CLA

A CLA (Contributor License Agreement) is a document confirming that you agree your contributions to CPython are legally owned by the Python Software Foundation (PSF).

Why is it Required?

When contributing to open source projects, copyright becomes a concern. The PSF CLA provides the legal basis needed for your contributions to be distributed under the Python license (PSF License). Pull requests submitted without signing it will not be accepted.

How to Sign

To read and sign the agreement, go to the following address:

PSF Contributor Agreement

The form is entirely online — no separate document needs to be signed.

Approval Process

After signing, the approval process takes place on business days and may take some time. When you open your first PR to CPython, the the-knights-who-say-ni bot will greet you and leave a comment about your CLA status.

Your PR labels will change as follows:

• Before the CLA is signed: CLA not signed
• After the CLA is approved: CLA signed

Recommendation

You do not need to wait for CLA approval before opening a PR. Sign the agreement as soon as possible and continue your contribution work in parallel — the bot will automatically update the label.

Tip: If you run into any issues, you can ask for help through the issues in the python/cpython repository or on Python’s Discord server.