From 38e3e8ef9fe8dcac522cf0615cfccac53247344b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: mohithhhh <143943640+mohithhhh@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2026 17:59:33 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] docs: add CONTRIBUTING.md with local setup guide

Closes #66

Adds a CONTRIBUTING.md with local development setup instructions, including a fix for the mint.json vs docs.json CLI mismatch that new contributors are likely hitting.
---
 CONTRIBUTING.md | 50 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 50 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 CONTRIBUTING.md

diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e23bdcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# Contributing to Traceloop Docs
+
+Thanks for considering a contribution! This guide covers everything you need to get the docs running locally.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) (v18 or later recommended)
+- npm (comes with Node.js)
+- Git
+
+## Setup
+
+1. **Fork and clone the repo**
+
+```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/docs.git
+   cd docs
+```
+
+2. **Install Mintlify CLI and run the dev server**
+
+   This repo is powered by [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com). No separate install step is needed — just run:
+
+```bash
+   npx mintlify@latest dev
+```
+
+   This starts a local preview server, typically at `http://localhost:3000`.
+
+3. **Preview your changes**
+
+   Edit any `.mdx` file and the preview will hot-reload automatically.
+
+## Adding a New Page
+
+If you create a new documentation page, you **must** register it in `mint.json`, or it won't appear in the site navigation. Find the relevant section in `mint.json` and add your new page's path to the appropriate group.
+
+## Submitting Changes
+
+1. Create a branch: `git checkout -b docs/your-change-name`
+2. Make your changes and verify them locally with `npx mintlify@latest dev`
+3. Commit: `git commit -m "docs: describe your change"`
+4. Push to your fork: `git push origin docs/your-change-name`
+5. Open a pull request against `traceloop/docs` main branch
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+- **Command not found / npx fails**: Ensure Node.js is installed and up to date (`node -v`).
+- **Page not showing up**: Double check it's registered in `mint.json`.
+- **Port already in use**: Mintlify will usually prompt to use an alternate port — accept it, or free up port 3000.
\ No newline at end of file