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CVAT is an open-source project and we welcome contributions from the community. Whether you’re fixing bugs, adding features, improving documentation, or helping with testing, your contributions are valuable.

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How to Contribute

There are many ways to contribute to CVAT:
  • Report bugs: Found an issue? Report it on GitHub Issues
  • Fix bugs: Browse open issues and submit a pull request
  • Add features: Implement new functionality that would benefit users
  • Improve documentation: Help make our docs clearer and more comprehensive
  • Write tests: Increase test coverage and reliability
  • Answer questions: Help other users on Gitter or Discord

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Finding Issues to Work On

When starting out, look for issues labeled:
  • good first issue - Suitable for newcomers to the project
  • help wanted - Issues where we’d especially appreciate community help
  • bug - Known bugs that need fixing
Browse the GitHub Issues to find something that interests you.

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Before You Start

  1. Raise an issue first: Before starting significant work, create or comment on an issue to discuss your approach with maintainers. This helps avoid duplication and ensures your changes align with project goals.
  2. Read the documentation: Familiarize yourself with:
  3. Fork the repository: Create your own fork of the CVAT repository on GitHub.
  4. Set up your development environment: Follow the development environment guide to get CVAT running locally.

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Communication Channels

Stay connected with the CVAT community:
  • GitHub Issues: For bug reports and feature requests
  • Gitter: opencv-cvat/public - General questions and discussions
  • Discord: CVAT Discord Server - Real-time chat with the community
  • Stack Overflow: Tag your questions with #cvat

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Code of Conduct

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all contributors. While CVAT doesn’t have a formal Code of Conduct document, we expect all participants to:
  • Be respectful and considerate of others
  • Welcome newcomers and help them get started
  • Focus on constructive feedback and collaboration
  • Respect differing viewpoints and experiences
  • Accept responsibility and apologize when mistakes are made
Unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated. If you experience or witness unacceptable behavior, please contact the project maintainers.

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License

By contributing to CVAT, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License. All code changes should be submitted under this license. The code is released under the MIT License, but note that:
  • Serverless functions in /serverless directory may download assets with different licenses
  • CVAT uses LGPL-licensed libraries from FFmpeg
  • You are responsible for ensuring compliance with any additional licenses

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Next Steps

Ready to contribute? Here’s what to do next:
  1. Set up your development environment
  2. Review the code style guidelines
  3. Learn about running tests
  4. Understand the system architecture
  5. Read the pull request process
Welcome to the CVAT community! We look forward to your contributions.

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