What is the name of the first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants?

The first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants is “Help Wanted.”

“Help Wanted” is the series premiere and pilot episode. It follows SpongeBob as he applies for a fry-cook job at the Krusty Krab, despite Mr. Krabs and Squidward believing that he cannot handle the work. SpongeBob is sent to find a rare mechanical spatula, but he returns with an enormous army of spatulas and proves himself.

The episode first aired in the United States on May 1, 1999, alongside “Reef Blower” and “Tea at the Treedome.” Together, those three segments formed the program’s initial televised premiere package. An earlier version was screened in Austin, Texas, in April 1998.

A common source of confusion is the show’s official debut date. Nickelodeon later promoted July 17, 1999, as the series’ formal launch, but “Help Wanted” had already been broadcast as a sneak preview. It is therefore the canonical answer when asking for the first episode.