Getting started on MDN

We are an open community of developers building resources for a better Web, regardless of brand, browser, or platform. Anyone can contribute and each person who does makes us stronger. Together we can continue to drive innovation on the Web to serve the greater good. It starts here, with you.

Every part of MDN (docs, demos, and the site itself) are created by an open community of developers. Please, join us!

3 simple steps to MDN

MDN is a wiki, where anyone can add and edit contents. You don't need to be a programmer or know a lot about technologies. There are plenty of things that need to be done, from the simple (proofreading and correcting typos) to the complex (writing API documentation).

Contributing is easy and safe. Even if you make a mistake, it's easily fixed. Even if you don't know exactly how things should look, or your grammar isn't all that good, don't worry about it! We have a team of people whose job it is to make sure that MDN's contents are as good as possible. Someone will be along to make sure your work is tidy and well-written. Share what you know and follow your strengths.

Step 1: Create an account on MDN

To begin your contributions to MDN, you need to have an account on MDN. For details, please see how to create an account.

Step 2: Pick a task to complete

Now that you are logged in, read the descriptions of different task types in the list below, and decide which one most appeals to you. You can pick any task you like and begin your contribution.

Step 3: Do the task

Once you've decided what kind of task you want to do, find a specific page, code example, etc. to work on, and just do it!

Don't worry about doing it perfectly; other MDN contributors are here to help fix errors that slip through. If you want to experiment before doing something "for real", you can edit the Sandbox page. If you have questions as you go, see the Community page for info on mailing lists and chat channels where you can get answers.

When you're done, feel free to pick another item, or see below for other things you can do on MDN.

Possible task types

There are multiple avenues you can take to contribute to MDN depending on your skill set and interests. Even though some tasks may be daunting, we do have lots of simple activities available. A lot of them need only five minutes (or less!) of your time. Along with the task and its short description, you will find the approximate time that each type of task typically takes.

Option 1: I like words

You can help us review or edit existing docs, and apply correct tags to them.

Note: If you are reviewing articles or writing new ones, we ask you to please review the Style Guide. This will help to ensure that articles are consistent.

Option 2: I like code

We need more code samples! You can also help build our site platform, Kuma!

Option 3: I like both words and code

We have tasks that require both technical and language skills, like writing new articles, reviewing for technical accuracy, or adapting documents.

Option 4: I want MDN in my language

All localization and translation work done on MDN is done by our amazing community of volunteers.

Option 5: I found some wrong info but I don't know how to fix it

You can report problems by filing a documentation issue. (5 minutes)

Please give the issue a descriptive title. (It's not helpful to say "Dead link" without saying where you found the link. Pro tip: Most "dead links" on MDN are to articles that haven't been written yet.) Under "Request type", put an "x" in the brackets for "Correction or update" if you found a problem, or for "New documentation" if there's something missing from MDN. Under "Details", provide as much information as you know or have time to describe about the problem and where to find correct information. This can include people ("talk to so-and-so") as well as Web links.

Other things you can do on MDN

Related Topics