Contributor Day can be one of the most rewarding parts of your WordCamp Asia 2026 experience!
You learn new skills, meet friendly people from all over the world, and give back to the open‑source project that powers your site.
A little preparation goes a long way on Contributor Day, helping you contribute with confidence and get more out of the experience.
This guide will help you arrive prepared, confident, and ready to make the most of your day.
1. Register Early and Confirm Your Spot
Contributor Day usually has limited seats and requires a separate registration from the main conference ticket. Make sure you secure your spot by registering below:
Use the same email you used for your WordPress.org account, if possible, to make onboarding smoother and Double‑check your confirmation email and any pre‑event instructions shared by the organizers.
2. Get to Know the WordPress Teams
On Contributor Day, you will join one of the official WordPress contribution teams, each focusing on a different area of the project. Spending a little time beforehand reading about the teams will help you quickly find where you fit.
Here are some of the most active teams you can expect:
Core
The Core team builds and maintains WordPress itself. This includes fixing bugs, reviewing and writing patches, shipping features in releases, and keeping the platform stable, secure, and consistent. A lot of work happens through ticket discussions, testing proposed changes, and helping move issues through the contribution workflow.
Core AI
The AI team focuses on exploring and coordinating artificial intelligence projects across the WordPress ecosystem. This is more about shaping direction, evaluating ideas, and connecting contributors working on AI related experiments, integrations, and best practices, rather than shipping one single feature.
Core Editor
The Editor team covers the integration and maintenance of the block editor experience in WordPress Core, including ongoing work related to Gutenberg’s features as they land in Core. It also includes maintenance of the classic editor experience as part of Core’s editor landscape.
Documentation
The Documentation team helps people learn and use WordPress by improving handbooks, user guides, and developer documentation. This can mean updating pages when features change, rewriting sections for clarity, adding screenshots or examples, and organizing content so it is easier to navigate. Documentation work is ideal if you enjoy writing, editing, teaching, or turning complicated ideas into step-by-step instructions. Your contributions make it easier for new users and contributors to succeed.
Polyglots
The Polyglots team helps ensure WordPress is available in dozens of languages and regions by translating core and related projects. It is a large effort that depends on native speakers and reviewers to keep translations accurate and consistent as WordPress evolves.
Support
The Support team helps users by answering questions and guiding people to the right resources, especially through the WordPress.org support forums and related channels. The Support Handbook is the main reference for how to provide great support, including common workflows and best practices.
Community
The Community team supports the people side of WordPress, making events simpler to organize and improving the experience for all. This includes project announcements, policy discussions, and helping community members run meetups and WordCamps using documented programs and handbooks.
Take 15–20 minutes to browse make.wordpress.org and note two or three teams that sound interesting to you.
3. Choose a Focus and Set Personal Goals
Arriving with a clear focus helps you spend more time contributing and less time deciding what to do. Before the event, ask yourself:
- Which area of WordPress excites you the most (code, design, teaching, translation, events, storytelling)?
- What skills do you want to practise or build during Contributor Day?
- How much time will you realistically have on the day?
Then set 1–3 simple, specific goals, for example:
- “Set up my local WordPress development environment and test at least one core ticket.”
- “Translate 10 strings into my language for a core component or popular plugin.”
- “Edit or improve two documentation pages I personally use often.”
- “Meet at least three contributors from my region and learn their contribution journey.”
It is completely okay if you do not finish everything; the purpose of goals is to give you direction, not pressure.
4. Prepare Your Accounts and Tools
A little technical preparation before you travel can save a lot of time on the day itself.
Make sure you have:
- A GitHub account, if you plan to contribute to Core, Themes, Plugins, or other code‑related projects that use GitHub.
- Access to the Make WordPress Slack workspace, since many teams coordinate there during and after the event.
On your laptop:
- Update your operating system, browser, and any tools you use frequently (IDE, code editor, design tools).
