Skip to main contentThe Contributor of the Month feature recognizes and celebrates the most impactful contributors to your repository during monthly periods. This gamified recognition system helps maintain contributor engagement and highlights valuable community members.
Overview
This feature automatically calculates contributor rankings based on pull request activity, impact metrics, and overall engagement. Contributors earn points through various activities including successful PR merges, code reviews, and community participation.
How Rankings Work
Scoring Algorithm
Contributors are ranked using a comprehensive scoring system that considers:
- Pull Request Volume: Number of successful PR contributions
- Impact Score: Lines changed, files affected, and complexity metrics
- Review Activity: Participation in code reviews and discussions
- Consistency: Regular contribution patterns throughout the month
- Quality Metrics: PR acceptance rate and minimal revision requirements
Monthly Cycles
Rankings reset monthly, creating fresh opportunities for all contributors to be recognized. The system tracks both current month activity and historical performance trends.
Display Modes
Winner Announcement Phase
Recognition Elements
Contributor Profiles
Each ranked contributor displays their GitHub profile information, contribution statistics, and role badges. Hover cards provide detailed insights into their specific contributions and areas of expertise.
Achievement Badges
Top contributors receive visual recognition through badges and special status indicators that highlight their current ranking and historical achievements.
Time Range Integration
Monthly Focus
While the primary focus is monthly rankings, contributors can also view activity over the 30-day period (30, 60, 90 days) to understand longer-term contribution patterns and seasonal variations.
Historical Tracking
The system maintains historical records of past winners and top contributors, creating a Hall of Fame effect that encourages sustained participation.
Motivation and Engagement
The competitive element encourages regular contributions and helps maintain project momentum. Contributors can see their progress and strive for recognition.
Contributor Discovery
New and emerging contributors gain visibility when they have high-impact months, helping maintainers identify valuable community members who might be overlooked.
Team Building
The feature creates a sense of community and friendly competition that can improve overall project health and contributor retention.
Best Practices
Fair Recognition
The algorithm balances quantity with quality to ensure that both prolific contributors and those making high-impact contributions can achieve recognition.
Inclusive Participation
The monthly reset ensures that new contributors and those with varying schedules have equal opportunities to be recognized for their contributions.
The Contributor of the Month feature transforms routine development activity into an engaging, community-building experience that celebrates the people who make open source projects successful.
Track top contributors throughout the month
During active contribution periods, the feature shows a live leaderboard of the top 5 contributors with real-time updates as contributions are made throughout the month.
Activity States
- High Activity: Multiple contributors actively competing with substantial contributions
- Moderate Activity: Steady contribution flow with clear leader emerging
- Low Activity: Minimal contributions, encouraging more participation
- No Activity: Empty state with motivational messaging to start contributing