Getting Started with Contributing

Ready to contribute? Here’s how to get started!

This guide walks you through making your first contribution to Akash Network, from finding an issue to submitting your pull request.

Step 1: Choose What to Work On

Find an Issue

Core Repositories:

• Support Repository - All node and provider issues
• Console Repository - Web UI issues
• Website Repository - Documentation issues

Look for:

• Issues labeled good first issue - Beginner-friendly tasks
• Issues labeled ready-for-community-dev - Ready for community contributions
• Issues labeled help wanted - Core team welcomes help
• Issues labeled documentation - Doc improvements

Types of Contributions

1. Documentation Improvements

Perfect for first contributions!

• Fix typos and broken links
• Clarify confusing sections
• Add missing information
• Improve code examples
• Update outdated content

Where to contribute:

• Website Issues
• Browse existing docs and spot improvements

2. Code Contributions

Node & Provider:

• Bug fixes
• New features
• Performance improvements
• Test coverage

Console:

• UI improvements
• New features
• Bug fixes
• Accessibility improvements

3. Deployment Examples

Awesome Akash:

• Add new SDL examples
• Improve existing examples
• Test and verify examples
• Document deployment steps

Browse Awesome Akash →

Step 2: Set Up Your Environment

For Documentation Contributions

Documentation contributions are perfect for first-timers!

1. Set up the website repository:

   • Follow the Console & Website Setup Guide
   • Quick version:

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/website.git
   cd website
   npm install
   npm run dev

2. Create a branch:

   git checkout -b docs/your-improvement-name

For Code Contributions (Node/Provider)

Node and provider development requires a complete Kubernetes environment. Follow these steps:

1. Fork the repositories:

   • akash-network/node
   • akash-network/provider

2. Clone both repositories:

   mkdir -p ~/go/src/github.com/akash-network
   cd ~/go/src/github.com/akash-network
   
   git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/node.git
   git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/provider.git

3. Install all development dependencies:

   # Automated installer for all required tools
   ./provider/script/install_dev_dependencies.sh

4. Set up local Kubernetes cluster:

   cd provider/_run/kube
   
   # Create and provision cluster (may take several minutes)
   make kube-cluster-setup
   
   # If timeout occurs, use extended timeout:
   KUBE_ROLLOUT_TIMEOUT=300 make kube-cluster-setup

5. Create a branch:

   cd ~/go/src/github.com/akash-network/node  # or provider
   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

Important: Node and provider development requires a complete Kubernetes environment and is significantly more complex than other contributions. New contributors should start with documentation or Console contributions first. See the complete Development Environment Guide for detailed setup instructions.

For Console Contributions

Console is a great place to start with React/TypeScript contributions!

1. Set up the console repository:

   • Follow the Console & Website Setup Guide
   • Quick version:

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/console.git
   cd console
   npm install
   npm run dev

2. Create a branch:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

Step 3: Make Your Changes

Best Practices

1. Start small - Your first PR doesn’t need to be big
2. Follow existing patterns - Look at how similar code is written
3. Test your changes - Verify everything works
4. Keep it focused - One issue per PR
5. Document your changes - Add comments for complex logic

For Documentation Changes

1. Edit the relevant .md or .mdx file in src/content/Docs/
2. Preview your changes with npm run dev
3. Check formatting with npm run build

Tips:

• Use clear, concise language
• Add code examples where helpful
• Include links to related docs
• Test all code examples

For Code Changes

1. Write code following project conventions

2. Run tests:

   make test

3. Run linter:

   make lint

4. Verify build:

   make build

See: Code Conventions

Step 4: Commit Your Changes

Commit Message Format

Use conventional commits:

<type>: <short summary>

<optional body>

Types:

• feat: - New feature
• fix: - Bug fix
• docs: - Documentation changes
• chore: - Maintenance tasks
• test: - Test updates
• refactor: - Code refactoring
• style: - Formatting changes

Examples:

# Documentation fix
git commit -m "docs: fix typo in CLI installation guide"

# Feature addition
git commit -m "feat: add GPU filtering to provider bidengine"

# Bug fix with description
git commit -m "fix: resolve escrow balance calculation error

The escrow balance was not accounting for fees correctly,
causing incorrect balance displays in the console."

Sign Your Commits

All commits must be signed-off:

git commit -s -m "docs: update provider setup guide"

This adds a Signed-off-by: line to your commit, certifying you have the right to submit the contribution under the project’s license.

Configure your git identity:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

Step 5: Push and Create a Pull Request

Push Your Changes

git push origin your-branch-name

Create the Pull Request

1. Go to your fork on GitHub

2. Click “Compare & pull request”

3. Fill out the PR template:

   Title: Use conventional commit format

   docs: improve CLI installation guide

   Description: Explain what and why

   ## Changes
   - Added troubleshooting section for macOS
   - Fixed broken links to provider docs
   - Clarified version requirements
   
   ## Why
   Users were getting stuck on installation due to missing macOS instructions.
   
   Fixes #123

4. Link related issues:

   • Fixes #123 - Closes issue #123
   • Relates to #456 - References issue #456

5. Click “Create pull request”

Step 6: Respond to Feedback

Review Process

1. Automated checks run - CI, linting, tests
2. Maintainers review - May take a few days
3. Changes requested - Address feedback
4. Approval - PR gets merged!

Addressing Feedback

# Make requested changes
# ... edit files ...

# Commit changes
git add .
git commit -s -m "fix: address review feedback"

# Push to update PR
git push origin your-branch-name

Be Patient and Professional

• Reviews may take time - maintainers are volunteers
• Respond to all comments
• Ask for clarification if needed
• Don’t take criticism personally
• Learn from the feedback

Common First Contribution Ideas

Documentation

• Fix typos in any documentation page
• Add missing links between related docs
• Improve clarity in confusing sections
• Add code examples to API references
• Update screenshots or outdated information

Code

• Fix a good first issue bug
• Add test coverage to existing code
• Improve error messages
• Add logging for debugging
• Update dependencies

Deployment Examples

• Add your SDL to Awesome Akash
• Test and verify existing examples
• Add README documentation
• Create category-specific examples

Getting Help

Before Asking

1. Search existing issues - Your question might be answered
2. Check documentation - Read relevant guides
3. Review closed PRs - See how similar changes were done

Where to Ask

Discord:

• #developers - Code and technical questions
• #general - General questions
• #providers - Provider-specific questions

GitHub:

• Comment on the issue you’re working on
• Open a Discussion for ideas
• Ask in your PR if you need guidance

Best Practices:

• Be specific - Provide context, logs, errors
• Show what you’ve tried
• Be respectful of people’s time
• Follow up if you solve it yourself

After Your First Contribution

Keep Contributing!

• Look for more issues to work on
• Help review others’ PRs - Learn from their code
• Share your experience - Write about your contribution
• Join community calls - Get to know the team

Level Up

As you gain experience:

• Tackle more complex issues
• Propose new features
• Become a regular reviewer
• Help onboard new contributors
• Join a Special Interest Group (SIG)

Next Steps

Ready for more?

• Code Conventions - Learn coding standards
• Development Environment - Deep dive into setup
• Pull Request Process - Detailed PR guide

Recognition

Your contributions matter:

• All contributors acknowledged in release notes
• Active contributors join the community leaders
• Outstanding contributors may join core teams
• Build your portfolio and reputation

Thank you for contributing to Akash Network!

Questions? Join Discord and ask in #developers!