> your open source copilot_
Light the path to
open source
Discover issues matched to your skills. Get AI-powered guidance before your first line of code. Build a portfolio that proves your impact.
// THE PROBLEM
Open source is broken
for contributors
Everyone says "contribute to open source." Nobody tells you how. Existing tools dump thousands of issues on you with zero context.
Discovery Overload
420M repos on GitHub. Zero personalization. You're scrolling through C++ compiler issues when you write Python.
The "Now What?" Wall
You found an issue. The repo has 2,000 files and no architecture guide. You close the tab.
Fear of the Wrong Thing
Unwritten social norms. Fear of dumb questions. You never comment. The issue gets claimed by someone else.
Invisible Contributions
Green squares show activity, not impact. Nobody knows you fixed a critical bug in FastAPI.
// THE SOLUTION
A complete contribution cycle
Illuminate connects the full loop that no other tool covers. From finding the issue to showcasing your work.
DISCOVER
AI matches issues to your skills, goals, and available time. No more scrolling through irrelevant lists.
UNDERSTAND
AI breaks down the project, explains the issue in context, and suggests a step-by-step approach.
CONTRIBUTE
Get smart questions to ask maintainers, PR templates, and etiquette coaching before you write code.
TRACK
Every merged PR is auto-detected. Build a shareable portfolio of your open source impact.
GROW
Level up from Explorer to Luminary. Get AI-suggested next steps that push your skills forward.
// FEATURES
Everything you need,
nothing you don't
Smart Issue Matching
Multi-factor ranking based on your skills, goals, and time. Skill match, repo health, freshness, and competition — not just labels.
AI Deep Dives
Five-section mentor experience: project overview, issue context, suggested approach, questions to ask, and red flags. Powered by Claude.
Contribution Tracker
Auto-detects merged PRs to external repos. Lines added, files changed, skills demonstrated — all recorded without lifting a finger.
Shareable Portfolio
Public profile at illuminate.sh/you with timeline, project views, and stats. Embed an SVG widget in your GitHub README.
Growth Engine
Six progression levels from Explorer to Luminary. Skill radar visualization. AI-suggested next steps that push you forward.
Watchlist & Alerts
Save issues. Get notified when maintainers respond, when issues get claimed, or when new matches land in your feed.
// GET STARTED
Three steps to your
first contribution
Connect GitHub
Sign in with GitHub. Illuminate analyzes your repos to understand your languages, frameworks, and experience level.
$ gh auth login --scope read:user,public_repoGet Matched
Your personalized feed surfaces issues ranked by skill match, repo health, and growth potential. Filter by language, difficulty, or time.
$ illuminate match --lang python --difficulty beginnerStart Contributing
Click into an issue for an AI deep dive. Get the approach, ask the right questions, submit your PR, and watch your portfolio grow.
$ illuminate dive fastapi/fastapi#4521// DOCUMENTATION
Everything is documented
We build in the open with full transparency. Every architectural decision, every roadmap milestone, every contribution guideline — all public.
Product Overview
Full product specification — features, user journeys, data models, AI strategy, monetization, and competitive landscape.
Read docs →Architecture
System design — service breakdown, data flows, background workers, database schema, security model, and infrastructure.
Read docs →Roadmap
Phase-by-phase progress tracker — what's shipped, what's in progress, milestones, key decisions log, and metrics.
Read docs →Contributing
Dev environment setup, code style, branching strategy, commit conventions, PR process, and issue labels.
Read docs →// OPEN SOURCE
Built in the open
Illuminate is open source under the MIT license. We're building a tool to make open source contribution easier — it only makes sense to build it the same way. Star the repo, open an issue, or submit a PR.