Codetopia
Knowledge Base

How-Tos

Guides for joining Codetopia Community and finding your way around. New here? Start at the top.

Start here

Codetopia Community is a group of builders and learners figuring it out together, based in Ghana and open to the world. Everyone here started as a beginner.

Joining

Three steps, in this order. Together they take about 25 minutes.

  1. Create your portal account10 min

    Your member account on our website: your name, what you are here to build, and the code of conduct.

  2. Join Discord and link your account10 min

    Discord is the free chat app where the community talks every day. Typing /link connects it to your portal account and opens the server.

  3. Learn the basics of Discord5 min

    Post a question, message someone, send a file, and turn down notifications.

After that, you're a member. Everything below is optional.

Then, whenever you like

On Discord, names that start with # are channels: chat rooms, one for each topic.

Say hi

Introduce yourself in channel introduce-yourself, and find your way around in your first week.

Ask for help

Stuck on anything tech? Here is how to get help, from AI and from people in channel ask-for-help.

Come to an event

Live chats on X, meetups and conferences. Here is how to join one.

Help out

See what the teams need right now in channel get-involved. If you code, find tasks in channel github-help-wanted.

Type /newhere anywhere in Discord to see this list again. It comes from Vector, our community bot.

Want to do more?

Want to join a team, or have something to offer, like design skills or a project idea? Post in channel get-involved with the team's tag and a line about yourself, or message the team's lead privately. The leads are pinned at the top of channel get-involved. Ways to contribute explains the teams.

Questions? The FAQ answers the common ones. If someone ever makes you uncomfortable, see Staying safe.

How this started

This project was initiated by the June to July 2026 intern cohort, a group of people who showed up, put in the work, and decided to make things better for every member who comes after them. This is their gift to the Codetopia Community.

Spotted a mistake?

If a guide is wrong or out of date, here is how to fix it.

All guides

12 guides

Getting Started

Join, find your way around Discord, your first week, events and staying safe.

Join the communityYour first step into Codetopia Community starts here. Create your portal account, verify your email, and finish onboarding.
7 min read
Discord guideLearn how to join and navigate the Codetopia Community Discord server.
8 min read
Using DiscordPost a question, talk in the open, send a file, mention someone, share a win or an idea, where to ask questions, calm your notifications, report a message, and what to do if your message disappears.
6 min read
Getting unstuck, with AI and peopleBeing stuck is normal. How to use AI so you actually learn, how to check what it tells you, and when to ask a person.
3 min read
Ask a good questionPost a question in
4 min read
Your first weekYou are in the server. Say hello, learn five channels, reply to one person. That is the whole week.
3 min read
Add our events to your calendarSee every Codetopia Community meetup and session in your own calendar, on Android, iPhone or Mac.
4 min read
Going to an eventFind an event, save your spot, and join it in person or online. What to expect at your first one.
2 min read
Our X SpacesMost of our events are X Spaces, live audio chats on X. Find the next one, listen in, and ask to speak.
3 min read
Your portal profileEdit your profile, add a photo, choose a team, keep your account safe, and what to do if you want to leave.
3 min read
Staying safeWhat to do if someone makes you uncomfortable, how to report a problem, and how to protect yourself online.
2 min read
FAQQuick answers to the questions new members ask most.
3 min read
5 guides

Contributing

Help out when you can, write for the blog, join a team, and your first pull request.

Ways to contributeShow up, help when you can, and join a team if you want more.
3 min read
Help outFour ways to help the community when you have time, with or without code. No sign-up, no commitment.
5 min read
Your first pull request, in your browserAdd a short file about yourself to our practice project on GitHub, step by step, in your browser.
5 min read
Log your work on the portalAdd something you did for a team to your portal profile, with a link to it. A team lead checks it, then it shows on your public profile.
6 min read
Write for the blogWrite an article for the Codetopia Community blog on Hashnode. Get added once, write a draft, and send it to our editors.
5 min read

Stuck? Ask in #ask-for-help on Discord, and say what you were trying to do and what you saw instead. Nobody will think less of you. The FAQ answers the common questions, and Staying safe covers what to do if someone makes you uncomfortable.