Requirements to Become a Chromium Repository Committer

Becoming an official committer for the Chromium web browser repository requires an outside software engineer to demonstrate a consistent history of high-quality code contributions and a deep understanding of the project's development workflows. This article outlines the specific prerequisites, contribution thresholds, and nomination processes an external developer must complete to earn write access to the Chromium codebase.

Before submitting any code, you must sign the Google Contributor License Agreement (CLA). If you are contributing on your own behalf, you will sign the Individual CLA. If you are contributing as part of your job, your employer must sign the Corporate CLA. You must also register an account on the Chromium Gerrit instance for code reviews and the Monorail/Issue Tracker system for bug tracking.

2. Land 10 to 20 Nontrivial Patches

You cannot apply for committer status without a proven track record. You must author and successfully land roughly 10 to 20 nontrivial Changelists (CLs) in the Chromium repository.

  • Nontrivial: Your patches must involve meaningful code changes, bug fixes, or feature implementations. Simple typo fixes or minor formatting adjustments do not count toward this total.
  • Consistency: Contributions should be spread over a reasonable period, showing sustained interest and reliability rather than a single burst of activity.

3. Demonstrate Mastery of Chromium Practices

While landing your patches, you will be evaluated by existing committers on how well you integrate into the development culture. You must demonstrate that you:

  • Adhere strictly to the Chromium C++ (or relevant language) style guides.
  • Write comprehensive unit tests, browser tests, or web platform tests for your code.
  • Communicate effectively and professionally during code reviews.
  • Understand how to investigate and fix regressions if your code breaks the continuous integration buildbots.

4. Obtain a Nomination

Once you have landed roughly 10 to 20 significant CLs, you must be nominated by an existing Chromium committer. The best approach is to reach out to one of the engineers who has frequently reviewed your code and ask if they are willing to nominate you.

5. Secure Two Additional Endorsements

After your nominator agrees, they will send an email to the private committers mailing list detailing your contributions and linking to your landed CLs. To move forward, two other existing committers must reply to that thread to "second" the nomination. In total, you need three existing committers to vouch for your technical ability and judgment.

6. Pass the Consensus Period

Chromium uses a consensus-based approval model. Once your nomination has been seconded by two other committers, a waiting period of five business days begins. If no existing committer raises a valid objection during those five days, your nomination is automatically approved. You will then be granted committer rights.

What "Write Access" Actually Means in Chromium

Achieving committer status does not mean you can push code directly to the main branch without oversight. In the Chromium ecosystem, "write access" grants you the following privileges:

  • Commit Queue (CQ) Access: You can trigger the automated testing bots (trybots) and instruct the Commit Queue to merge your code once all tests pass.
  • Code Review Power: You can give an official "LGTM" (Looks Good To Me) to other contributors' patches.
  • Bug Tracker Permissions: You gain the ability to edit, assign, and manage issues in the Chromium bug tracker.

Even as a committer, every patch you write must still be reviewed and approved by an engineer listed in the OWNERS file of the specific directory you are modifying.