| name | contributing-creator |
| description | Use when creating, updating, or reviewing `CONTRIBUTING.md` files. Use when
documenting setup, build, test, lint, and pull request workflows for human
contributors.
|
| license | CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0 |
| metadata | {"copyright":"Caleb Cushing"} |
Contributing Creator
Guidance for creating and maintaining CONTRIBUTING.md files.
Overview
CONTRIBUTING.md is for human contributors. It documents how to set up a
development environment, run checks, and submit changes.
What Belongs in CONTRIBUTING.md
- Development environment setup commands
- How to build, test, and lint
- Conventional commit and branch workflow
- Pull request expectations
- Community or governance notes for humans
What Does NOT Belong in CONTRIBUTING.md
- Agent-specific instructions →
AGENTS.md
- End-user installation and usage →
README.md
- High-churn command output or screenshots
Template
A minimal CONTRIBUTING.md:
<!--
SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright © 2026 Author Name
SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
-->
# Contributing
## Setup
```bash
<install-command>
```
## Build, Test, and Lint
```bash
<build-command>
<test-command>
<lint-command>
```
## Pull Requests
- Follow the project's commit conventions.
- Update related documentation in the same change.
## License
By contributing, you agree to license your work under the project's license.
Replace placeholders with commands from the project's actual tooling.
Tool-Specific Examples
See references/examples.md for concrete command examples for Yarn, Gradle,
Maven, and Python projects.
Format
- Keep it concise and task-oriented
- Use code blocks for commands
- Link to
README.md and AGENTS.md for related guidance
- Include SPDX copyright and license identifiers
Maintenance Rule
If you modify contributor-facing workflows, tools, or commands, update
CONTRIBUTING.md in the same change. Do not let contributor instructions drift
out of sync with the project.
