GSoC 2026 Timeline
Stay on track with all important dates and deadlines for Google Summer of Code 2026. All times are in UTC.For the official GSoC timeline, visit the GSoC website. Dates listed here are based on the standard GSoC schedule.
Complete Timeline
| Date | Milestone | Description |
|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2026 | Organizations Announced | Google announces accepted organizations including ProjectDiscovery |
| February 19 - March 15 | Pre-Application Period | Join Discord, explore tools, make contributions, discuss ideas |
| March 16, 2026 | Applications Open | Contributor application period begins |
| March 31, 18:00 UTC | ⚠️ Application Deadline | Final deadline for proposal submissions |
| April - April 21 | Review Period | Mentors review and score proposals |
| April 30, 18:00 UTC | Contributors Announced | Accepted contributors announced on GSoC website |
| May 1-24, 2026 | Community Bonding | Get to know mentors, finalize project plans, setup environment |
| May 25, 2026 | Coding Begins | Official start of coding period |
| July 6-10, 2026 | Midterm Evaluation | Progress assessment (Deadline: July 10, 18:00 UTC) |
| August 17-24, 2026 | Final Submission | Contributors submit final work (Deadline: August 24, 18:00 UTC) |
| August 24-31, 2026 | Final Evaluation | Mentors complete evaluations (Deadline: August 31, 18:00 UTC) |
| August 24 - November 2 | Extended Timeline | Extended timeline projects continue |
| November 2, 18:00 UTC | Extended Projects Deadline | Final submission for extended projects |
Key Deadlines
Application Deadline
March 31, 2026 at 18:00 UTC This is a hard deadline. Late submissions are not accepted. Submit early to avoid last-minute technical issues.Midterm Evaluation
July 10, 2026 at 18:00 UTC Mentors evaluate your progress at the midpoint. You must demonstrate meaningful progress (typically 40-50% of project completion) to pass.Final Evaluation
August 31, 2026 at 18:00 UTC Final assessment of your completed project. Must meet all core deliverables to pass.Phase Breakdown
Pre-Application Phase (Feb 19 - March 15)
Your Goals:- Join the ProjectDiscovery Discord community
- Explore our tools and documentation
- Make initial contributions to build familiarity
- Identify projects that interest you
- Discuss ideas with mentors
- Install and try 2-3 ProjectDiscovery tools
- Fix “good first issues” on GitHub
- Participate in Discord discussions
- Ask questions and learn about the codebase
- Start drafting your proposal
Application Phase (March 16 - March 31)
Your Goals:- Finalize your proposal
- Get feedback from mentors
- Submit via GSoC website
- Continue making contributions
- March 16: Applications open - submit your first draft
- March 18-28: Get feedback and iterate on your proposal
- March 29-30: Final review and polish
- March 31: Submit final version (don’t wait until the last hour!)
Selection Phase (April - April 30)
What Happens:- Mentors review all proposals using evaluation criteria
- Proposals are scored and ranked
- Project teams discuss and select top candidates
- Google allocates slots to organizations
- Final selections are made
- Wait patiently (we know it’s hard!)
- Continue contributing to ProjectDiscovery
- Be available for any follow-up questions
- Check your email and GSoC dashboard regularly
Community Bonding (May 1-24)
Your Goals:- Get to know your mentors
- Finalize project implementation plan
- Set up development environment
- Establish communication routines
- Start familiarizing with code
- Welcome meeting with mentors
- Detailed project planning
- Setup development tools and access
- Read relevant code and documentation
- Create detailed week-by-week schedule
- Establish check-in routine (Discord, meetings)
This period is not for coding the main project. Use it to prepare so you can hit the ground running on May 25.
Coding Period (May 25 - August 24)
Your Goals:- Implement your project according to the timeline
- Communicate regularly with mentors
- Submit quality code with tests
- Document your work
- Pass midterm and final evaluations
- Work 12-15 hours/week (175h projects) or 25-30 hours/week (350h projects)
- At least 2 check-ins with mentors per week
- Regular commits and pull requests
- Progress updates in Discord
- Respond to code review feedback
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Core foundation, basic implementation |
| 3-5 | Main feature development |
| 6-7 | Midterm: 40-50% complete |
| 8-10 | Complete remaining features |
| 11-12 | Testing, documentation, polish |
| 13 | Final evaluation |
Midterm Evaluation (July 6-10)
What’s Evaluated:- Progress on project milestones
- Code quality and testing
- Communication with mentors
- Adherence to timeline
- Problem-solving approach
- Complete 40-50% of project goals
- Demonstrate consistent communication
- Show problem-solving ability
- Have working code (even if incomplete)
Final Evaluation (August 24-31)
What’s Evaluated:- Completion of project deliverables
- Code quality, tests, and documentation
- Overall contribution quality
- Communication throughout program
- Integration with existing codebase
- Complete all core deliverables
- Comprehensive testing
- Full documentation
- Clean, maintainable code
- Responsive to feedback
Post-GSoC (September onwards)
After the program:- Receive certificate and recognition from Google
- Continue contributing to ProjectDiscovery
- Maintain and improve your project
- Help future contributors
- Join our community as a mentor
Recommended Applicant Timeline
For best results, follow this personal timeline:6-8 Weeks Before Deadline
- ✅ Join Discord and introduce yourself
- ✅ Install and try ProjectDiscovery tools
- ✅ Read tool documentation
- ✅ Make first contribution (documentation or small bug fix)
4-6 Weeks Before Deadline
- ✅ Make 2-3 more meaningful contributions
- ✅ Discuss project ideas with mentors on Discord
- ✅ Start drafting proposal outline
- ✅ Deep dive into relevant codebase
3-4 Weeks Before Deadline
- ✅ Complete draft proposal
- ✅ Share draft with mentors for feedback
- ✅ Continue making contributions
- ✅ Refine understanding of project scope
2-3 Weeks Before Deadline
- ✅ Incorporate mentor feedback
- ✅ Finalize technical approach
- ✅ Polish proposal formatting
- ✅ Add specific implementation details
1 Week Before Deadline
- ✅ Final review and proofreading
- ✅ Submit proposal early
- ✅ Double-check all requirements
- ✅ Confirm submission was successful
Communication Expectations
During Application Period
- Response time from mentors: 24-48 hours
- Best channel: Discord #gsoc channel
- Mentor availability: Most active during UTC business hours
During Coding Period
- Check-ins: Minimum 2x per week
- Response time: 24 hours for blocking issues
- Weekly progress updates expected
- Immediate notification of any delays
Time Zone Considerations
Example: March 31, 18:00 UTC- US Pacific (PST/PDT): 10:00 AM / 11:00 AM
- US Eastern (EST/EDT): 1:00 PM / 2:00 PM
- India (IST): 11:30 PM
- Europe (CET/CEST): 7:00 PM / 8:00 PM
Questions About Timeline?
- Check our FAQ
- Ask in Discord #gsoc channel
- Review official GSoC timeline