When I first decided to contribute to open source, I was completely lost. Like… where do I even start? Which repo? Which issue? 😭
Every guide made it sound easy until I opened GitHub and got slapped with: “12,000 issues. 1,000 contributors. 45 folders named src.” 💀
But during Hacktoberfest, I finally figured out how to find projects that are actually beginner-friendly, and not pure chaos. So if you’re staring at GitHub feeling intimidated, this is for you 👇
1️⃣ Start with Practice Repositories
Before touching “real” projects, I used beginner practice repos that guide you through your first contribution step by step. They walk you through the full process, from forking a repo to making your first pull request.
Some lifesavers:
First Contributions — literally holds your hand through your first PR
First Timers Only — curates beginner issues across GitHub
First Contributions Repo — perfect for local practice
These boosted my confidence from “what even is Opensource or Git?” to “okay wait… I can actually do this” 🚀
2️⃣ Use Beginner-Friendly Labels
When you’re ready for real-world projects, filter smartly. You can start by searching GitHub for beginner-friendly labels like:
good first issue
beginner-friendly
help wanted
You can even use tools like:
🔗 goodfirstissue.dev — finds curated beginner issues from trending projects
🔗 CodeTriage — helps you subscribe to projects you care about and sends issues straight to your inbox.
Less chaos, more clarity.
3️⃣ Understand the Repo Before Diving In
Don’t just grab the first issue you see, like it’s a Black Friday sale 😅
Take a few minutes to:
✅ Read the README.md documentation to know and understand what the project does
✅ Check the CONTRIBUTING.md file for contribution guidelines
✅ Skim through past pull requests (PRs) to understand structure and expectations
This alone will make your contributions cleaner and more professional.
4️⃣ Start Small (Yes, It Still Counts!)
You don’t have to build the next Facebook in one PR. Start with small but meaningful contributions:
- Fix typos or broken links in documentation
- Add comments or improve readability in code
- Refactor readability
- Write or test small features and components
Those “small” wins teach you process, teamwork, and confidence, and that’s the real upgrade.
Contributing to open source can feel like walking into a group chat where everyone already knows each other 😭
But trust me, it’s not that scary. Everyone started somewhere, and your first PR might be what helps the next beginner feel brave enough to try, too.
So yeah, start messy. Start scared. Just start 💛
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