Introduction to Hacktoberfest

Hacktoberfest is an annual month-long celebration of open-source that runs throughout October (Oct 1 - Oct 31).

Why should you participate?

Participating helps you learn new skills, collaborate with others, improve your coding abilities, and give back to the developer community.

Who organizes Hacktoberfest?

Hacktoberfest is organized by DigitalOcean in partnership with GitHub and other companies in the tech community. It has been running annually since 2014.

Official Sponsors and Partners for Hacktoberfest 2025

How Hacktoberfest Works

Rules and guidelines for 2025:

To participate in Hacktoberfest 2025, you must register on the official website at hacktoberfest.com.

Key Requirements:

• Make 6 valid pull/merge requests to public repositories that have the "hacktoberfest" topic added

• Contributions must be to repositories that have opted-in by adding the "hacktoberfest" topic

• Only quality contributions count, and spammy PRs will be disqualified

• Pull requests can be made to any participating repository on GitHub or GitLab

Key dates and timeline:

• Registration opens: Late September 2025

• Event start: October 1, 2025

• Event end: October 31, 2025

• Final review and PR count: PRs are analyzed continuously throughout October

What counts as a valid contribution?

Valid contributions include:

Code Contributions:

• Bug fixes

• New features

• Performance improvements

• Code refactoring

Non-Code Contributions:

• Documentation updates

• Design work

• Translations

• Testing

• Writing tutorials

• Creating educational content

Setting Up for Hacktoberfest (Prerequisites)

1. You should have a GitHub/GitLab account to participate in hacktoberfest.

2. Should be familiar with Git and GitHub
   Git is a version control tool that tracks changes in your code. GitHub is a platform that hosts Git repositories and allows collaboration.

3. Essential tools for contributing

   • Git: Set up Git on your local machine.

   • Code editors: VSCode(recommended) or any other text editor.

Understanding Open-Source

What is open source?

In general, it's free to use, access, and modify depending on the licenses. It's an inclusive community and you get to collaborate with people around the world.

Ways to find projects for Hacktoberfest 2025

1. Good First Issue label:
   good first issue is the best way to start your Open-Source journey. You can find all of these on GitHub by doing a label search. Here is how:

   Link:https://github.com/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22

   

2. GitHub Topics:
   It's a very cool feature on GitHub. With the help of this, you can find a particular project with a topic. The topic can be languages, events, tech, etc.

   Link: https://github.com/topics/javascript

   

3. GitHub's advanced search:

   GitHub advanced search provides tons of filters to find repository and issues according to our preferences. You can filter by language, extension, issue labels, number of stars/forks, etc.

   Link: https://github.com/search/advanced

   

Resource to find project to contribute

1. Awesome-Hacktoberfest

   %[https://github.com/mattjegan/awesome-hacktoberfest]

2. How to contribute to open-source repo of freecodecamp

   %[https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/how-to-contribute-to-open-source]

Step-by-Step Contribution Guide

1. Forking a repository:

   Go to the repository you want to contribute to on GitHub, click the "Fork" button in the top-right corner. This creates a copy of the project under your GitHub account.

   Link: https://github.com/Suraj-kumar00/Getting-started-with-Git-Github

2. Cloning a repository to your local machine

   After forking, clone the repository by using the command:

    git clone <URL of your forked repository>
   

   

3. Making your first change (committing and pushing)

   1. Atiquette of writing a good commit message(good practices):
      Here are common commit message types in short:

      • feat: Adds a new feature.

        • Example: feat: add user login

      • fix: Fixes a bug.

        • Example: fix: resolve login error

      • docs: Documentation changes.

        • Example: docs: update README

      • style: Code style changes (e.g., formatting).

        • Example: style: format code to match guidelines

      • refactor: Code refactoring (no new feature or bug fix).

        • Example: refactor: simplify login logic

      • test: Adds or updates tests.

        • Example: test: add unit tests for auth

      • chore: Routine tasks (e.g., updating build scripts).

