6 Things to check before Contributing to an Open Source Project
Practical tips for developers who want to start contributing the smart way.
Contributing to open source is one of the best ways to learn, grow, and get noticed in the tech community. But before you dive in, it’s important to make sure you’re choosing the right project to invest your time and energy in.
Here are 6 key things you should always check before contributing:
Project Activity
An open source project should be alive and active:
Check the date of the last commit.
Look at issues and pull requests are they being reviewed and answered?
If everything has been inactive for 2 years, it might not be worth your effort.
Documentation
Good projects have clear documentation:
README.md , explains what the project does and how to set it up.
CONTRIBUTING.md , guides you on how to contribute.
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md , sets the community rules and expectations.
LICENSE, make sure it’s really open source (MIT, Apache, GPL, etc.).
Tech Stack
Ask yourself:
Do I already know the languages and frameworks used?
If not, is this a good opportunity to learn?
At the very least, you should be able to install and run the project locally without too much struggle.
Good First Issues
Many projects label beginner-friendly tasks, such as:
"good first issue"
'beginner-friendly"
"help wanted"'
These are perfect entry points to get involved without feeling overwhelmed.
Community
Open source is not just about code, it’s about people.
Check if maintainers are welcoming and responsive.
Look for communication channels (Discord, Slack, GitHub Discussions).
A friendly community makes all the difference for newcomers.
Impact & Relevance
Finally, ask yourself:
Does this project align with my interests and values?
Will it help me develop career-relevant skills?
Do I feel motivated to contribute in the long run?
Working on a project that truly matters to you will keep you inspired and consistent.
Contributing to open source doesn’t mean you need to start with big features. You can begin small: fixing a typo, improving documentation, or writing a simple test.
The key is to take the first step and engage with the community.
So… are you ready to pick your next open source project?