Guides
Guides
Expert developers and teams share best practices in software engineering, collaboration, and culture.
The ReadME ProjectOpen ReadME Project Menu
Denys Lashchevskyi // Betsson
A beginner’s guide to running and managing custom CodeQL queries
Transform your code into a structured database that you can use to surface security vulnerabilities and discover new insights.
Shared learnings from leaders in the open source community
Software development should be accessible for both novices and seasoned professionals alike. From trending topics and technologies to best-practices, community contributions empower us to learn from experts and build better, together.
Denys Lashchevskyi // BetssonA beginner’s guide to running and managing custom CodeQL queries
Transform your code into a structured database that you can use to surface security vulnerabilities and discover new insights.
Niek Palm // PhilipsProvisioning self-hosted GitHub Actions runners on demand
How Philips optimized their CI/CD process using GitHub Actions and self-hosted runners.
Mike Gifford // CivicActionsTreat accessibility issues as bugs, not feature requests
Follow Drupal’s lead: Prioritize and systematically squash accessibility bugs.
Ruth IkegahMake your first open source contribution in four easy steps
A beginner's guide to making an impact with open source contributions.
Chris Johnson // Eli LillySecure cloud deployment and delivery
Building a better development environment to increase speed to delivery with GitHub.
Tramale Turner // Action IQTurbulent times call for adaptive leadership
Learn what adaptive leadership is, how it compares to other leadership styles, and how you can adopt its principles.
Shanea Leven // CodeSeeFrom chaos to clarity: Use code visibility to illuminate unfamiliar code
How to make your code more clear to other developers—and your future self.
Feross Aboukhadijeh // SocketDo your part to secure the open source supply chain
We're just beginning to reckon with new security risks introduced by the tangled web of dependencies in our apps.
Aaron Francis // PlanetScaleFinish your projects
Don’t let fear, or that last 10%, hold you back.
Noah Gift // Pragmatic AI LabsThe case for using Rust in MLOps
Level up your Rust skills and push MLOps forward with GitHub Copilot.
Gio Lodi // AutomatticAccelerate test-driven development with AI
Get faster feedback loops by letting GitHub Copilot augment your TDD workflow.
Anton MirhorodchenkoHarness the power of generative AI for software development
Tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT can change the way you build software.
Josh GoldbergFormatters, linters, and compilers: Oh my!
An overview of how those three kinds of static analysis tools work in the JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystem.
Dr. Johanna PirkerTwitch: A game changer for developers
Gaming technologies offer real benefits for virtual spaces.
Jerome Hardaway // MicrosoftJunior to senior: An action plan for engineering career success
Enhance your engineering career prospects using this systematic guide for skill development and growth.
Art Chaidarun // DuolingoSimplifying developer onboarding with a few clicks
Migrating from a monolithic architecture to a microservices approach required tooling that enabled both flexibility and consistency.
Niek Palm // PhilipsSafer GitHub administration through IssueOps
Use GitHub Actions to promote and demote admins—it’s like sudo for GitHub!
Ryn DanielsHow to put the plus in ‘staff+’ engineer
Whether you’re already a staff+ engineer or you’re looking to advance, here’s how to be a force multiplier for your teams and organization
Claudio Wunder // HubspotFind edge case errors in your code base
GitHub Copilot offers some surprising benefits for solving particularly stubborn problems.
Lisa Vanderschuit // ShopifyHelp your team sustain a healthy work-life balance
Finding clarity, focus, and agency in day-to-day work.
Mikio BraunThe unique origins of open source in machine learning
How open source came to dominate machine learning and what that means for today.
Jess Pomfret // Data MastermindsImprove productivity through incremental automation
Small enhancements to daily workflows can have an outsized impact on the amount of available space in our day.
Prince Shekhar Valluri // LinkedInEnterprise code migration with developer happiness in mind
Transformational change without a big bang.
Will Larson // CalmMove past incident response to reliability
We once relied on crossed fingers and optimism as our first line of defense, but there’s a better way.
Noah Gift // Pragmatic AI LabsScaling MLOps education
Manage the complexity of MLOps by centralizing the process on GitHub.
Naveen Srinivasan & Brian RussellIn Scorecard we trust
How to strengthen your software supply chain security, improve best practices, and build trust in your projects.
Amit SahaMiddleware for web applications: it’s not just for enterprises
Write cleaner, more maintainable code—and reuse it in many different contexts.
Safia Abdalla // MicrosoftHow to optimize your code reviews
It’s wise to think of them as a bridge to empathy, knowledge-sharing, and team-building.
Gabriel Kohen // Blue YonderAutonomy vs. governance: a delicate balance of power
How Blue Yonder uses GitOps to break silos with GitHub Enterprise.
Ayden FérdelinePrivacy engineering: 8 tips to mitigate risks and secure your data
Understand what can go wrong and how to protect against the most likely scenarios.
Michael Hausenblas // Amazon Web ServicesLook beyond lock-in with open source observability
When done properly, it’s a sustainable option for any and all environments.
Justin Trugman & Babitha Singh // CaregilityIncorporating security in Enterprise DevOps workflows
How Caregility prepared for third-party security audits with GitHub Advanced Security.
Cassidy Williams // ContendaDocumenting knowledge: a guide to successful note-taking
How building a team culture around thoughtful note-taking can improve collective understanding.
Leonid Stolyarov // KPMGWorking across borders to achieve more
How KPMG increases international developer effectiveness, happiness, and collaboration with GitHub Enterprise.
Dave Farley // Continuous Delivery Ltd.What is “engineering for software?”
