.

The review and collaboration process

After you open a PR, the waiting begins. But this isn't passive waiting. The review process is collaborative, not adversarial.

Maintainers and other contributors might:

• Review your code and provide feedback on implementation details
• Request changes for code quality, style, or functionality
• Ask questions to understand your approach better
• Approve and merge if everything looks good

Don't take feedback personally. Code reviews make everyone better developers. Even experienced contributors receive suggestions and requests for changes.

If changes are requested:

1. Make the updates in your local branch
2. Commit the changes with a clear message
3. Push to the same branch: git push origin feature/your-change
4. The PR automatically updates with your new commits

You can also reply to specific comments in the PR to ask for clarification or explain your reasoning. This back-and-forth is normal and valuable.

After your PR is merged

Congratulations! Your code is now part of the project. But there's a bit of housekeeping to do.

First, sync your local repository with the updated main branch:

git checkout main
git pull origin main

Your changes are now in the main branch, along with any other updates that happened while you were working.

Clean up your local feature branch since it's no longer needed:

git branch -d feature/your-change

If you forked the repository, you might also want to sync your fork with the original repository. This ensures you're working with the latest code when you start your next contribution.

Best practices for successful contributions

After walking through the mechanics, let's talk about the habits that separate good contributors from great ones.

Always start fresh

Before creating a new branch, pull the latest changes from main:

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b feature/next-change

Starting from an outdated base leads to merge conflicts and wasted time. Make this a habit, and you'll thank yourself later.

Write clean, focused commits

Each commit should represent one logical change. If you need to scroll to read your commit message, it's probably too long. If your commit message has "and" in it, you probably should split it.

Good: fix: validate email format before submission

Not ideal: fix login and signup and also update the navbar styling

Use draft pull requests

Many projects support draft PRs. These are perfect when you want early feedback but aren't ready for a full review. Mark your PR as a draft when:

• You're still working through implementation details
• You want feedback on your approach before finishing
• You're blocked and need help

Draft PRs signal to maintainers that you're not ready for merge, but they can see your progress.

Communicate proactively

If you're working on something that will take a while, comment on the issue or PR to let people know. If you get stuck, ask for help. If you need to step away from a contribution, let the maintainers know so they can reassign if needed.

Open source thrives on communication. Don't disappear without a word.

Read the contributing guidelines

Most projects have a CONTRIBUTING.md file that explains their specific workflow, coding standards, and expectations. Read it before you start. Following project conventions shows respect for the maintainers and makes your PR easier to merge.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Even with the best intentions, new contributors often stumble in predictable ways. Here's what to watch out for:

Committing directly to main. Always create a feature branch. If you accidentally commit to main, don't panic. Create a new branch from main, reset main to match the remote, and cherry-pick your commits to the new branch.

Making unrelated changes in one PR. If you notice a typo while fixing a bug, resist the urge to fix both in the same PR. Open a separate PR for the typo. Focused PRs are easier to review and less likely to cause problems.

Ignoring CI failures. If automated tests fail on your PR, fix them before asking for review. Red builds signal that something is wrong. Maintainers will often wait for green builds before reviewing.

Taking feedback personally. Code reviews critique code, not people. A request for changes means the reviewer wants to help you improve the contribution, not that you're a bad developer.

Your next contribution starts now

Contributing to open source is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with practice. Your first PR might feel awkward, but your tenth will feel natural.

Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Start small: fix a typo, improve documentation, or add a test for existing functionality. Every contribution counts, and every contributor started somewhere.

The workflow we covered works for nearly every open source project on GitHub. Fork, branch, commit, push, PR, collaborate, merge. Make it muscle memory, and you'll spend less time thinking about process and more time creating value.

Now go find a project that interests you and make your first contribution. The open source community is waiting.