Contributing a part to the Common Parts Index
The Common Parts Index is a public catalog of spare part models — reviewed, structured, and maintained to help people repair the objects they own. Anyone can contribute. Parts published on Common Parts for the first time are hosted here; parts already published elsewhere are referenced, with a link to the original platform. This guide explains what we accept, how to submit, and what happens after.
What we accept
A part is eligible for the Index if it meets the following conditions.
It contributes to repairability.
The part must serve a functional purpose in keeping an object in use — whether it replaces a broken component, reinforces a known weak point, or improves a design flaw that causes recurring failures. Purely decorative or cosmetic parts are not eligible. Aftermarket upgrades that genuinely improve longevity are welcome.
It targets a real, identifiable product.
The part must be associated with at least one commercial product — a known brand and a specific model or product range. Generic parts with no defined product target are not eligible for now. A part can be compatible with multiple products.
It has a known license and identifiable author.
The original model must be published under a known license and attributed to an identifiable author — a name or pseudonym with a link to the original publication. Anonymous republications without a traceable source are not accepted.
For hosted parts — parts published on Common Parts for the first time, whose files are stored and served directly by Common Parts — the license must be open: CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA, MIT, or GPL. If you are the original author and the model has no license, you can declare one at submission.
For referenced parts — parts already published elsewhere, whose files stay on the original platform and which we link to — the Creative Commons licenses are accepted, including NC and ND, as are the other licenses listed by the platform. Licenses that forbid sharing the model, including proprietary licenses, are not accepted.
The file is usable.
We accept STL, OBJ, STP, and STEP formats. The file must be openable and geometrically sound — not corrupted, not arbitrarily scaled. For referenced parts, the file must be accessible at the source URL at the time of submission.
What we do not accept
- Decorative or cosmetic parts with no repair function
- Repair tools (a tool that helps you repair something is not a spare part)
- Parts with no identifiable product target
- Models whose license forbids sharing them, including proprietary licenses
- Models under CC NC or CC ND licenses hosted directly on Common Parts — these licenses are incompatible with file redistribution. A part under these licenses that is already published elsewhere may still be added as a referenced part.
- Files that cannot be opened or are manifestly broken
- Verbatim republications of an already-indexed model from the same source with no added value
Multiple versions of the same part for the same product are welcome — different materials, different print settings, alternative designs. Variety is useful.
Verification status
Every part in the Index carries a verification status reflecting the level of evidence available. The status is set by the registry as evidence accumulates — it is not something a contributor declares. Newly uploaded parts start unverified.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Unverified | The file exists and meets our criteria, but no print confirmation is available yet |
| Author-tested | The original author confirmed the part was printed and fits |
| Community-validated | One or more independent users confirmed a successful print and fit |
How to submit
One question decides how a part is published: where does it come from? Not who designed it — where it is already available. A part you designed but published on your own site or repository comes from elsewhere, and you are still credited as its original author.
If you designed it and are publishing it here for the first time
This is what Publish a part is for: your own design, with the files hosted here and kept downloadable. Your progress is saved at every step, so you can stop and come back.
- Name the part, place it in a category, and choose the license you publish under
- Upload the model files and photos of the printed part
- Add the description, instructions and print settings
- Link the products it fits — a spare part is found by the device it repairs
- Review the page as it will appear, then publish
Because Common Parts hosts and redistributes the files, the license must allow commercial use and modification. Licenses with NC or ND restrictions cannot be published this way — see below.
A part published this way carries the Original badge.
If it is already published elsewhere
Parts from Printables, Thingiverse, GitHub or anywhere else follow a second path, so that attribution to the original author and the terms of their license are handled properly. A part published elsewhere is always referenced: its files stay at the original publication and Common Parts links to them, under any of the licenses accepted for referenced parts. The part carries the Referenced badge.
Start from the same place, with the URL where the part is published. Common Parts checks it against what is already indexed, fills in what it can from the source, and asks you to confirm the attribution and the license before anything goes live.
After submission
A part goes live as soon as it clears the publication checks: a license Common Parts may publish it under, the files it needs, and at least one product it fits. A part from elsewhere additionally requires its attribution and eligibility to be confirmed. If something is missing, the review step names it and the part stays a draft until you complete it — the checks run again on our servers, so nothing skips them.
We do not modify your model or its metadata without contacting you. Attribution is permanent and public.
Questions
If you are unsure whether a part qualifies, or if you want to contribute in bulk (for example, as a Repair Café importing a set of validated models), contact us at contact@commonparts.org.