Thank you for your interest in contributing to LiteLLM! We welcome contributions of all kinds - from bug fixes and documentation improvements to new features and integrations.
Here are the core requirements for any PR submitted to LiteLLM:
- Sign the Contributor License Agreement (CLA) - see details
- Add testing - Adding at least 1 test is a hard requirement - see details
- Ensure your PR passes all checks:
- Unit Tests -
make test-unit - Linting / Formatting -
make lint
- Unit Tests -
- Keep scope isolated - Your changes should address 1 specific problem at a time
Before contributing code to LiteLLM, you must sign our Contributor License Agreement (CLA). This is a legal requirement for all contributions to be merged into the main repository.
Important: We strongly recommend reviewing and signing the CLA before starting work on your contribution to avoid any delays in the PR process.
# Fork the repository on GitHub (click the Fork button at https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm)
# Then clone your fork locally
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/litellm.git
cd litellm
# Create a new branch for your feature
git checkout -b your-feature-branch
# Install development dependencies
make install-dev
# Verify your setup works
make helpThat's it! Your local development environment is ready.
Here's the recommended workflow for making changes:
# Make your changes to the code
# ...
# Format your code (auto-fixes formatting issues)
make format
# Run all linting checks (matches CI exactly)
make lint
# Run unit tests to ensure nothing is broken
make test-unit
# Commit your changes
git add .
git commit -m "Your descriptive commit message"
# Push and create a PR
git push origin your-feature-branchAdding at least 1 test is a hard requirement for all PRs.
Add your tests to the tests/test_litellm/ directory.
- This directory mirrors the structure of the
litellm/directory - Only add mocked tests - no real LLM API calls in this directory
- For integration tests with real APIs, use the appropriate test directories
The tests/test_litellm/ directory follows the same structure as litellm/:
litellm/proxy/caching_routes.py→tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_caching_routes.pylitellm/utils.py→tests/test_litellm/test_utils.py
import pytest
from litellm import completion
def test_your_feature():
"""Test your feature with a descriptive docstring."""
# Arrange
messages = [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]
# Act
# Use mocked responses, not real API calls
# Assert
assert expected_result == actual_resultRun all unit tests (uses parallel execution for speed):
make test-unitRun specific test files:
poetry run pytest tests/test_litellm/test_your_file.py -vRun all linting checks (matches CI exactly):
make lintIndividual linting commands:
make format-check # Check Black formatting
make lint-ruff # Run Ruff linting
make lint-mypy # Run MyPy type checking
make check-circular-imports # Check for circular imports
make check-import-safety # Check import safetyApply formatting (auto-fixes issues):
make formatTo ensure your changes will pass CI, run the exact same checks locally:
# This runs the same checks as the GitHub workflows
make lint
make test-unitFor exact CI compatibility (pins OpenAI version like CI):
make install-dev-ci # Installs exact CI dependenciesRun make help to see all available commands:
make help # Show all available commands
make install-dev # Install development dependencies
make install-proxy-dev # Install proxy development dependencies
make install-test-deps # Install test dependencies (for running tests)
make format # Apply Black code formatting
make format-check # Check Black formatting (matches CI)
make lint # Run all linting checks
make test-unit # Run unit tests
make test-integration # Run integration tests
make test-unit-helm # Run Helm unit testsLiteLLM follows the Google Python Style Guide.
Our automated quality checks include:
- Black for consistent code formatting
- Ruff for linting and code quality
- MyPy for static type checking
- Circular import detection
- Import safety validation
All checks must pass before your PR can be merged.
If make lint fails:
- Formatting issues: Run
make formatto auto-fix - Ruff issues: Check the output and fix manually
- MyPy issues: Add proper type hints
- Circular imports: Refactor import dependencies
- Import safety: Fix any unprotected imports
If make test-unit fails:
- Check if you broke existing functionality
- Add tests for your new code
- Ensure tests use mocks, not real API calls
- Check test file naming conventions
- Use type hints: MyPy requires proper type annotations
- Write descriptive commit messages: Help reviewers understand your changes
- Keep PRs focused: One feature/fix per PR
- Test edge cases: Don't just test the happy path
- Update documentation: If you change APIs, update docs
To run the proxy server locally:
# Install proxy dependencies
make install-proxy-dev
# Start the proxy server
poetry run litellm --config your_config.yamlIf you want to build the Docker image yourself:
# Build using the non-root Dockerfile
docker build -f docker/Dockerfile.non_root -t litellm_dev .
# Run with your config
docker run \
-v $(pwd)/proxy_config.yaml:/app/config.yaml \
-e LITELLM_MASTER_KEY="sk-1234" \
-p 4000:4000 \
litellm_dev \
--config /app/config.yaml --detailed_debug- Push your branch:
git push origin your-feature-branch - Create a PR: Go to GitHub and create a pull request
- Fill out the PR template: Provide clear description of changes
- Wait for review: Maintainers will review and provide feedback
- Address feedback: Make requested changes and push updates
- Merge: Once approved, your PR will be merged!
If you need help:
- 💬 Join our Discord
- 💬 Join our Slack
- 📧 Email us: ishaan@berri.ai / krrish@berri.ai
- 🐛 Create an issue
Looking for ideas? Check out:
- 🐛 Good first issues
- 🚀 Feature requests
- 📚 Documentation improvements
- 🧪 Test coverage improvements
- 🔌 New LLM provider integrations
Thank you for contributing to LiteLLM! 🚀