contributing-creator

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.