FOSSASIA Codeheat

Guide to FOSSASIA Codeheat — a beginner-friendly open-source coding contest with prizes

TL;DR — Codeheat is FOSSASIA’s beginner-friendly coding contest where participants earn points by contributing to FOSSASIA projects. Top contributors win prizes (cash and swag). Great entry point for complete beginners to open source.

What is FOSSASIA Codeheat?

Codeheat is a coding contest run by FOSSASIA, a non-profit promoting open-source technology in Asia. Unlike structured mentorship programs, Codeheat is a continuous contest where you earn points by contributing to FOSSASIA’s projects.

It’s particularly good for:

• Complete beginners — Low barrier to entry
• Building a contribution habit — Earn points over weeks/months
• Winning prizes — Cash prizes and swag for top contributors
• Preparing for GSoC — Many GSoC orgs value prior FOSSASIA contributions

How It Works

1. Pick a FOSSASIA project — Event management tools, AI assistants, mobile apps, and more
2. Find issues labeled for Codeheat on GitHub
3. Submit pull requests that fix bugs, add features, or improve documentation
4. Earn points for merged PRs based on difficulty
5. Top contributors win prizes at the end of the contest period

FOSSASIA Projects

Project	Description	Language
Open Event	Event management platform	Python, JavaScript
SUSI.AI	Intelligent assistant	Java, Python, JS
PSLab	Pocket Science Lab	Java, Python
Badgeyay	Badge generator	Python, JavaScript
Eventyay	Event platform	Python, Ember.js

Prizes

Prizes vary by year but typically include:

• Cash prizes for top 3 contributors
• FOSSASIA swag (t-shirts, stickers)
• Conference passes to FOSSASIA events
• Recognition on the FOSSASIA website

Getting Started

1. Visit codeheat.org

   Go to codeheat.org and read the rules.

2. Browse FOSSASIA repos on GitHub

   Visit github.com/fossasia and explore the projects.

3. Look for 'codeheat' labeled issues

   Filter issues by the Codeheat label to find tasks that count toward the contest.

4. Fork, fix, and submit a PR

   Follow standard open-source contribution workflow. Make sure your PR is high quality.

Resources

Resource	Link
Codeheat	codeheat.org
FOSSASIA GitHub	github.com/fossasia
FOSSASIA Website	fossasia.org

Codeheat is one of the easiest ways to start your open-source journey. The community is welcoming, the issues are labeled by difficulty, and you get tangible rewards for your contributions. Many GSoC-accepted contributors cite Codeheat as where they built the skills and track record that made their GSoC proposals credible.

Practical Tips for Maximizing Points

1. Start with documentation and testing PRs — These are less contested and help you understand the codebase before tackling feature work.
2. Read the codebase architecture first — Spend 1-2 hours understanding the project structure, coding conventions, and testing patterns before writing any code. Your PRs will get approved faster.
3. Communicate before coding — Comment on the issue to claim it. Describe your intended approach in 2-3 sentences. This prevents duplicate work and signals to mentors that you are thoughtful.
4. Submit small, focused PRs — A single PR that fixes one issue cleanly will earn points faster than a large PR that takes weeks to review. Maintainers review small diffs first.
5. Look for integration between projects — FOSSASIA projects often share common patterns. Skills learned in one project (like Open Event) directly transfer to others (like Eventyay), letting you contribute across multiple repos efficiently.