# Contributing

Site [llms.txt](/bn/llms.txt)

---

## Thank you for your interest!

Thank you for your interest in contributing to OpenTelemetry. Contributors help
sustain OpenTelemetry, and every contribution helps make the project better for
the entire community.

Here is some advice to help you get started:

- **Contributions can come out of necessity:** While we do appreciate regular
  contributors, it is alright to contribute out of necessity, such as if you
  find a bug in the Collector, or wish to develop a feature your team needs.

- **Spotted a gap? That counts too:** OpenTelemetry is a large project, and even
  with the best efforts of contributors and maintainers, gaps in documentation
  and functionality are inevitable. If you notice one, filing an issue or
  submitting a fix is a meaningful contribution.

- **Response times may vary:** Contributors and maintainers often work on
  OpenTelemetry in their own time, and are frequently juggling multiple things.
  Don't be discouraged if you don't hear back immediately.

- **You don't need to be an OTel expert:** Your existing skills and professional
  context are themselves useful. SREs, DevRel folks, and non-native English
  speakers all bring diverse perspectives that actively benefit the project.

### <i class='far fa-exclamation-triangle text-warning '></i> First time contributing? {#first-time-contributing}

- **[Choose an issue][]** with the following labels:
  - [Good first issue](<https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry.io/issues?q=state%3Aopen%20label%3A%22good%20first%20issue%22>)
  - [Help wanted](<https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry.io/issues?q=state%3Aopen%20label%3A%22help%20wanted%22>)

  > [!WARNING] We do not assign issues
  >
  > We **_do not_ assign issues** to those who have not already made
  > contributions to the [OpenTelemetry organization][org], unless part of a
  > confirmed mentorship or onboarding process.
  >
  > [org]: https://github.com/open-telemetry

- Make sure to [choose an issue][] that matches your level of **experience**
and **understanding** of OpenTelemetry. Avoid overreaching your capabilities.


- Read our [Generative AI contribution policy](pull-requests#using-ai)

- Join the
  [#opentelemetry-new-contributors](https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C09H3MNMBQV)
  Slack channel to learn about development etiquette and connect with other new
  contributors.

- Want to work on other issues or larger changes? [Discuss it with maintainers
  first][].

[discuss it with maintainers first]: issues/#fixing-an-existing-issue

## Jump right in!

What do you want to do?

- Correct a **typo or other quick fixes**, see
  [Submitting content using GitHub](pull-requests/#changes-using-github)
- Add or update a homepage announcement, see
  [Homepage announcements](/site/build/announcements/)
- For more significant contributions, read the pages in this section starting
  with:
  - [Prerequisites][]
  - [Issues][]
  - [Submitting content][]

[Prerequisites]: prerequisites/
[Submitting content]: pull-requests/

## What can I contribute to?

OpenTelemetry is a large project with many ways to get involved. Documentation
is one entry point, but far from the only one.

### Documentation

OpenTelemetry documentation contributors can:

- Improve existing or create new content
- [Submit a blog post](blog/) or case study
- Add to or update the [OpenTelemetry Registry](/ecosystem/registry/)
- Improve the code that builds the site

The pages in this section describe how to contribute to OpenTelemetry
**documentation**.

### Code contributions

For guidance on contributing code to the OpenTelemetry project, see the
community [OpenTelemetry New Contributor Guide][]. Every [OTel repository][org]
for language implementations, the Collector, and conventions has its own
project-specific contributing guide.

The [OTel Demo](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-demo) is a good
starting point if you want to dip your feet into code contributions. It features
15+ services across multiple languages, giving you a concrete feel for how
instrumentation works in practice across real distributed systems.

### SIG participation

Joining a Special Interest Group (SIG) is one of the most effective ways to
contribute to OTel. SIGs focus on specific areas of the project, such as
language-specific SDKs, the Collector, end users, contributor experience, and
more.

SIG participation helps you:

- Gain insight into current priorities within a smaller, focused section of the
  OpenTelemetry project
- Connect with maintainers, approvers, and other contributors
- Bring your own topics and help decide the direction of the project

The
[OTel community repository](https://github.com/open-telemetry/community#specification-sigs)
lists all active SIGs with calendar invite and Slack channel links.

### Community

Contributing to OTel doesn't mean limiting yourself to writing code or docs. You
can also:

- Volunteer for note-taking at SIG meetings
- Help organize community events, like the OpenTelemetry Contributor Day at
  KubeCon
- Contribute to [localization efforts](localization/) to help make OTel
  accessible to developers in different languages
- Participate in the
  [End-User SIG](https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C01RT3MSWGZ) by sharing
  your practitioner experience, or contribute to community podcasts like
  [OTel Me](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYDBkQ1TdywIl9xKEo5_u7zlwY38dW43)
  and
  [OTel in Practice](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYDBkQ1TdyxKgdGE4ThYLkNRCuLLYy9x)

[choose an issue]: issues/#fixing-an-existing-issue
[issues]: issues/
[OpenTelemetry New Contributor Guide]:
  https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/guides/contributor

---

Section pages:

- [Prerequisites](/bn/docs/contributing/prerequisites/): To contribute, you need to be familiar with the following techs and tools.
- [Issues](/bn/docs/contributing/issues/): How to fix an existing issue, or report a bug, security risk, or potential improvement.
- [Submitting content](/bn/docs/contributing/pull-requests/): Learn how to submit new or changed content using the GitHub UI or from a local fork.
- [Documentation style guide](/bn/docs/contributing/style-guide/): Terminology and style when writing OpenTelemetry docs.
- [Site localization](/bn/docs/contributing/localization/): Creating and maintaining site pages in non-English localizations.
- [Blog](/bn/docs/contributing/blog/): Learn how to submit a blog post.
- [Pull request checks and tests](/bn/docs/contributing/pr-checks/): Learn how to make your pull request successfully pass all checks
- [Announcements](/bn/docs/contributing/announcements/): Create announcements or banners for special events.
- [Development setup and commands to build, serve, and more](/bn/docs/contributing/development/): Cloud-IDE and local environment setups, and the site's build, serve, and check commands
- [SIG practices for approver and maintainers](/bn/docs/contributing/sig-practices/): Learn how approvers and maintainers manage issues and contributions.
- [Acknowledgements](/bn/docs/contributing/acknowledgements/): Acknowledgements for sources for content on this site
