Contributing

June 18, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

Thank you for your interest in contributing! This document outlines the process and guidelines for contributing to this project.

Getting Started

  • Fork the repository
  • Read the project README and any additional documentation files for guidance on setting up the project locally
  • Create a feature branch off the default branch with a descriptive name

Opening a Pull Request

  • Ensure your PR title is descriptive and summarizes the change

  • Include a clear description of what the PR does and why the change is needed

  • If your work is based on or co-authored with another contributor, credit them using the git co-author trailer format:

    Co-authored-by: Name <email@example.com>

    This trailer should be added to the commit message itself, not the PR description

Commit Messages

Write clear, descriptive commit messages that follow these guidelines:

  • Use the imperative mood in the subject line (e.g., "Add feature" instead of "Added feature")
  • Keep the subject line to 72 characters or less
  • Separate the subject from the body with a blank line
  • In the commit body, explain what changed and why it changed (not how)
  • Reference relevant issues or discussions when applicable

Example:

Fix authentication flow for token refresh

The previous implementation did not properly handle token expiration
during long-running operations. This change ensures tokens are
refreshed transparently without interrupting the user workflow.

Fixes #123

Signing Commits

All commits must be signed with a GPG or SSH key to verify your identity and ensure commit integrity.

To enable signing for all commits on your machine:

git config --global commit.gpgSign true

For detailed setup instructions, refer to the git-commit signing documentation.

AI-Assisted Commit Messages

If you use an AI agent or tool to generate or refine your commit message, the following rules apply:

  1. Author responsibility: You must read, understand, and edit the AI-generated message before committing. The final commit message is your responsibility, and you must ensure it accurately describes your changes.

  2. Disclose the tool: Add a Co-authored-by: trailer to the commit to credit the AI tool used. Example:

    Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

    This makes it transparent to the project maintainers and other contributors that AI assistance was used in crafting the message.

Optional: Conventional Commits

This project does not require a specific commit message format by default. However, if you prefer structured commit messages with standardized prefixes, you may optionally adopt the Conventional Commits specification. Under this convention, commits are prefixed with types such as feat:, fix:, docs:, refactor:, etc. Using Conventional Commits can make it easier to generate changelogs and track semantic versioning.

Code Review

All contributions go through code review. Be prepared to:

  • Respond to feedback promptly
  • Make requested changes in new commits (avoid force-pushing unless asked)
  • Discuss design decisions and tradeoffs openly

Thank you for contributing!