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Contributing to OpenCut

⚠️ We are currently NOT accepting feature PRs while we build out the core editor.

If you want to contribute:

  1. Open an issue first to discuss
  2. Wait for maintainer approval
  3. Only then start coding

Critical bug fixes may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Thank you for your interest in contributing to OpenCut! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Note: Docker is optional, but it's essential for running the local database and Redis services. If you're planning to contribute to frontend features, you can skip the Docker setup. If you have followed the steps below in Setup, you're all set to go!

Setup

  1. Fork the repository

  2. Clone your fork locally

  3. Navigate to the web app directory: cd apps/web

  4. Copy .env.example to .env.local:

    # Unix/Linux/Mac
cp .env.example .env.local

# Windows Command Prompt
copy .env.example .env.local

# Windows PowerShell
Copy-Item .env.example .env.local

  5. Install dependencies: bun install

  6. Start the development server: bun run dev

Note: Web development uses the published opencut-wasm package by default, so a fresh clone does not need a local WASM build.

If you are editing rust/wasm, run bun run build:wasm, then cd rust/wasm/pkg && bun link, then cd ../../../apps/web && bun link opencut-wasm.

Desktop setup

Only needed if you're working on apps/desktop. See apps/desktop/README.md — it's a two-step process: Rust toolchain first via script/setup-rust, then desktop native dependencies via apps/desktop/script/setup.

What to Focus On

🎯 Good Areas to Contribute:

  • Timeline functionality and UI improvements
  • Project management features
  • Performance optimizations
  • Bug fixes in existing functionality
  • UI/UX improvements
  • Documentation and testing

⚠️ Areas to Avoid:

  • Preview panel enhancements (text fonts, stickers, effects)
  • Export functionality improvements
  • Preview rendering optimizations

Why? We're currently planning a major refactor of the preview system. The current preview renders DOM elements (HTML), but we're moving to a binary rendering approach similar to CapCut. This new system will ensure consistency between preview and export, and provide much better performance and quality.

The current HTML-based preview is essentially a prototype - the binary approach will be the "real deal." To avoid wasted effort, please focus on other areas of the application until this refactor is complete.

If you're unsure whether your idea falls into the preview category, feel free to ask us directly in discord or create a GitHub issue!

Development Setup

Local Development

  1. Start the database and Redis services:

    # From project root
docker-compose up -d

  2. Navigate to the web app directory:

    cd apps/web

  3. Copy .env.example to .env.local:

    # Unix/Linux/Mac
cp .env.example .env.local

# Windows Command Prompt
copy .env.example .env.local

# Windows PowerShell
Copy-Item .env.example .env.local

  4. Configure required environment variables in .env.local:

    Required Variables:

    # Database (matches docker-compose.yaml)
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://opencut:opencut@localhost:5432/opencut"

# Generate a secure secret for Better Auth
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET="your-generated-secret-here"
NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL="http://localhost:3000"

# Redis (matches docker-compose.yaml)
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL="http://localhost:8079"
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN="example_token"

# Development
NODE_ENV="development"

    Generate BETTER_AUTH_SECRET:

    # Unix/Linux/Mac
openssl rand -base64 32

# Windows PowerShell (simple method)
[System.Web.Security.Membership]::GeneratePassword(32, 0)

# Cross-platform (using Node.js)
node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('base64'))"

# Or use an online generator: https://generate-secret.vercel.app/32

  5. Run database migrations: bun run db:migrate

  6. Start the development server: bun run dev

Desktop

Working on apps/desktop? See apps/desktop/README.md for setup. Web-only contributors can ignore this entirely.

How to Contribute

Reporting Bugs

  • Use the bug report template
  • Include steps to reproduce
  • Provide screenshots if applicable

Suggesting Features

  • Use the feature request template
  • Explain the use case
  • Consider implementation details

Code Contributions

  1. Create a new branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

  2. Make your changes

  3. Run the relevant checks for the area you touched:

    • Web changes: from apps/web, run bun run lint and bunx biome format --write .
    • Desktop changes: run ./apps/desktop/script/setup if your environment isn't set up yet

  4. Commit your changes with a descriptive message

  5. Push to your fork and create a pull request

Code Style

  • We use Biome for code formatting and linting
  • Run bunx biome format --write . from the apps/web directory to format code
  • Run bun run lint from the apps/web directory to check for linting issues
  • Follow the existing code patterns

Pull Request Process

  1. Fill out the pull request template completely
  2. Link any related issues
  3. Ensure CI passes
  4. Request review from maintainers
  5. Address any feedback

Community

  • Be respectful and inclusive
  • Follow our Code of Conduct
  • Help others in discussions and issues

Thank you for contributing!