Hacktoberfest 2025: How to Make Your First Open Source Contribution

It's happening! Hacktoberfest 2025 starts TODAY, and if you've been thinking about getting into open source, there's literally no better time than right now.

I still remember my first open source contribution - I was terrified. I spent 30 minutes just staring at the "Create Pull Request" button, convinced I was going to break something or embarrass myself. Spoiler alert: I didn't break anything (well, not that time), and the maintainer was incredibly supportive. That single contribution changed my entire career trajectory.

Now, having organized hackathons like HackTheMountains and HackForIndia, I've watched hundreds of developers take their first steps into open source. The nervous excitement, the small victories, the "wait, my code is actually helping people?" realizations it never gets old. And Hacktoberfest? It's the perfect launchpad.

What is Hacktoberfest?

For those who are new: Hacktoberfest is an annual month-long celebration of open source software, organized by DigitalOcean. The concept is beautifully simple make four quality pull requests to open source projects during October, and you'll earn some awesome swag (and more importantly, real-world experience).

But here's what Hacktoberfest really is: it's your permission slip to start contributing. It's thousands of maintainers welcoming newcomers. It's the community saying, "Yes, YOU belong here."

Why You Should Participate (And I'm Not Just Talking About the Swag)

Let's be real – the free t-shirt is pretty cool. I've got three hanging in my closet, and they're conversation starters every time. But the actual reasons to participate go way deeper:

Learn Git and GitHub the Right Way
You can watch 100 YouTube tutorials, but nothing beats the real thing. Forking, cloning, branching, merging, resolving merge conflicts you'll learn it all by doing.

Build Your Developer Portfolio
When I review resumes for hackathon judges or developer positions, you know what stands out? A GitHub profile showing consistent contributions. It tells me you can work with others, handle feedback, and contribute to real projects.

Give Back to the Tools You Use
Using VS Code? React? Python libraries? Someone built that for you. Contributing even fixing a typo in documentation – is paying it forward.

Join a Global Community
I've made friends, found mentors, and discovered collaboration opportunities through open source. The developer who reviewed my first PR later became a co-organizer for HackForIndia. Community matters.

And Yes, The Swag is Motivating
No shame in admitting it! That tangible reward can be the push you need to start. Use it as motivation, then stay for the learning.

Your Step-by-Step First Contribution Guide

Alright, let's do this. I'm walking you through your first contribution like I would with a participant at one of my hackathons.

Step 1: Finding Good First Issues

Don't start with the Linux kernel. Seriously. Find beginner-friendly issues instead:

• Look for labels like good-first-issue, beginner-friendly, or hacktoberfest

• Check out websites like goodfirstissue.dev or firsttimersonly.com

• Browse projects you already use – you'll be more motivated

GitHub makes this easy. Just search: label:good-first-issue language:javascript (replace with your preferred language).

Step 2: Set Up Your Environment

First, make sure you have Git installed. Open your terminal and check:

git --version

If it's not installed, download it from git-scm.com.

Now, let's fork and clone a repository. When you find a project you want to contribute to:

1. Click the "Fork" button (top right on GitHub) – this creates your own copy

2. Clone your fork to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/project-name.git
cd project-name

3. Add the original repository as "upstream" (you'll need this later):

git remote add upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL-OWNER/project-name.git

Step 3: Create a Branch

Never work directly on the main branch. Never. Create a new branch for your changes:

git checkout -b fix-documentation-typo

Name your branch something descriptive. fix-typo is vague. fix-readme-installation-typo is perfect.

Step 4: Make Your Changes

This is where you actually code! Open the files in your favorite editor, make your changes, and save them.

Here's something I learned the hard way: read the CONTRIBUTING.md file first. Most projects have guidelines. Following them shows respect and increases your chances of acceptance.

Step 5: Commit Your Changes

Once you've made changes, it's time to commit:

git add .
git commit -m "Fix typo in installation instructions"

Write clear commit messages. Not "fixed stuff" or "updates" – describe what you actually did. Future you (and the maintainers) will thank you.

