# Contributing to Immich

We appreciate every contribution, and we're happy about every new contributor. So please feel invited to help make Immich a better product!

## Getting started

To get you started quickly we have detailed guides for the dev setup on our [website](https://docs.immich.app/developer/setup). If you prefer, you can also use [Devcontainers](https://docs.immich.app/developer/devcontainers).
There are also additional resources about Immich's architecture, database migrations, the use of OpenAPI, and more in our [developer documentation](https://docs.immich.app/developer/architecture).

## General

Please try to keep pull requests as focused as possible. A PR should do exactly one thing and not bleed into other, unrelated areas. The smaller a PR, the fewer changes are likely needed, and the quicker it will likely be merged. For larger/more impactful PRs, please reach out to us first to discuss your plans. The best way to do this is through our [Discord](https://discord.immich.app). We have a dedicated `#contributing` channel there. Additionally, please fill out the entire template when opening a PR.

## Finding work

If you are looking for something to work on, there are discussions and issues with a `good-first-issue` label on them. These are always a good starting point. If none of them sound interesting or fit your skill set, feel free to reach out on our Discord. We're happy to help you find something to work on!

## Use of generative AI

We generally discourage PRs entirely generated by an LLM. For any part generated by an LLM, please put extra effort into your self-review. By using generative AI without proper self-review, the time you save ends up being more work we need to put in for proper reviews and code cleanup. Please keep that in mind when submitting code by an LLM. Clearly state the use of LLMs/(generative) AI in your pull request as requested by the template.

## Feature freezes

From time to time, we put a feature freeze on parts of the codebase. For us, this means we won't accept most PRs that make changes in that area. Exempted from this are simple bug fixes that require only minor changes. We will close feature PRs that target a feature-frozen area, even if that feature is highly requested and you put a lot of work into it. Please keep that in mind, and if you're ever uncertain if a PR would be accepted, reach out to us first (e.g., in the aforementioned `#contributing` channel). We hate to throw away work. Currently, we have feature freezes on:

* Sharing/Asset ownership
* (External) libraries

## Non-code contributions

If you want to contribute to Immich but you don't feel comfortable programming in our tech stack, there are other ways you can help the team. All our translations are done through [Weblate](https://hosted.weblate.org/projects/immich). These rely entirely on the community; if you speak a language that isn't fully translated yet, submitting translations there is greatly appreciated! If you like helping others, answering Q&A discussions here on GitHub and replying to people on our Discord is also always appreciated.
