docs: add CONTRIBUTING.md

Closes #452 Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <[email protected]>
narenkatakam · Mar 3, 2026 · Mar 3, 2026 · 7972c70515923fdfdfd6df5f7b52e68658ad2ef2
commit 7972c70515923fdfdfd6df5f7b52e68658ad2ef2
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# Contributing to Skills
+
+Thanks for your interest in contributing to the Skills repository. This document covers how to contribute and what to expect.
+
+## What This Repo Is
+
+This repository contains Anthropic's official skills for Claude — both open-source examples (Apache 2.0) and source-available document skills. It is primarily maintained by Anthropic. Community contributions are welcome, particularly:
+
+- **Bug fixes** to existing skills or scripts
+- **Documentation improvements** (typos, clarifications, broken links)
+- **Improvements to existing skills** (better instructions, edge case handling)
+- **New skill submissions** (higher bar — see below)
+
+## Before You Start
+
+1. **Search existing skills and open PRs.** Check that your idea doesn't duplicate an existing skill or overlap with an open pull request.
+2. **Open an issue first** for new skill submissions or significant changes. Describe what the skill does and why it belongs in this repo. Small fixes (typos, broken links) can go straight to a PR.
+3. **Read the [skill-creator](./skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md)** for guidance on skill structure, writing patterns, and the progressive disclosure model.
+
+## Skill Structure
+
+Every skill follows this structure (from the [skill-creator](./skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md#anatomy-of-a-skill)):
+
+```
+skill-name/
+├── SKILL.md (required)
+│   ├── YAML frontmatter (name, description)
+│   └── Markdown instructions
+└── Bundled Resources (optional)
+    ├── scripts/
+    ├── references/
+    └── assets/
+```
+
+The frontmatter requires two fields:
+
+- `name` — lowercase, hyphens for spaces
+- `description` — what the skill does and when Claude should use it
+
+For more detail, see the [template](./template/SKILL.md) and the [Agent Skills specification](https://agentskills.io/specification).
+
+## Recommended Practices
+
+These patterns are drawn from the existing skills in this repo:
+
+- **One skill per pull request.** Keep PRs focused on a single change.
+- **Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines.** Use bundled reference files for additional content.
+- **Self-contained.** Each skill lives in its own folder under `skills/`. No cross-skill dependencies.
+- **No malware, exploit code, or misleading content.** A skill's contents should not surprise the user in their intent if described (see [Principle of Lack of Surprise](./skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md)).
+- **Test your skill** before submitting. Run it against a few realistic prompts and verify it produces useful results.
+
+## Submitting a Pull Request
+
+1. Fork the repository and create a branch with a descriptive name.
+2. Add your skill under `skills/your-skill-name/`.
+3. Write a clear PR title and description explaining what the skill does and why.
+4. Submit against `main`.
+
+Review timelines vary based on maintainer availability. If your PR hasn't received feedback after a few weeks, a polite follow-up comment is welcome.
+
+## Resources
+
+- [What are skills?](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12512176-what-are-skills)
+- [Creating custom skills](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12512198-creating-custom-skills)
+- [Agent Skills specification](https://agentskills.io/specification)
+- [Skill template](./template/SKILL.md)
+- [Skill creator](./skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md)