Contributing to Kemal

August 2, 2026 · View on GitHub

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Kemal! We love pull requests from everyone.

Getting Started

  1. Fork the repository on GitHub.
  2. Clone your fork locally: 
    git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/kemal.git
cd kemal
  3. Install dependencies: 
    shards install

Running Tests

Before submitting a pull request, please ensure that all tests pass.

crystal spec

Code Style

Kemal follows the standard Crystal code style. Please ensure your code is formatted correctly before committing.

crystal tool format

Quality Checks (Before Opening PR)

Please run formatting, lint, and tests in this order:

crystal tool format
bin/ameba
crystal spec

Optional one-liner:

crystal tool format && bin/ameba && crystal spec

Submitting a Pull Request

  1. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix: 
    git checkout -b my-new-feature
  2. Commit your changes with descriptive commit messages.
  3. Push your branch to your fork: 
    git push origin my-new-feature
  4. Open a Pull Request on the main Kemal repository.
  5. Describe your changes and link to any relevant issues.

Pull Request Checklist

  • Code is formatted with crystal tool format
  • Lint checks pass (bin/ameba)
  • Specs pass (crystal spec)
  • New behavior is covered by specs
  • Changelog is updated when needed

Reporting Bugs

If you find a bug, please open an issue on GitHub with:

  • A clear title and description.
  • Steps to reproduce the issue.
  • The version of Kemal and Crystal you are using.

Reporting Security Vulnerabilities

Please do not open a public GitHub issue for security vulnerabilities. See our Security Policy for how to report them privately.

Feature Requests

We welcome new ideas! Please open an issue to discuss your feature request before implementing it.

Thank you for contributing to Kemal! 🚀