What is the type of issue?
What is the issue?
The PR template at .github/pull_request_template.md and the contributing guide at docs/contributing.md form a circular reference that leaves invited contributors with no actionable structure:
-
The PR template redirects to the contributing guide. It says:
"Before opening this Pull Request, please read the dedicated 'Contributing' markdown file or your PR may be closed"
-
The contributing guide redirects back to the PR template. It says:
"Fill in the PR template (or include similar information) - What? Why? How?"
-
Neither document links to the other. The contributing guide does not link to (or even name) .github/pull_request_template.md. The PR template links to contributing.md via a raw GitHub URL (not a relative path), but contributing.md never returns the link.
-
The "What? Why? How?" structure doesn't exist in the template. When GitHub auto-populates the PR body from the template, contributors get placeholder text — no headings, no sections, no "What? Why? How?" prompts. The contributing guide promises a structure the template doesn't deliver.
This means an invited contributor who follows the instructions lands in a loop: "read contributing.md" → "fill in the PR template" → "read contributing.md" → … and never finds the "What? Why? How?" sections they were told to fill in.
Where did you find it?
Suggested fix
Either:
- Option A: Update
.github/pull_request_template.md to include explicit What? Why? How? sections (matching what contributing.md already tells contributors to use), and add a direct link from contributing.md to the template file.
- Option B: Update
contributing.md to link directly to the template and align its wording with whatever structure the template actually uses.
In either case, at least one of these two documents should link to the other so the loop becomes a path.
Why this matters
Invited contributors are the exact people the team has specifically asked to submit code. They are following contributing.md in good faith and are told to fill in a specific structure ("What? Why? How?") that doesn't exist in the template GitHub auto-populates when they open a PR. This creates unnecessary friction for the most valuable contributions.
What is the type of issue?
What is the issue?
The PR template at
.github/pull_request_template.mdand the contributing guide atdocs/contributing.mdform a circular reference that leaves invited contributors with no actionable structure:The PR template redirects to the contributing guide. It says:
The contributing guide redirects back to the PR template. It says:
Neither document links to the other. The contributing guide does not link to (or even name)
.github/pull_request_template.md. The PR template links tocontributing.mdvia a raw GitHub URL (not a relative path), butcontributing.mdnever returns the link.The "What? Why? How?" structure doesn't exist in the template. When GitHub auto-populates the PR body from the template, contributors get placeholder text — no headings, no sections, no "What? Why? How?" prompts. The contributing guide promises a structure the template doesn't deliver.
This means an invited contributor who follows the instructions lands in a loop: "read contributing.md" → "fill in the PR template" → "read contributing.md" → … and never finds the "What? Why? How?" sections they were told to fill in.
Where did you find it?
Suggested fix
Either:
.github/pull_request_template.mdto include explicit What? Why? How? sections (matching whatcontributing.mdalready tells contributors to use), and add a direct link fromcontributing.mdto the template file.contributing.mdto link directly to the template and align its wording with whatever structure the template actually uses.In either case, at least one of these two documents should link to the other so the loop becomes a path.
Why this matters
Invited contributors are the exact people the team has specifically asked to submit code. They are following
contributing.mdin good faith and are told to fill in a specific structure ("What? Why? How?") that doesn't exist in the template GitHub auto-populates when they open a PR. This creates unnecessary friction for the most valuable contributions.