Applying scientific-style reasoning to improving our chances of success.
Alexandra Sunderland // FellowThe impact of culture on code
How to eliminate misunderstandings and create a stronger team from anywhere.
Justin Watts // TelusShift security left in one day
It’s getting easier and more intuitive to catch mistakes before they spiral into disasters.
Hillel WayneThe five-minute feedback fix
Writing directly-testable design requirements can help deliver high-quality software faster, and with less frustration.
Frances Coronel // ByteboardONWARD: A framework for maintaining maintainers
Whether the project has 3 or 3000 contributors, here’s what to focus on when collaborating with other maintainers.
Chrissy LeMaire // dbatoolsCoding peace of mind: A guide to testing
Say goodbye to accidentally deleted data and faulty committed changes with this GItHub Actions framework.
James TurnbullBuild a CI/CD workflow with Github Actions
Catch issues and remove the need for manual processes so you can focus on adding features.
Sabrina Li // FullStoryKeep separate codebases in sync with GitHub Actions
Boost developer productivity by automating manual tasks.
swyx | @swyxBreaking apart the monolith
The open source movement should really be modeled after social clubs and city governments.
Rose Judge // VMwareConfiguring your Git environment for success
A quick-start guide to less frustration and better workflows.
Cassidy Williams // ContendaFunctional Programming 101
A deep dive on the benefits of functional programming and why it’s actually easier than you think.
Aaron Francis // TuplePublishing your work increases your luck
For every snarky comment, there are 10x as many people admiring your work.
Steve Martinelli & Genevieve L'Esperance // ShopifyContinuously deploying custom storefronts
Using GitHub Actions to deploy a custom storefront with Shopify.
Lisa Tagliaferri, PhD // ChainguardImplementing software security in open source
How to automate security and build confidence in your code.
Mahmoud Hashemi // StripeIntentional creation
Tap into creativity with the 4 Cs: Consume, critique, curate, create.
Kathy Korevec // VercelInterview the interviewer
It’s not presumptuous to turn the tables on an interviewer.
Dana Lawson // NetlifyHiring technical talent: An exercise in clarity, patience, and preparation
The two-way experience is as much about technical skills as it is about team fit.
Segun AdebayoCreating a popular OSS library is a marathon, not a sprint
How to stay sane and keep your project on the right path.
Lorin Hochstein // NetflixMaking operational work more visible
How to shoulder-surf remotely and learn from the experiences of others.
Sonia JohnTaking a DevRel approach to developer onboarding
Maximizing community participation is a journey, not a destination.
John Allspaw // Adaptive Capacity LabsWhat we talk about when we talk about ‘root cause’
It’s a lot more nuanced than you might think.
Monica Powell // NewselaBrag now, remember later: Document your accomplishments
In Part Four of her series, Monica shows how you are in a unique position to be your best advocate.
Juan Pablo BuriticáThe good, the bad, and the ugly of making decisions in open source
Using RFCs to support decision-making when working in public.
Jon Parise // PinterestKnowing when to say 'no'
Recognize which contributions are a good fit for the project—and which are not.
Monica Powell // NewselaYour future self will thank you: Building your personal documentation
In Part Three of this series, Monica explains how to build a second brain of knowledge you’ll use over and over.
Monica Powell // NewselaHow to hone your new superpower: teaching
In part two of Monica's series on the value of documentation, she discusses the mindset, process and benefits of public documentation.
Scott Triglia // StripeUsing ‘Roofshots’ to make impossible decisions
A developer superpower to tackle complicated projects.
James TurnbullOptimize local dev environments for better onboarding
Empower your new engineers to hit the ground running.
Tasha Drew // VMwareCharming Pirates: Reframing user acquisition and referral for OSS
A proposal for strategically growing open source project maintainership.
Monica Powell // NewselaUsing code as documentation to save time and share context
In part one of her series, Monica shares how to do documentation to help yourself and others.
Anthony Sottile // Sentry.ioCode review is too late for code quality
Let the computers fight the style war so you can focus on what really matters.
Colby Fayock // ApplitoolsOvercoming human error with code automation and testing
From linting to deployment, here’s how to use automation to cut back grunt work and maximize fun.
Melanie Ensign // DiscernibleEffective communication is not about what you say
How to craft the messages people need to hear to get the right results.
David Noël-Romas // StripeTime management for makers
As makers, software engineers should adopt these seven essential habits.
Cassidy Williams // ContendaGet your first software developer job
Tips, tricks, and general advice for how to get in the door in tech.
Jerome Hardaway // Vets Who CodeTeaching in public with GitHub
Uplift others by sharing your knowledge.
Gina HäußgeA dev’s guide to open source software licensing
A crash course in licensing.
Kevin RiggleHow to write an internal production failure incident communication
What do you say when the system is down?
Angie Jones // ApplitoolsDemystifying developer advocacy
A seasoned developer advocate's answers to the most common DevRel FAQs.
Joe Lust // mablWalking the walk: bringing end-to-end automation and testing to internal teams
On creating streamlined workflows and a seamless developer experience with built-in CI/CD.
Austin Hemmelgarn // NetdataConnected by collaboration: unifying DevOps and open source
On building a developer-first release process for all: remote teams, enterprise users, and the open source community.
George Swan // AutodeskTransforming productivity with a ‘whole product’ CI/CD pipeline
How a shift towards innersource and shared best practices unified teams on a single DevOps pipeline.
Kevin Mo // FrontBoosting speed and scalability with continuous deployments
Why building fast means balancing risk and practicality—from infrastructure migration to project management.
