Want to contribute to major AI projects? Here is a roadmap to your first PR in LangChain, Hugging Face, or PyTorch.

Why Contribute to Open Source?

Contributing to open source projects like LangChain, Hugging Face, or PyTorch isn’t just about giving back - it’s one of the best ways to learn, build your portfolio, and connect with the AI community.

Finding Your First Issue

Good First Issue Labels

Most projects tag beginner-friendly issues:

# Search GitHub for good first issues
https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22

What to Look For

• Documentation improvements
• Adding tests
• Fixing typos
• Small bug fixes

Setting Up Your Environment

Fork and Clone

# Fork on GitHub, then clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/langchain.git
cd langchain

# Add upstream remote
git remote add upstream https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain.git

Create a Development Environment

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install in development mode
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Making Your Changes

Create a Feature Branch

git checkout -b fix/improve-documentation

Follow the Style Guide

Most projects use formatters:

# For Python projects
black .
isort .
flake8

# Run tests
pytest

Writing a Great Pull Request

The PR Template

## Description

Brief description of what this PR does

## Related Issue

Fixes #123

## Type of Change

- [ ] Bug fix
- [x] Documentation update
- [ ] New feature

## Testing

- Ran all tests successfully
- Added new tests for X

## Checklist

- [x] Code follows style guide
- [x] Tests pass
- [x] Documentation updated

Best Practices

1. Keep it Small: One PR = One fix/feature
2. Write Tests: Show your code works
3. Update Docs: If behavior changes, update the documentation
4. Be Responsive: Respond to review comments promptly

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Not Syncing with Upstream

Always sync before starting work:

git fetch upstream
git rebase upstream/main

2. Massive PRs

Break large changes into smaller, reviewable chunks.

3. Ignoring CI/CD

Fix any failing tests before requesting review.

After Your PR is Merged

Clean Up

git checkout main
git pull upstream main
git branch -d fix/improve-documentation

Celebrate! 🎉

You’re now an open-source contributor!

Project-Specific Tips

LangChain

• Focus on improving documentation
• Add examples for new integrations
• Test edge cases

Hugging Face

• Model cards need love
• Dataset documentation is always welcome
• Space examples are great contributions

PyTorch

• Core contributions require C++ knowledge
• Python API improvements are more accessible
• Documentation PRs are highly valued

Building Relationships

1. Join the Discord/Slack: Most projects have active communities
2. Attend Office Hours: Some projects host contributor sessions
3. Be Patient: Reviews can take time
4. Help Others: Answer questions in issues/discussions

Conclusion

Your first contribution is the hardest. After that, you’ll find a welcoming community ready to help you grow. Start small, stay consistent, and enjoy the journey!