Invidious Community Guidelines: A Complete Guide to Contributing and Interacting

The Invidious project follows the Contributor Covenant to enforce respectful collaboration, requiring all contributions under AGPL-3.0 and structured interaction through GitHub issues and pull requests.

The Invidious community guidelines establish the standards for participation in the iv-org/invidious repository and across public instances. These rules, based on the Contributor Covenant framework, apply to contributors, issue reporters, and users interacting with the project's open-source infrastructure. Understanding these guidelines ensures your contributions to this privacy-focused YouTube alternative are accepted and valued by the maintainer team.

Core Principles of Invidious Community Guidelines

The project maintains six fundamental principles that govern all community interaction:

Principle	Community Expectation
Be Respectful	Treat all participants with courtesy. Harassment, personal attacks, hateful language, and discrimination are prohibited.
Stay Constructive	Provide actionable feedback with clear context. Bug reports must include reproduction steps; feature requests require rationale.
Follow the Process	Use designated channels: open issues for bugs, proposals for architectural changes, and pull requests for code contributions. Reference the contribution workflow in README.md [source].
Maintain a Safe Environment	Never share private data, personal information, or copyrighted material without explicit permission.
Respect Licensing	All contributions must be made under the AGPL-3.0 license. Contributors retain copyright while granting the project broad usage rights [source].
No Spam or Solicitation	Avoid promotional content, repetitive comments, or advertising unrelated to Invidious development.

How to Interact with the Repository

Proper interaction follows a structured workflow designed to keep development organized and efficient.

Creating Issues

When reporting bugs or requesting features, structure your submission to maximize clarity:

1. Title – Keep it concise but descriptive.
2. Description – Include detailed context and expected vs. actual behavior.
3. Reproduction Steps – Provide numbered steps that reliably trigger the issue.
4. Environment – Note your Invidious version and instance URL.

Use existing issue templates when available to ensure consistent formatting.

Submitting Pull Requests

Code contributions must follow the repository's technical workflow. According to the contribution instructions in README.md, the process involves:

git clone https://github.com/iv-org/invidious.git
cd invidious
git checkout -b fix-download-error

# Make changes to src/invidious.cr

git commit -m "Fix video download 500 error on v2.0.0"
git push origin fix-download-error

After pushing, open a Pull Request on GitHub that references the related issue (e.g., Closes #1234) and includes a description of the technical changes. The src/invidious.cr file contains the core application logic and is the primary target for most modifications.

Commenting and Discussions

Keep all GitHub comments focused on the technical topic at hand. For broader community discussions, use the project's Matrix or IRC channels rather than issue threads. This prevents noise in the development workflow while keeping conversations accessible.

Enforcement and Reporting Mechanisms

Violations of the Invidious community guidelines result in escalating consequences at maintainer discretion, ranging from warnings to temporary suspension or permanent bans from the repository and public instances.

To report harassment or policy violations, use the "Report Abuse" link on the GitHub community page or contact maintainers directly through designated channels. The project prioritizes creating an inclusive environment and addresses concerns promptly.

Key Files and Resources

These repository files embody the community and legal framework:

• README.md – Contains general project overview, quick start instructions, and detailed contribution workflow.
• LICENSE – Full text of the AGPL-3.0 license governing all contributions.
• src/invidious.cr – Core application source code; primary target for code contributions.
• CHANGELOG.md – Historical record of major changes, useful for understanding project evolution.
• .github/ – Contains community policy files including the Code of Conduct (accessible via the GitHub community page).

Practical Examples for Contributors

Example 1: Opening a Well-Formed Issue

# Title

Video download fails on v2.0.0

# Description

When I try to download a video on version 2.0.0, the server returns a 500 error.

# Steps to Reproduce

1. Go to https://example.invidious.io/watch?v=abc123
2. Click "Download"
3. Observe the error response

# Expected Result

The video should download without error.

# Actual Result

Server returns 500 Internal Server Error.

This format follows the guidelines by being respectful, clear, and providing all necessary information for maintainers to investigate effectively.

Example 2: Creating a Pull Request

The workflow demonstrates proper branch naming and commit hygiene:

git clone https://github.com/iv-org/invidious.git
cd invidious
git checkout -b fix-download-error

# Make changes to src/invidious.cr

git commit -m "Fix video download 500 error on v2.0.0"
git push origin fix-download-error

Following this pattern ensures your contribution aligns with the project'stechnical standards and licensing requirements.

Summary

• The Invidious community guidelines are based on the Contributor Covenant, emphasizing respect and constructive technical discussion.
• All contributions must be licensed under AGPL-3.0, as specified in the repository's LICENSE file.
• Interaction follows structured channels: GitHub issues for bugs, pull requests for code changes to src/invidious.cr, and Matrix/IRC for general discussion.
• Enforcement includes warnings, suspensions, or bans for violations of harassment or spam policies.
• Reference the community page at github.com/iv-org/invidious/community and documentation at docs.invidious.io for complete policy details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What license covers contributions to Invidious?

All contributions to Invidious must be made under the AGPL-3.0 license. While contributors retain copyright to their work, they grant the project broad usage rights as specified in the LICENSE file at the repository root. This ensures the software remains free and open-source in perpetuity.

How do I report harassment in the Invidious community?

If you encounter harassment or policy violations, use the "Report Abuse" link on the GitHub community page or contact the maintainers directly through the designated reporting channels. The project prioritizes maintaining a safe environment and investigates all reports promptly to enforce the community guidelines.

Where can I find the full Code of Conduct?

The complete Code of Conduct is available on the GitHub Community Page and referenced in the project's documentation. Additionally, community policy files are located in the .github/ directory of the repository, providing the authoritative text for all behavioral expectations.

What happens if I violate the community guidelines?

Violations result in escalating consequences determined by project maintainers, beginning with warnings for minor infractions and progressing to temporary suspension or permanent bans for severe or repeated violations. This applies to both repository participation and access to public Invidious instances.

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  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}