chore: bring the contribution policy to main ahead of the v2.0.0 merge by cliffhall · Pull Request #4939 · modelcontextprotocol/servers

cliffhall · 2026-10-01T13:59:17Z

This PR targets main on purpose. It is a one-time exception to the rule that only a milestone's merge PR targets main, by maintainer decision (@cliffhall), recorded on #4938. AGENTS.md is not changed. Nothing is released: no GitHub Release is published, so release.yml does not run.

Description

Brings the "issues, not PRs" contribution policy (decided on #4861, written in #4869) to the default branch, so that external pull requests can be turned off in the repository settings without leaving main telling contributors to open PRs.

Five files, each byte-identical to v2/main, and nothing else:

CONTRIBUTING.md
.github/pull_request_template.md
.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/1-bug_report.yml
.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/2-feature_request.yml
.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml

Issue forms are served from the default branch, so the forms and the config.yml routing (security, new servers) go live when this merges.

Known gap

CONTRIBUTING.md links to three files that do not exist on main until the v2.0.0 milestone merge: AGENTS.md, docs/quality-gate.md and .changeset/README.md. They 404 until then. They are not rewritten here, because a main-only edit would make the file differ from v2/main's and conflict in the milestone merge.

Server Details

Server: none (repository-wide)
Changes to: contribution docs, PR template, issue forms

Motivation and Context

See #4938.

How Has This Been Tested?

No client-observable surface, so targeted probes instead. npm run local:gate does not exist on main (the gate arrives with the v2.0.0 merge), so it could not be run on this branch; no code, package or workflow file is touched.

Identical to v2/main: git diff --quiet origin/v2/main -- CONTRIBUTING.md .github/pull_request_template.md .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE exits 0 on this branch.
The milestone merge is unaffected: a trial git merge --no-ff origin/v2/main onto this branch is clean, and the merged tree hash equals origin/v2/main^{tree}.
The forms parse: all three .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/*.yml files load as YAML with the expected top-level keys (name, description, labels, body; blank_issues_enabled, contact_links).
Links: the relative links in the two Markdown files were resolved against this branch; CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md and RELEASING.md resolve, the three under Known gap do not.

Breaking Changes

None for users of the servers. Contributors: pull requests are opened by maintainers only; everyone else files an issue.

Types of changes

Documentation update

Checklist

I have read the MCP Protocol Documentation (not applicable: no protocol surface)
My changes follows MCP security best practices (not applicable: docs and forms only)
I have updated the server's README accordingly (not applicable: no server change)
I have tested this with an LLM client (not applicable: see the probes above)

After merge

A maintainer restricts pull request creation in the repository settings by hand.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

CONTRIBUTING.md, the PR template and the issue forms, byte-identical to v2/main, so the default branch states the issues-not-PRs policy before external pull requests are turned off. Nothing else changes and nothing is released. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: cliffhall <cliff@futurescale.com>

changeset-bot · 2026-10-01T13:59:26Z

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Latest commit: a207787

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Copilot

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

Four passages incorrectly say the forms await a milestone merge, while this PR makes them live on main immediately.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 4

Open (4)

Update bug form deployment comment · New
Update feature form deployment comment · New
Update chooser rollout timing comment · New
Correct post-merge form availability guidance · New

What changed in this PR

Updates repository-wide contribution guidance to enforce an issues-only workflow ahead of v2.0.0.

Changes:

Replaces contribution guidance with the issues-only policy.
Adds bug and feature issue forms with routing configuration.
Updates the pull request template for maintainers.

File	Description
`CONTRIBUTING.md`	Documents the contribution policy and issue workflow.
`.github/pull_request_template.md`	Adds the issues-only notice and maintainer checklist.
`.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml`	Configures issue routing and disables blank issues.
`.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/1-bug_report.yml`	Adds the structured bug-report form.
`.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/2-feature_request.yml`	Adds the structured feature-request form.

