Why does adopt-me matter in open source adoption?

adopt-me is one of the core concepts in the adoption space. Whether you're a maintainer thinking about handing off a project, a developer looking to adopt one, or a CTO managing your team's OSS dependencies, understanding adopt-me is the foundation for making good decisions. See the related reading below for the full context.

Where can I learn more about adopt-me?

The BreakPoint glossary has 25+ terms. Each term links to related concepts, guides, and blog posts. Browse the full glossary at /glossary, or read one of the related terms linked from this page.

Glossary · adoption

adopt-me

A GitHub topic and CPAN signal that a project is looking for a new maintainer.

Also known as: ADOPTME, looking-for-maintainer

The adopt-me topic on GitHub is the canonical way to signal that a project is looking for a new maintainer. Apply the topic to your repository, and it appears in any search for that topic — including the BreakPoint adoption feed. The convention dates from the early 2010s and is supported by both GitHub's topic system and the pickhardt/maintainers-wanted list.

The CPAN permissions file has a more formal version: the ADOPTME pseudo-user. When a maintainer adds ADOPTME to their permissions list, it tells the Perl toolchain that the project is officially up for adoption. The HANDOFF pseudo-user means a specific successor has been chosen. The NEEDHELP pseudo-user means the project still has a maintainer but wants co-maintainers.

If you're dropping a project, the adopt-me topic is the single most important thing you can do. It surfaces the project in every adoption feed, every maintainer-matching tool, and every BreakPoint sync. It also tells contributors: this is real, not just an idle thought. See the /guides/responsible-abandonment guide for the full 7-step handoff.

Related reading