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Contributing to ELIS

Thanks for your interest in contributing to ELIS. This guide covers how to get started, add new agents, modify contracts, and submit your changes.

Getting Started

Install and test the skill

git clone https://github.com/xiapeli/elis.git
cd elis

# Copy the skill file to your Claude Code commands directory
mkdir -p ~/.claude/commands
cp -n elis.md ~/.claude/commands/

# Test it works
# Open Claude Code and run:
/elis design "A minimal portfolio site"

Project structure

elis.md               # The main skill file (all agent definitions)
docs/
  agents.md           # Full agent reference
  contracts.md        # Contract system specification
  customization.md    # How to customize ELIS defaults
examples/             # Walkthrough examples (SaaS, portfolio, startup)
prd-loop/             # Autonomous PRD-driven development loop

How to Add a New Agent

  1. Pick the right layer. ELIS has 6 layers: Discovery, Design, Build, Backend, Deploy, Business. Your agent should fit one of them.

  2. Define the contract (partitura). Every agent needs a structured contract with:

    • model — which Claude model it uses (haiku, sonnet, opus)
    • input_contract — required and optional inputs
    • output_contract — expected output format and schema
    • quality_gates — pass/fail criteria
    • timeout_ms and max_retries

  3. Write the agent prompt. Add your agent definition inside elis.md under the appropriate layer section. Follow the existing pattern: role description, capabilities, input/output format, and quality gates.

  4. Update the README. Add your agent to the layer table in README.md and to docs/agents.md.

  5. Add an example. If possible, add a usage example in the examples/ directory showing the agent in action.

How to Modify Contracts

Contracts live inside elis.md as structured definitions for each agent. To modify one:

  1. Read the existing contract in elis.md for the agent you want to change.
  2. Update the relevant fields (input/output schemas, quality gates, timeout, etc.).
  3. Update docs/contracts.md if your change affects the contract specification.
  4. Test the agent with the modified contract by running the relevant /elis command.

Important: Changing a contract's output schema may break downstream agents that consume its output. Grep for the agent name across elis.md to find all dependencies before modifying.

PR Process

  1. Fork the repository.
  2. Create a feature branch from main: 
    git checkout -b feat/add-copywriter-agent
  3. Make your changes following the patterns described above.
  4. Use conventional commits:
    • feat: — new feature (new agent, new command, new preset)
    • fix: — bug fix
    • docs: — documentation only
    • refactor: — code restructuring without behavior change
    • test: — adding or updating tests
  5. Open a Pull Request against main with a clear description of what you changed and why.

Ideas for Contributions

These are good starting points. See also the issues labeled good first issue.

  • New agents: Analytics, Copywriter, SEO specialist
  • Design presets: brutalist, corporate, playful themes
  • Example PRDs: common project types for the PRD loop
  • Translations: translate agent prompts to other languages
  • Integration tests: tests for the contract system
  • Documentation: improve existing docs, add tutorials

Code of Conduct

Be respectful and constructive. We follow standard open-source etiquette. No tolerance for harassment, trolling, or bad-faith contributions.