        • Example: chore: update dependencies

      • perf: Performance improvements.

        • Example: perf: improve API response time

   2. Key Guidelines for Writing a Good Commit Message:

      1. Use a Clear Structure:

         • Subject line (max 50 chars).

         • Body (optional, explain why).

         • Footer (references issues, if any).

      2. Present Tense:

         • Write as if the change is happening now (e.g., "Fix bug" instead of "Fixed bug").

      3. Be Brief but Specific:

         • Summarize the change concisely (e.g., "Add user authentication" rather than "Update stuff").

      4. Explain Why, Not Just What:

         • Give the reasoning behind the change, not just the action.

      5. Bullet Points for Multiple Changes:

         • If the commit involves several tasks, list them clearly.

      6. Reference Issues/PRs:

         • Mention related issues or pull requests for clarity (e.g., "Closes #123").

      7. Active Voice:

         • Write directly and clearly (e.g., "Add feature" vs. "Feature added").

   3. Example:

       Fix user logout bug
      
       This fixes a bug where users were not fully logged out.
      
       Closes #456
      

4. Opening your first pull request:

   Push the changes to your forked repository using:

    git push origin main
   

5. How to write a good pull request description

   Be clear about what changes you made and why. Link to any related issues. Use a concise and descriptive title for your PR.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Understanding issues and PR guidelines

   Always read the project’s contributing guidelines before submitting PRs. Follow the maintainers' instructions on formatting and coding style.

2. Avoiding low-quality or spammy contributions

   Don’t submit trivial changes just for the sake of completing Hacktoberfest. Only meaningful contributions will count.

3. Properly communicating with maintainers

   When opening an issue or PR, be polite and respectful. Ask for feedback or clarification when necessary.

Navigating Hacktoberfest Challenges

1. Solving merge conflicts

   A merge conflict happens when two people make changes to the same line of code. To resolve it, edit the conflicting file, remove the conflict markers, and commit the changes.

2. Dealing with rejected pull requests

   If your PR is rejected, don’t get discouraged. Review the feedback, make improvements, and resubmit. It’s part of the learning process.

3. How to ask for help (community forums, GitHub discussions, ask to maintainers etc.)

   If you’re stuck, don’t hesitate to ask for help on community forums or GitHub discussions. Be specific about what you need help with.

Completing Hacktoberfest

1. Tracking your progress:

   Once you register for Hacktoberfest, your contributions are automatically tracked on the official website. Make sure your pull requests are accepted before the deadline.

2. Submitting the required pull requests:

   Complete 6 valid pull requests to qualify for the rewards. Contributions across multiple repositories count.

3. What happens after you complete Hacktoberfest? (swag, certificates, etc.):

   Once you successfully complete Hacktoberfest, you will be eligible to claim swag (like a digital badges) or donate a tree. You’ll also receive a digital certificate of completion.

Post-Hacktoberfest: Continuing Your Open Source Journey

1. How to stay involved in open source projects

   Keep contributing to projects that interest you. Hacktoberfest is just the beginning of your open source journey.

2. Finding new projects to contribute to

   Explore GitHub’s Explore tab or join open source communities to find new projects. Most open source projects welcome year-round contributions.

   Link: https://github.com/explore

   

3. Building your portfolio through contributions

   Your GitHub profile is like a resume. Keep working on meaningful projects and build a strong portfolio that showcases your skills.

Join our community:

DevsDeialogue

1. Github: https://github.com/DevsDialogue

2. Discord: https://discord.gg/Q4t66h38

Conclusion

Whether you're an experienced developer or just starting out, Hacktoberfest 2025 is a great way to get involved in open source. You'll learn, grow, and make meaningful contributions to the developer community.

Open source is more than just Hacktoberfest. It's a year-round opportunity, and you can contribute to any open source project at any time based on your interest.

Happy Hacking! 🎃

Thanks for reading and happy contributing to Hacktoberfest 2025!