What is a Microsoft Learn contributor?
Microsoft Learn is built on the expertise of thousands of individuals, from within and outside of Microsoft. Experts and passionate users from all over the world have become Microsoft Learn contributors and creators. What does it mean to contribute to the Learn platform?
Microsoft Learn open-source philosophy
Microsoft Learn is made up of many different communities that Microsoft manages. Wherever possible, Microsoft Learn keeps content open for public feedback and input. Because participating in an open-source community is a shared technical experience, participants agree to follow the Microsoft Learn Open Source Code of Conduct.
All repositories (the behind-the-scenes places where Microsoft Learn content is stored) that publish to Microsoft Learn have adopted the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct or the .NET Foundation Code of Conduct. When you contribute, you agree to follow this Code of Conduct to make sure it’s a positive and respectful experience for all.
This open-source approach also streamlines and improves communication between product engineers, content teams, and customers. It provides other advantages as well, such as:
- Open-source repos plan in the open to get feedback on what docs are most needed.
- Open-source repos review in the open to publish the most helpful content on our first release.
- Open-source repos update in the open to make it easier to continuously improve the content.
What is a contributor?
If you’ve ever used information from learn.microsoft.com, you’ve benefited from the work of a contributor. On Microsoft Learn, a contributor is anyone who adds to or changes content on the site to help create knowledge for others, or anyone who shares Microsoft Learn content and experiences with others to help them discover new learning opportunities. There are no special credentials needed- the task is open to anyone with expertise and a passion for sharing their learning.
A contribution to Microsoft Learn could be:
- A suggestion, edit, technical review, or update to content.
- A question, comment, or answer posted to Q&A.
- A Learn Collection of curated training content to share with others.
- A shared link to Microsoft Learn (for example, on social media).
Contributors improve the content and the community for everyone on Microsoft Learn. By drawing on the experience and expertise of a widespread and diverse audience, contributions bring clarity to all users of Microsoft products and technologies.
Here are some recent ways that individuals have contributed to open-source content on Microsoft Learn:
- A software engineer in India fixed an error in a code sample in Azure reference content.
- A contributor from the United States suggested adding a section to support a new file-sharing feature for Windows 11 users.
- A user in Poland raised an issue about an incorrect link.
- A contributor from Egypt fixed the language syntax of a documentation article.
- A Microsoft MVP in Japan fixed a typo in Windows developer documentation.
Why should you contribute?
Contributions can be large or small, from adding new articles and discussions, to fixing a broken link. Your contribution doesn’t need to be gigantic to make a big impact. All contributions are valuable and help improve Microsoft technologies and content offerings that many rely on.
The effects of sharing your knowledge can be far-reaching and long-lasting. When you share your knowledge, you’re helping others grow and improve. In doing so, you’re also building your collaboration, technical, subject-matter, and content-development skills. You’re progressing your own career and skillset while helping others improve theirs.
Contributing to an open-source project is a great pathway towards building your project portfolio. Whether you want to build a career in IT or are a seasoned expert who cares about product documentation, there is a place for you to grow your career by helping improve the quality of Microsoft documentation. Microsoft Learn is one of the largest open-source projects in the world and contributing to it can help millions of people around the world, while at the same time, help you build the skills you'll need to thrive in the industry.
Becoming a contributor means you take part in a diverse community of like-minded peers. Contributors can grow to become thought leaders in their fields, and they may be recognized and showcased for their work.
Sharing your expertise with others helps everyone achieve more. Contributors are a vital and empowering pillar of Microsoft Learn, and you can join this global effort!
I want to contribute! What happens next?
The workflow you’ll learn in this module is useful when you want to make a small contribution to Microsoft documentation articles. Use these steps to make contributions like minor edits, reviews, or suggestions to one article at a time and if you plan on contributing on an occasional basis. You can find information about contributing in other ways or becoming a frequent contributor at the end of the module.
The learn.microsoft.com Terms of Use covers minor corrections or clarifications to documentation and code examples that are available for public contributions. New or significant changes generate a notification in the contribution process, asking you to submit an online Contribution License Agreement (CLA) if you're not a Microsoft employee. You’ll need to complete this online form before your changes can be reviewed or accepted.