Contributing guidelines (#901)

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -31,6 +31,52 @@ All submissions, including submissions by project members, require review. We
 use [GitHub pull requests](https://docs.github.com/articles/about-pull-requests)
 for this purpose.
 
+### Pull Request Guidelines
+
+To help us review and merge your PRs quickly, please follow these guidelines. PRs that do not meet these standards may be closed.
+
+#### 1. Link to an Existing Issue
+
+All PRs should be linked to an existing issue in our tracker. This ensures that every change has been discussed and is aligned with the project's goals before any code is written.
+
+- **For bug fixes:** The PR should be linked to the bug report issue.
+- **For features:** The PR should be linked to the feature request or proposal issue that has been approved by a maintainer.
+
+If an issue for your change doesn't exist, please **open one first** and wait for feedback before you start coding.
+
+#### 2. Keep It Small and Focused
+
+We favor small, atomic PRs that address a single issue or add a single, self-contained feature.
+
+- **Do:** Create a PR that fixes one specific bug or adds one specific feature.
+- **Don't:** Bundle multiple unrelated changes (e.g., a bug fix, a new feature, and a refactor) into a single PR.
+
+Large changes should be broken down into a series of smaller, logical PRs that can be reviewed and merged independently.
+
+#### 3. Use Draft PRs for Work in Progress
+
+If you'd like to get early feedback on your work, please use GitHub's **Draft Pull Request** feature. This signals to the maintainers that the PR is not yet ready for a formal review but is open for discussion and initial feedback.
+
+#### 4. Ensure All Checks Pass
+
+Before submitting your PR (and before marking a draft as "Ready for Review"), please ensure that all automated checks are passing. This includes:
+
+- **Tests:** All existing tests must pass, and new code should be accompanied by new tests. Run `npm run test`.
+- **Linting and Style:** Your code must adhere to our project's style guidelines. Run `npm run preflight` to check everything.
+
+#### 5. Update Documentation
+
+If your PR introduces a user-facing change (e.g., a new command, a modified flag, or a change in behavior), you must also update the relevant documentation in the `/docs` directory.
+
+#### 6. Write Clear Commit Messages and a Good PR Description
+
+Your PR should have a clear, descriptive title and a detailed description of the changes. Follow the [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/) standard for your commit messages.
+
+- **Good PR Title:** `feat(cli): Add --json flag to 'config get' command`
+- **Bad PR Title:** `Made some changes`
+
+In the PR description, explain the "why" behind your changes and link to the relevant issue (e.g., `Fixes #123`).
+
 ## Development Setup and Workflow
 
 This section guides contributors on how to build, modify, and understand the development setup of this project.