- If you plan to work with code, try installing a local development environment (such as a local WordPress install, Docker‑based setup, or another stack you are comfortable with).
- For non‑coding contributions, prepare your usual tools: text editor for docs, translation tools, browser extensions, or note‑taking apps.
Also pack the basics: charger, power adapters, headphones (if you need to focus), and maybe a mouse or external keyboard if you prefer them.
5. Read Event Information and Guidelines
Each edition of WordCamp Asia shares important information about Contributor Day, such as timing, venue details, schedules, and Code of Conduct. Take time to read.
Subscribe to our Newsletter to get timely information on important things like the teams and the Schedule.
6. Brush Up on WordPress Before You Arrive
You do not need to be an expert to contribute, but a little familiarity with recent changes makes it easier to jump in.
You can:
- Skim the latest major WordPress release posts and “Field Guides” on https://make.wordpress.org/core/ .
- Read brief team‑specific updates (for example, Core dev notes, Design updates, or Documentation updates) for the last release or two.
- Try the latest features in a test site so you understand what users are experiencing right now.
- Note any bugs, confusing areas, or documentation gaps you have personally encountered; these can become contribution ideas.
Even 30–60 minutes of review can make conversations with team leads more meaningful.
7. Prepare Questions and Ideas
Contributor Day is a safe space to ask questions, especially if you are new. In fact, many experienced contributors attend specifically to mentor and support newcomers.
Before the event, write down a few things you want to ask, such as:
- “Which tasks are good for first‑time contributors on this team?”
- “How can I keep contributing after the event if I only have a few hours per month?”
- “Is there a mentorship program or onboarding path for this team?”
- “Where does this team track work (GitHub, Trac, Trello, Google Docs, etc.)?”
If you already have an idea for a ticket, design, documentation improvement, or community initiative, bring notes or links so you can share them quickly.
8. Be Ready to Collaborate With People From Everywhere
One of the best parts of Contributor Day is the diversity of contributors: different countries, languages, backgrounds, roles, and experience levels all sit at the same tables. To make the most of this:
- Introduce yourself early in the day with your name, city, and how you use WordPress to your chosen team.
- Share your experience honestly, whether you are a beginner, agency developer, freelancer, designer, marketer, or organizer.
- Offer help when you can, and do not hesitate to ask for help when you are stuck.
- Respect different accents, time zones, and communication styles; be patient and kind.
You might discover that someone at your table faces the same challenges as you, even if they live on the other side of the world.
9. Build Connections that Last Beyond the Event
Contributor Day is not just about the contributions you make in those few hours; it is also about the relationships that help you keep contributing later.
To keep the momentum going:
- Exchange contact details with people you enjoyed working with (email, LinkedIn, X, or other preferred channels).
- Join the relevant WordPress Slack channels your team uses, and bookmark them.
- Follow team blogs and discussion forums where future tasks, meetings, and updates are posted.
- If you are part of a local meetup or WordCamp community, share your Contributor Day experience when you go back.
Even one or two strong connections can make your next contribution session feel easier and more fun.
10. Continue Contributing After WordCamp Asia 2026
The energy of Contributor Day often sparks an interest in doing more for WordPress, and you absolutely can keep contributing once you are home.
After the event:
- Review your notes and links from the day and decide what you want to follow up on.
- Attend online meetings for your chosen team, even if you can only be there occasionally.
- Look for “good first issues” or beginner‑friendly tasks in the Github dashboard/ tools your team uses.
- Talk to your local community about organizing contribution sprints or mini‑Contributor Days at meetups.
Contribution does not have to be full‑time; consistent, small efforts from many people are what keep WordPress strong.
See You at Contributor Day!
If you are nervous about Contributor Day, you are not alone—many participants are first‑timers, and the event is designed to welcome you.
Come with curiosity, a willingness to learn, and your unique perspective; the WordPress project is better when people like you take part in shaping it.
