> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.streamwizard.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Your first contribution

> Never forked a repo or opened a pull request? Start here. Forks, branches, and PRs in plain terms, plus the whole flow from zero.

New to this? Maybe you've never forked a repo or opened a pull request, and the
words alone feel intimidating. They sound scarier than they are. This page
explains the pieces in plain terms, then walks the whole flow from zero.

Stuck at any point? [Join the Discord](https://discord.gg/streamwizard) and ask.
No question is too basic.

## The three words you need to know

### Fork

A fork is your own copy of the StreamWizard repo, living under your GitHub
account. You can't edit the main project directly, and you wouldn't want to.
Instead you fork it, make your changes in your copy, then ask us to pull them in.
Your fork is your sandbox. Break whatever you want in there.

### Branch

A branch is a separate workspace for one change. Inside your fork you create a
branch, do your work, and leave the main line untouched. One branch per thing
you're working on. Fixing a typo and adding a feature? That's two branches. It
keeps each change clean and easy to review.

### Pull request (PR)

A pull request is you saying "here's what I changed, please merge it in." It's a
request to pull your branch into the StreamWizard project. We review it, maybe
leave some comments, and once it looks good, we merge it. That's the whole idea.
The name is more formal than the thing.

## The flow, start to finish

<Steps>
  <Step title="Fork the repo">
    On the [StreamWizard GitHub page](https://github.com/streamwizard/streamwizard),
    click **Fork**. You now have your own copy under your account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Clone it to your machine">
    Download your fork so you can work on it locally:

    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/streamwizard.git
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a branch">
    Make a branch for your change. Never work on `staging` or `main` directly:

    ```bash theme={null}
    git checkout -b fix/the-thing-you-are-fixing
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make your changes">
    Edit, test, repeat. Commit as you go so each step is saved:

    ```bash theme={null}
    git add .
    git commit -m "fix: describe what you changed"
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Push to your fork">
    Send your branch back up to your fork on GitHub:

    ```bash theme={null}
    git push origin fix/the-thing-you-are-fixing
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open a pull request">
    On GitHub, open a PR from your branch. Set the base branch to `staging` (more
    on that below). Describe what you changed, why it's needed, and how you
    tested it. Screenshots help for anything visual.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and merge">
    A maintainer reviews it and may leave comments. Push any requested changes to
    the same branch and the PR updates itself. Once it's approved, we merge it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

After that, your change rides the normal release train: `staging` first for
testing, then `production`, where real streamers see it.

## One rule that trips people up

<Warning>
  Always point your PR at the **staging** branch, never **main** or
  **production**. PRs against `main` won't be accepted. When you open a PR,
  GitHub picks a base branch for you, so double-check it says `staging` before
  you submit.
</Warning>

## Ready for the details?

This page is the map. The full
[CONTRIBUTING guide](https://github.com/streamwizard/streamwizard/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)
is the terrain: what to install, how to run the local database, branch naming,
commit prefixes, and the checks to run before you push.

Not sure what to work on? Look for issues tagged **good first issue** on
[GitHub](https://github.com/streamwizard/streamwizard/issues), or ask in
[Discord](https://discord.gg/streamwizard) what needs doing.