Equicord/CONTRIBUTING.md

# Introduction

Equicord is a community project and welcomes any kind of contribution from anyone!

We have development documentation for new contributors, which can be found at <https://docs.equicord.org>.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> All contributions must follow our [Code of Conduct](./CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).

## How to contribute

Contributions are submitted through pull requests. If you are new to Git or GitHub, we recommend reading [this guide](https://opensource.com/article/19/7/create-pull-request-github).

Pull requests can target either the `main` or `dev` branch.  
Unless you are experienced and know what you are doing, **always target `main`**. The `dev` branch may contain unstable changes and can be force-pushed frequently, which may break your pull request.

## Writing a Plugin

Developing a plugin is the primary way to contribute.

Before starting your plugin:

- Join our Discord server.
- Check existing pull requests to avoid duplicate work.
- Check the [plugin requests tracker](https://discord.com/channels/1173279886065029291/1419347113745059961) to see if your idea already exists or was rejected.
- If no request exists, open one and clearly state that you want to work on it yourself.
- Wait for feedback before starting development, as some ideas may not be accepted or may need adjustments.
- Familiarize yourself with the plugin rules below.

> [!WARNING]
> Skipping these steps may result in your plugin being rejected, even if it is technically correct.

## Plugin Rules

To keep Equicord stable, secure and maintainable, all plugins must follow these rules:
1. No simple slash-command plugins (e.g. `/cat`). If applicable, create a [user-installable Discord app](https://discord.com/developers/docs/change-log#userinstallable-apps-preview) instead.
2. No simple text replacement plugins (the built-in TextReplace plugin already covers this).
3. No raw DOM manipulation — always use proper patches and React.
4. No FakeDeafen or FakeMute functionality.
5. No StereoMic-related plugins.
6. No plugins that only hide or redesign UI elements (use CSS for that). This rule may be negotiable.
7. No plugins that interact with specific third-party Discord bots (official Discord apps are allowed).
8. No selfbots or API abuse (auto-replies, animated statuses, message pruning, Nitro snipers, etc.).
9. No untrusted third-party APIs (well-known services like Google or GitHub are acceptable).
10. No plugins that require users to provide their own API keys.
11. Do not introduce new dependencies unless they are strictly necessary and well justified.

**Plugins that violate any of these rules will not be accepted.**

## Improving Equicord Itself

If you want to improve Equicord beyond plugins, such as internal features or performance improvements, you are welcome to open a feature request so it can be discussed.

Bug fixes, refactors, and documentation improvements are also highly appreciated!

## Helping the Community

We have an open support channel in our [Discord community](https://equicord.org/discord).
Helping out users there is always appreciated! The more, the merrier.