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Credit System

When to Use

When you need to understand how drupal.org credits work in the context of AI-assisted contributions, or when you have questions about credit attribution.

Decision: Credit and AI

Scenario Who Gets Credit Notes
You contributed AI-assisted code You (the contributor) Standard credit — AI tools don't get attributed in the credit system
Your organization sponsored the work You + your organization Standard organizational credit applies
AI generated the code, you submitted it You You take responsibility and credit
You submitted AI code without disclosure Risk of credit revocation Violates community trust and fair credit policy

Pattern: How Credits Work

Drupal.org tracks contributions via issue credits: - Issue credits — When a maintainer commits code, contributors listed on the issue receive credit - Commit credits — The committer (maintainer) gets credit for the commit - Organization credits — Contributors can attribute their work to their employer/organization

Credits are public and visible on user profiles. They serve as reputation currency in the Drupal community.

Pattern: Credit Abuse Policy

Drupal.org maintains a fair contribution credit system policy. Key points relevant to AI:

  • Credits should reflect genuine human contribution to the project
  • Submitting AI-generated code without disclosure to inflate credit counts violates the spirit of the system
  • Gaming credits through mass AI-generated patches is considered abuse
  • Maintainers may report suspected credit abuse

What counts as genuine contribution with AI: - You identified the problem, guided the solution, reviewed the code, and verified correctness - AI was a tool in your workflow, not a replacement for your expertise - You can defend your contribution in review

Common Mistakes

  • Thinking AI tools should be credited — AI tools are tools, like an IDE or debugger. The human contributor receives credit.
  • Mass-submitting AI patches for credit — This is credit abuse. Quality over quantity.
  • Not attributing your organization — If your employer supports your AI-assisted contribution work, attribute them properly
  • Assuming more AI = less credit — The credit is for the contribution, not the effort. A well-reviewed AI-assisted patch deserves the same credit as a manually written one.

See Also