How to make the first PR for a begginer

[RAHUL3307-star]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Learning Paths

Body

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm a beginner to open-source contribution and GitHub, and I want to learn how to make my first Pull Request (PR).

I have a few questions:

1. How can I find beginner-friendly issues in open-source projects?
2. What is the difference between a fork, a branch, a commit, and a Pull Request?
3. How do I make changes to a project and submit my first PR?
4. What should I do if the maintainer requests changes to my PR?
5. Are there any beginner-friendly repositories where I can start contributing?

I'm currently learning programming and would love to gain practical experience by contributing to real projects.

Any advice, resources, or tips from experienced contributors would be really helpful. Thank you! 😊

[RAHUL3307-star]

As a beginner, I'm especially interested in learning the practical workflow of making my first PR, from finding a suitable issue to getting it reviewed and merged. I'd really appreciate any beginner-friendly resources or project recommendations. Thanks! 😊

[SontuCoder]

Hi, My Friend

Making your first Pull Request (PR) is easier than it looks. Here's a simple approach I'd recommend.

1. Find a beginner-friendly issue

Search GitHub for issues labeled good first issue or help wanted.
Before starting, check the repository's CONTRIBUTING.md file and ask the maintainer whether the issue is available to work on.

2. Understand the basic concepts

• Fork: Your own copy of someone else's repository.
• Branch: A separate workspace for your changes.
• Commit: A saved snapshot of your changes.
• Pull Request: A request to merge your changes into another branch or repository.

3. Make your first contribution

1. Fork the repository.
2. Clone your fork locally using git clone.
3. Create a branch using git switch -c fix/my-first-pr.
4. Make a small change, such as fixing documentation.
5. Stage and commit your changes using git add . and git commit -m "docs: fix typo".
6. Push your branch using git push -u origin fix/my-first-pr.
7. Open GitHub and create a Pull Request against the original repository.

4. What happens if changes are requested?

That's a normal part of contributing!

Make the requested changes on the same branch, commit them, and push again. Your existing PR will update automatically. You don't need to create a new one.

5. Where should you start?

I'd recommend:

• [First Contributions](https://github.com/firstcontributions/first-contributions) — Practice the complete PR workflow.
• [GitHub Skills](https://skills.github.com/) — Interactive tutorials for Git and GitHub.
• [Good First Issue](https://goodfirstissue.dev/) — Find beginner-friendly open-source issues.

One final tip: Your first PR doesn't need to be a big feature. Fixing a small bug, improving documentation, or adding a test is a valuable contribution.

[LeZozoien]

https://github.com/firstcontributions/first-contributions

This is imo a good way to learn the process of making a PR, though it doesn't have the "Suitable issue" you mentionned. It's just an exercise

[dhyyan]

1. 🔍 Finding Beginner-Friendly Issues

Open-source maintainers use specific labels to flag issues that are perfect for beginners. Look for repositories with these labels:
• good first issue or first-timers-only: These are specifically isolated, well-documented tasks designed for beginners.
• documentation: Fixing typos, updating setup guides, or adding code comments is one of the best ways to make your first contribution without getting bogged down in complex codebases.

2. 🧱 Key Git & GitHub Concepts Explained

To understand how code moves from a public repository to your machine and back, think of it as a workflow:

Concept What it means
Fork A personal copy of someone else's repository saved entirely on your own GitHub account. It lets you experiment safely.
Branch An isolated workspace within a repository. Creating a branch allows you to work on a specific feature or bug fix without messing up the working (main) code.
Commit A snapshot of your files at a specific point in time. It saves your changes locally with a descriptive message.
Pull Request (PR) A formal request to the project maintainer asking them to pull your branch's changes into their main project.

3. 🚀 Step-by-Step: Making Your First PR

Follow these steps to make your contribution using your terminal:

1. Fork the Repository: Click the Fork button at the top-right of the project's GitHub page to create your own copy.

2. Clone Your Fork: Download your fork to your computer:bash
   git clone https://github.com
   cd repository-name
   Use code with caution.

3. Create a Branch: Never work directly on the main branch. Create a descriptive new one:bash
   git checkout -b feature/my-first-fix
   Use code with caution.

4. Make Changes & Commit: Edit the code, save it, and group your changes into a commit:bash
   git add .
   git commit -m "docs: fix typo in README installation guide"
   Use code with caution.

5. Push to GitHub: Push your local branch up to your personal GitHub fork:bash
   git push origin feature/my-first-fix
   Use code with caution.

6. Open the PR: Go back to the original repository on GitHub. You will see a green banner that says "Compare & pull request". Click it, write a short summary of what you did, and submit!

7. 🛠️ What to do if the Maintainer Requests Changes

Don't panic! Requested changes are a normal part of development, not a rejection. It means the maintainers care about your work and want to help you align it with the project's standards.
• Don't open a new PR.
• Simply open your code locally on your computer, make the requested fixes on the same branch, save, commit, and push again (git push origin feature/my-first-fix).
• The PR on GitHub will automatically update with your new changes. Reply to the maintainer's comment letting them know it's ready for another look.

5. 🌱 Beginner-Friendly Places to Start

Instead of jumping straight into massive projects like Linux or React, practice on these playgrounds first:
• First Contributions: A repository specifically designed to let beginners practice making a dummy PR in 5 minutes.
• Up For Grabs: A web portal that aggregates open-source projects actively looking for newer contributors.