Where to Find the Contributing Guide for OpenAI Skills
The contributing guide for OpenAI Skills is located in the top-level contributing.md file in the openai/skills repository, which outlines community values, security reporting procedures, and the pull request workflow.
The openai/skills repository hosts the Agent Skills ecosystem for OpenAI's Codex and related tools. If you want to add new capabilities or improve existing ones, you'll need to follow the project's contribution standards defined in the official contributing guide.
Location of the Contributing Guide
The primary contributing guide for OpenAI Skills resides at the repository root in contributing.md. This file serves as the central reference for all contribution-related policies, including the code of conduct, security disclosure requirements, and technical submission guidelines. You can view the complete document directly in the repository at openai/skills/blob/main/contributing.md.
What the Contributing Guide Covers
The contributing.md file establishes three core pillars for community participation: behavioral expectations, security protocols, and development workflow.
Community Values and Code of Conduct
According to the source code analysis, the guide emphasizes open-source etiquette grounded in the Contributor Covenant. Contributors are expected to be kind and inclusive, assume good intent in all interactions, and embrace a teach and learn mentality when engaging with maintainers and other community members.
Security Disclosure Process
For vulnerabilities or responsible AI concerns, the guide mandates private disclosure rather than public issues. The specified contact is [email protected]. The protocol requires emailing this address with a subject line prefixed by [Security] followed by a brief description. No public GitHub issues should be created for security matters.
How to Contribute to OpenAI Skills
The technical workflow follows standard GitHub practices with repository-specific conventions for skill organization.
The typical contribution workflow involves:
- Fork the repository on GitHub.
- Clone your fork locally:
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/skills.git
cd skills
- Create a new branch for your changes:
git checkout -b my-feature
- Make your changes following the project structure.
- Stage and commit:
git add .
git commit -m "Add new experimental skill: my-skill"
- Push to your fork and open a pull request against
openai/skills.
Adding Experimental Skills
New capabilities should typically be added to the skills/.experimental/ directory. This location houses skills that are still in testing phases before potential promotion to the curated collection. The guide indicates that system-installed skills reside in skills/.system/ and production-ready curated skills live in skills/.curated/, so contributors should place new submissions appropriately based on maturity level.
Summary
- The contributing guide for OpenAI Skills is located in
contributing.mdat the repository root. - The guide enforces the Contributor Covenant with emphasis on kindness, good intent, and teaching.
- Security issues must be reported privately to
[email protected]with[Security]in the subject line. - Contributions follow standard GitHub fork-and-branch workflow.
- New experimental skills belong in
skills/.experimental/while curated and system skills have dedicated directories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the contributing guide file in the OpenAI Skills repository?
The contributing guide is located at the top level of the repository in the file named contributing.md. You can access it directly via the GitHub web interface at github.com/openai/skills/blob/main/contributing.md.
What email address should I use to report security vulnerabilities in OpenAI Skills?
For security vulnerabilities or responsible AI concerns, email [email protected] with [Security] in the subject line. The contributing guide explicitly prohibits opening public GitHub issues for security matters.
Which directory should I use when submitting a new experimental skill?
Place new experimental skills in the skills/.experimental/ directory. This folder contains skills that are still in testing phases, distinct from production-ready skills in skills/.curated/ and system skills in skills/.system/.
Does the OpenAI Skills repository follow a specific code of conduct?
Yes, the repository adheres to the Contributor Covenant code of conduct. The contributing guide emphasizes being kind and inclusive, assuming good intent, and maintaining a teach-and-learn mentality in all community interactions.
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