GitHub Docs is the open-source repository for GitHub's official documentation site, built with TypeScript and accepting external contributions to content.
The project solves the problem of maintaining comprehensive, accurate documentation for GitHub's products and services while enabling the community to contribute improvements and corrections. It operates through a dual-repository system: the public github/docs repository accepts external contributions to markdown content files, while the private github/docs-internal repository serves GitHub employees. Changes sync frequently between the two repositories, allowing both internal and external workflows to coexist. External contributors can modify documentation and reusable content files, but infrastructure, workflows, and site-building code remain restricted to safeguard the site's stability.
External contributors should understand that this repository has intentional limitations on what can be modified. The project accepts pull requests only for content files in the /content directory and select /data sections like reusables. Infrastructure files, workflows, and code that builds the site are not open for external modification. GitHub employees have access to a separate internal repository with fewer restrictions. The project provides contributing guidelines tailored to each contributor type, with resources for those new to open-source contribution.
The project maintains active synchronization between its public and private repositories, indicating ongoing coordination between external and internal development efforts. The dual-repository architecture with frequent syncing suggests a structured approach to managing contributions from both community members and GitHub staff. The explicit documentation of contribution boundaries and separate workflows for different contributor types reflects deliberate governance of the contribution process.
