From 4baf5feea50616f542e43b5081ecd6e9639c0ce0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Jwahir Sundai <jwahir.sundai@temporal.io>
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2024 13:03:54 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] provide update to CONTRIBUTING.md

assuming no prior knowledge
---
 CONTRIBUTING.md | 78 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
 1 file changed, 73 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index fbec7b08da..1c71f2ab87 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -1,4 +1,75 @@
-# Contributing to Temporal documentation
+# Contribute to Temporal Documentation Locally 
+
+1. **Clone the Repository**  
+   Run the following commands in your terminal to clone the repository and navigate into it:
+   ```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/documentation.git
+   cd documentation
+   ```
+
+2. **Open the Repository in Your IDE**  
+   Open the project in your preferred IDE, such as Visual Studio Code. Locate the `/docs` directory, which contains all the content served on `docs.temporal.io`. Identify the changes you want to make.
+
+3. **Create a New Branch**  
+   If you're creating a pull request, create a new branch and switch to it:  
+   ```bash
+   git checkout -b my-documentation-contribution
+   ```
+
+4. **Follow the Style Guide**  
+   Refer to [STYLE.md](./STYLE.md) for the documentation style guidelines.
+
+5. **Preview Your Changes Locally**  
+   Run the following commands to preview the site locally:
+   ```bash
+   yarn            # Install site dependencies
+   yarn start      # Start the website on a local port
+   yarn build      # Check for build warnings or errors
+   ```
+
+6. **Stage Your Changes**  
+   Use the following commands to stage and commit your changes:
+   ```bash
+   git status                         # Check the status of your changes
+   git add <file-name>                # Stage files individually
+   git commit -m "Documentation Change"           # Commit your changes
+   git push origin my-documentation-contribution  # Push changes
+   ```
+
+7. **Create a Pull Request**  
+   - After pushing, GitHub provides a link in the terminal to create a PR. Open the link or navigate to your fork on GitHub.
+   - Click the option to create a Pull Request (PR).
+   - Provide a descriptive PR title and explanation.
+   - Submit the PR and wait for feedback.
+  
+# Contributing Through the GitHub UI
+
+For small changes like fixing typos, you can edit files directly on GitHub.
+
+1. **Open the Temporal Docs Repository**
+
+   Go to temporalio/documentation.
+
+2. **Find and Edit the File**
+
+   Navigate to the file, click its name, and use the pencil icon to make edits.
+
+3. **Commit Your Changes**
+
+   Add a brief commit message, create a new branch (e.g., fix-typo), and commit your changes.
+
+4. **Create a Pull Request (PR)**
+
+   Follow GitHub’s prompt to open a PR. Add a clear title and description.
+
+5. **Verify and Tag**
+
+   Verify your changes and tag as community-contribution. 
+
+6. **Wait for Feedback**
+
+    Once approved, your change goes live! 🎉
+
 
 Maintainers and contributors to this project are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful way. See the [CNCF Community Code of Conduct](https://github.com/cncf/foundation/blob/master/code-of-conduct.md) as a reference.
 
@@ -6,13 +77,10 @@ This repository and its contents are open-source; individual and commercial use
 
 [MIT License](./LICENSE.md)
 
-# Documentation content lives in `/docs`
-
-All of the content served up to `docs.temporal.io` lives in the `/docs` directory of this repository.
 
 # File a Github Issue
 
-If you aren't part of the `temporalio` organization, we respectfully request that you [file a Github issue](https://github.com/temporalio/documentation/issues) as part of your change request.
+If you aren't part of the `temporalio` organization, you may also [file a Github issue](https://github.com/temporalio/documentation/issues) as part of your change request.
 
 # Sign the CLA