Step 6: Push and Create a Pull Request

Push your branch to your fork:

git push origin fix-documentation-typo

Now go to GitHub. You'll see a prompt to create a pull request. Click it!

When writing your PR description:

• Reference the issue you're fixing (Fixes #123)

• Explain what you changed and why

• Be polite and patient

• Don't be afraid to ask questions

Step 7: Respond to Feedback

Maintainers might request changes. This is NORMAL and GOOD. It means they're engaged with your contribution!

When feedback comes:

• Don't take it personally

• Ask for clarification if confused

• Make the requested changes

• Push updates to the same branch (they'll appear in the PR automatically)

Projects Perfect for Your First Contribution

Based on what I've seen work well with hackathon participants, here are some beginner-friendly projects:

1. freeCodeCamp – Massive community, excellent documentation, always welcoming

2. First Contributions – A project literally designed for first-timers

3. EddieHub Community – Super supportive community with tons of good first issues

4. Appwrite – Modern backend platform with great docs to improve

5. Postman – API platform with documentation contributions always needed

6. Ansible – DevOps tool with good first issues labeled clearly

7. Mozilla Firefox – Yes, really! They have beginner bugs

8. Material-UI – React component library with documentation improvements needed

9. Gatsby – Static site generator with friendly maintainers

10. Public APIs – A list of free APIs; easy contributions

Check my GitHub profile kstij for more curated lists and the projects I actively maintain.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (I've Made Them All)

Submitting Low-Quality PRs Just for the Count
Hacktoberfest has spam detection. Don't add your name to a random list or change whitespace. Make meaningful contributions.

Not Reading the Contributing Guidelines
That CONTRIBUTING.md file? Read it. Ignoring it wastes everyone's time.

Getting Discouraged by Rejection
My first five PRs? Three were rejected. It happens. Learn from feedback and try again.

Working on Main Branch
I mentioned this already, but it's worth repeating. Always create a new branch.

Forgetting to Sync Your Fork
Before starting new work, sync your fork with the upstream repository:

git fetch upstream
git checkout main
git merge upstream/main

Making Massive Changes in Your First PR
Start small. Fix a typo, improve docs, add a test. Build trust before refactoring the entire codebase.

Beyond Hacktoberfest: Making OSS a Habit

Here's the secret: Hacktoberfest is just the beginning. The real magic happens when open source becomes part of your regular workflow.

After this October:

• Pick one or two projects you genuinely care about and keep contributing

• Set a goal: one PR per month, or even per quarter

• Share your contributions on Twitter/LinkedIn – inspire others

• Consider maintaining your own open source project

When organizing HackTheMountains, we noticed something interesting: participants who made open source a habit were the ones who grew the fastest as developers. They learned to read other people's code, collaborate remotely, and communicate technical decisions clearly. These are skills no tutorial can teach.

Your Challenge Starts Today

You've read this far, which means you're serious about this. So here's my challenge to you:

By the end of today – October 1st – make your first contribution.

It doesn't have to be code. Fix a typo in a README. Add an example to documentation. Report a bug you found. Just do something.

That first contribution is the hardest. After that? You'll realize you belong here just as much as anyone else.

I'll be sharing my contributions throughout the month on [Twitter/LinkedIn], and I'd love to see yours too. Tag them with #Hacktoberfest2025 and #MyFirstPR – let's celebrate together.

The open source community is waiting for you. Not because we need your code (though we do), but because we need your perspective, your questions, and your unique approach to problem-solving.

See you in the pull requests! 🚀

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Kshitij Varma is a Developer Advocate and hackathon organizer, having led events like HackTheMountains and HackForIndia. When he's not reviewing PRs or organizing hackathons, he's probably trying to convince his cat to contribute to open source.

Helpful Links:

• Hacktoberfest Guide

• Hacktoberfest Official Site

• GitHub's Guide to Forking

• Good First Issue

• First Timers Only