# Contributing to Marmot

Thanks for your interest in contributing to Marmot! We welcome contributions of all kinds - from bug fixes and documentation improvements to new features and plugins.

## Getting Started

Before contributing, please:

1. **Set up your development environment** - Follow the [local development guide](https://marmotdata.io/docs/Develop/local-development) to get Marmot running locally
2. **Read the documentation** - Familiarise yourself with how Marmot works at [marmotdata.io/docs](https://marmotdata.io/docs)
3. **Check existing issues** - Browse [open issues](https://github.com/marmotdata/marmot/issues) to see what needs work

## Ways to Contribute

### Reporting Bugs

Found a bug? Help us fix it by:

1. Checking if the issue already exists in [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/marmotdata/marmot/issues)
2. If not, create a new issue with:
   - A clear, descriptive title
   - Steps to reproduce the bug
   - Expected vs actual behaviour
   - Your environment
   - Screenshots if applicable

### Suggesting Features

Have an idea for a new feature?

1. Check existing [feature requests](https://github.com/marmotdata/marmot/issues?q=is%3Aissue+label%3Aenhancement)
2. Open a new issue with:
   - A clear description of the feature
   - The problem it solves

### Contributing Code

#### Before You Start

- Check if there's an existing issue for what you want to work on
- If not, create one to discuss your approach
- Wait for feedback before investing significant time
- Fork the repository and set up your [development environment](https://marmotdata.io/docs/Develop/local-development)

### Building Plugins

Want to add support for a new data source? Check out the [plugin development guide](https://marmotdata.io/docs/Develop/creating-plugins) to learn how to build custom plugins.

### Improving Documentation

Documentation improvements are always welcome! You can:

- Fix typos or unclear explanations
- Add examples and use cases
- Improve API documentation
- Create tutorials or guides

Documentation lives in the `web/docs` directory.

## Code Review

All submissions require review. We aim to:

- Respond to pull requests within 48 hours
- Provide constructive, helpful feedback
- Work with you to get your contribution merged

## Questions?

- Ask in [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/marmotdata/marmot/discussions)
- Check the [documentation](https://marmotdata.io/docs)
- Open an issue if you're stuck

## License

By contributing to Marmot, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE).
