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Before contributing to an unfamiliar open-source repository, check whether you understand its purpose, can follow its contribution process, accept the relevant terms, and know how its community handles conduct and security. Start with the repository’s own current documentation: general checklists can guide your review, but they cannot certify that a particular project is maintained, welcoming, secure, or a good fit.
1. Understand the project and your fit
Read the README and project documentation
Start with the README and any linked documentation. Identify what the software does, whom it is for, how to set it up, and what kinds of changes fit the project. GitHub describes the README, contribution guidelines, repository license, citation file, and code of conduct as materials that communicate project expectations: GitHub’s repository best practices.
Inspect activity and review history
Look at recent issues, discussions, and pull requests to see whether the project appears to be maintained and how maintainers respond to proposed changes. There is no universal activity threshold that establishes whether a repository is active; interpret what you see in the context of the project, and distinguish a quiet project from one that is necessarily abandoned.
2. Confirm how contributions work
Find the contribution guide
Look for CONTRIBUTING.md or an equivalent guide. Check how the project asks you to report bugs, propose changes, run tests, follow style conventions, and submit a pull request. The OpenSSF OSPS Baseline, version dated 2026-08-28, calls for guidance explaining how to participate and submit changes, and recommends a contribution guide as the source of truth for the process.
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Check project-specific requirements
Before starting, see whether the project expects an issue or maintainer discussion first, uses pull-request templates, requires particular checks or review steps, or asks contributors to sign an agreement or accept additional terms. These requirements vary by repository; do not assume that another project’s workflow applies.
Try the documented setup
Reproduce the development setup and run the documented checks if possible. For an initial contribution, choose a focused change so you can validate the workflow before taking on broader work. OpenSSF’s beginner contribution guide, published 2025-09-22, recommends reading the README, contribution guide, and code of conduct. It also notes that some projects require two-factor authentication, so check the project’s actual instructions.
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3. Read the legal and community expectations
Locate and understand the license
Find the source license in a standard location, such as LICENSE, COPYING, or a LICENSES/ directory. The OSPS Baseline specifies keeping the source license in a standard repository location. Read the terms rather than inferring that a particular use or contribution is permitted just because the code is publicly visible. Whether the terms suit your intended contribution or use is a separate question from whether a license file exists.
Review conduct and reporting information
Read the code of conduct, if present, and note how to report a concern and who handles enforcement. A published code of conduct communicates expectations; its presence alone does not establish that a community is active or welcoming.
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Check for governance documents, maintainer guidance, or similar material that explains project roles and responsibilities. The OSPS Baseline recommends documenting participants and roles. These documents can clarify who makes decisions, but they do not replace your assessment of the project’s actual discussions and review practices.
4. Check security and distribution practices
Find the vulnerability-reporting policy
Look for SECURITY.md or another security policy. If you discover a potential vulnerability, follow its instructions for private reporting rather than opening a public issue that could expose details before maintainers can respond.
Inspect dependency information
Where the project’s package manager supports it, check whether dependency information is documented. The OSPS Baseline specifies a dependency list accounting for direct language dependencies when the package-management system supports that information.
Verify official distribution channels
If the project identifies official download or distribution channels, check whether those channels are authenticated. The OSPS Baseline calls for cryptographically authenticated channels to protect against adversary-in-the-middle attacks. The presence of a policy or control is useful evidence to inspect, not a guarantee about the repository, its code, or every release.
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- Open Source, Programmer, Developer, Software Engineer, Code, DevOps, Computer, Software, Scrum, Python, Linux, Stack Overflow, Java, Dotnet, Docker, Terraform, Kubernetes, Deploy
- Salt, Puppet, Chef, Container, AWS, Azure, Cloud, Coding, Programming, Geek, Funny, Tech, Technical, Compile, Compilation, Science, Bug, Debug
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5. Compare candidate repositories consistently
If you are choosing between projects, compare the same dimensions rather than relying on one visible signal:
| What to compare | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Contribution instructions | Whether the process is clear enough to follow, including setup, tests, and submission expectations. |
| License | Whether the license is identifiable and compatible with your intended contribution or use. |
| Governance and review | Whether roles and decision-making are documented, and what maintainer responsiveness and review history show. |
| Security practices | Whether reporting instructions and relevant dependency or distribution practices are documented. |
| Purpose, activity, and fit | Whether the project’s goals, observed activity, and contribution opportunities suit your skills and goals. |
This comparison helps organize repository-specific observations; it does not rank projects or establish a universal pass/fail score.
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