Contributing to Rowboat
Rowboat is open-source and we welcome contributions of all kinds — bug reports, feature ideas, code, and docs improvements.
Quick links:
Ways to Contribute
Report bugs or suggest improvements — If something feels off or could be better, open an issue. Include steps to reproduce for bugs, or a clear description of the improvement you have in mind.
Fix an existing issue — Browse open issues and comment on one to let us know you’re working on it.
Propose a new feature or integration — Open an issue first so we can discuss the approach before you invest time building it.
Improve documentation — Typos, unclear explanations, missing examples — all fair game.
Contribution Workflow
- Fork rowboatlabs/rowboat and clone it locally.
- Create a branch from
dev with a descriptive name (fix-tool-crash, feature-mcp-discovery).
- Make your changes. Keep PRs focused on a single issue or feature.
- Test your changes locally before submitting.
- Open a pull request against
dev (not main) with a clear description of what you changed and why. Screenshots or short demos are appreciated for UI changes.
- Respond to feedback — maintainers may request changes. This is normal and collaborative.
- Merge! Once approved, we’ll merge your PR.
For small fixes like typos or formatting, try bundling related changes into a single PR rather than submitting them individually.
Guidelines
- One PR, one concern. Don’t mix unrelated changes in the same pull request.
- Write clear commit messages. A reviewer should understand what changed from the message alone.
- Follow existing code style. Match the patterns you see in the codebase.
- Be patient and respectful. We review PRs as quickly as we can. A polite ping on Discord is always welcome if things go quiet.
Getting Help
If you’re stuck or unsure about anything, drop a message in our Discord. We’re happy to help you get unblocked.