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cliffhall · 2026-10-01T14:04:05Z

Copilot round 1: 4 findings, all declined, nothing pushed. The loop ends here on the "out of scope only" exit.

Header comments in the three .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/*.yml files ("goes live at the next milestone merge"): declined. They state the standing rule for a change to those files, which stays true; this PR is a one-time exception (Bring the contribution policy (CONTRIBUTING.md, PR template, issue forms) to main ahead of the v2.0.0 merge #4938).
CONTRIBUTING.md, "until then, open a blank issue": valid, but declined here and filed as CONTRIBUTING.md: remove the transitional "until then, open a blank issue" guidance once the issue forms are on main #4940. The sentence goes stale once the forms are on main, and blank issues are disabled. It is fixed on v2/main and reaches main with the v2.0.0 merge.

The constraint behind all four: every file in this PR is byte-identical to v2/main, so the milestone merge stays a pure merge.

Takes CONTRIBUTING.md from v2/main, which dropped the transitional blank-issue fallback (#4940), so this branch stays byte-identical to v2/main and main does not receive the stale sentence. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: cliffhall <cliff@futurescale.com>

Copilot

Copilot review overview

🟢 Approval recommended

All five files match v2/main, and the documentation and forms consistently implement the intended policy.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: None

Resolved since last review (4)

Correct post-merge form availability guidance
Update chooser rollout timing comment
Update feature form deployment comment
Update bug form deployment comment

Takes .github/pull_request_template.md from v2/main, which reduced it to the issues-not-PRs banner (#4960), so this branch stays byte-identical to v2/main. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: cliffhall <cliff@futurescale.com>

Copilot

Copilot review overview

🟢 Approval recommended

The documentation and forms are internally consistent, validly structured, and byte-identical to their v2/main counterparts.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: None

Takes .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/1-bug_report.yml from v2/main, whose Server version placeholder now shows both version schemes (#4964), so this branch stays byte-identical to v2/main. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: cliffhall <cliff@futurescale.com>

Copilot

Copilot review overview

🔵 Needs a closer look

Conflicting README guidance, deprecated Roots recommendations, and missing prompt-redaction warnings should be addressed.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: None

Previously missed (5)

In code that hasn't changed since last review

Update README contributor guidance to use issue forms

CONTRIBUTING.md:9

The repository-wide statement remains contradicted by src/fetch/README.md:241 and src/time/README.md:293, both of which explicitly say “Pull requests are welcome.” Because this PR’s stated goal is to stop main from directing contributors to open PRs before that route is disabled, those user-facing pages leave the same contradiction in place. Update them to direct contributors to the issue forms as part of this rollout.

This issue also appears on line 109 of the same file.

Add sensitive-content warning to prompt field

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/1-bug_report.yml:192

This field asks users to publish exact prompts but, unlike the configuration and log fields, does not warn them to remove sensitive content first. Prompts can contain credentials, private paths, proprietary snippets, or personal data; add explicit redaction guidance.

Replace deprecated Roots preference in request guidance

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/2-feature_request.yml:30

Roots is deprecated in the current MCP specification, yet this form says requests demonstrating it are favored. Replace it with a non-deprecated feature or limit this guidance to legacy-era requests.

Warn users to redact sensitive prompt content

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/2-feature_request.yml:123

This field asks users to publish exact prompts without warning them to remove sensitive content first. Prompts can contain credentials, private paths, proprietary snippets, or personal data; add explicit redaction guidance.

Remove deprecated Roots showcase recommendation

CONTRIBUTING.md:79

The current MCP 2026-07-28 specification deprecates Roots and says new implementations should not adopt it, so this guide should not present adding Roots support as a desired showcase enhancement. Use a non-deprecated example or explicitly qualify Roots work as legacy-only.

The issue forms reach main with modelcontextprotocol#4939, and config.yml sets blank_issues_enabled: false, so "until then, open a blank issue" describes a state that no longer exists and recommends a fallback that is unavailable. State the steady-state rule instead: a change to the forms goes live at the next milestone merge. Closes modelcontextprotocol#4940 Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: cliffhall <cliff@futurescale.com>

Pull requests are turned off once modelcontextprotocol#4939 lands on main, so the template's only job is the notice that turns outside PRs away. Drop the policy comment, which duplicated the banner, and the maintainers' body skeleton and checklist. The sections and the full checklist move to pr-flow step 6, and AGENTS.md's checklist rule, tree entry and version-PR exception point there instead of at the template. Closes modelcontextprotocol#4960 Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: cliffhall <cliff@futurescale.com>

The issue forms reach main with modelcontextprotocol#4939 and config.yml disables blank issues, so "until then the chooser offers a blank issue" goes stale. State the steady-state rule instead, as CONTRIBUTING.md now does. Closes modelcontextprotocol#4962 Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: cliffhall <cliff@futurescale.com>

Pull request creation was restricted in the repository settings on 2026-10-04, once the policy reached main (modelcontextprotocol#4939). The section still said nothing stopped new outside PRs and listed automatic closing as an open decision. Record the setting, and what triage still handles: the open backlog and PRs from accounts with access that are not maintainers. Closes modelcontextprotocol#4966 Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Signed-off-by: cliffhall <cliff@futurescale.com>

Copilot AI balanced review requested due to automatic review settings October 1, 2026 13:59

cliffhall added the v2 label Oct 1, 2026

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of cliffhall October 1, 2026 13:59 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Oct 1, 2026

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Comment thread .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/1-bug_report.yml

Comment thread .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/2-feature_request.yml

Comment thread .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml

Comment thread CONTRIBUTING.md Outdated

cliffhall mentioned this pull request Oct 1, 2026

CONTRIBUTING.md: remove the transitional "until then, open a blank issue" guidance once the issue forms are on main #4940

Closed

cliffhall requested a review from olaservo October 1, 2026 15:25

cliffhall mentioned this pull request Oct 4, 2026

docs(contributing): drop the transitional blank-issue fallback #4959

Merged

5 tasks done

Copilot AI balanced review requested due to automatic review settings October 4, 2026 03:04

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of cliffhall October 4, 2026 03:04 View session

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This was referenced Oct 4, 2026

PR template: reduce to the issues-not-PRs banner; move the maintainers' checklist to AGENTS.md and pr-flow #4960

Closed

docs: reduce the PR template to the issues-not-PRs banner #4961

Merged

Copilot AI balanced review requested due to automatic review settings October 4, 2026 03:36

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of cliffhall October 4, 2026 03:36 View session

This was referenced Oct 4, 2026

docs/contribution-model.md: drop the transitional "until then the chooser offers a blank issue" wording #4962

Closed

docs(contribution-model): drop the transitional blank-issue wording #4963

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Copilot AI reviewed Oct 4, 2026

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This was referenced Oct 4, 2026

Bug report form: Server version placeholder should show the semver and CalVer formats #4964

Closed

docs(issue-forms): show both version schemes in the bug form's placeholder #4965

Merged

Copilot AI balanced review requested due to automatic review settings October 4, 2026 03:59

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of cliffhall October 4, 2026 03:59 View session

cliffhall merged commit 5abed86 into main Oct 4, 2026
37 checks passed

cliffhall deleted the v2/chore/4938-contribution-policy-to-main branch October 4, 2026 04:01

Copilot AI reviewed Oct 4, 2026

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This was referenced Oct 11, 2026

Guard main: accept merges only from v2/main, and only as merge commits #5119

Closed

ci: guard main so a PR into it brings nothing not already on v2/main #5120

Merged

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chore: bring the contribution policy to main ahead of the v2.0.0 merge - #4939

chore: bring the contribution policy to main ahead of the v2.0.0 merge#4939
cliffhall merged 4 commits into
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cliffhall commented Oct 1, 2026

Description

Known gap

Server Details

Motivation and Context

How Has This Been Tested?

Breaking Changes

Types of changes

Checklist

After merge

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