# Contributing new content

LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

---

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This section contains information you should know before contributing new
content.

There are also dedicated pages about submitting [case studies](/docs/contribute/new-content/case-studies)
and [blog articles](/docs/contribute/blog/).

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## New content task flow

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%%{init: {'theme': 'default'}}%%
flowchart LR
    subgraph second[Before you begin]
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    S[ ] -.-
    A[Sign the CNCF CLA] --> B[Choose Git branch]
    B --> C[One language per PR]
    C --> F[Check out<br>contributor tools]
    end
    subgraph first[Contributing Basics]
    direction TB
       T[ ] -.-
       D[Write docs in markdown<br>and build site with Hugo] --- E[source in GitHub]
       E --- G['/content/../docs' folder contains docs<br>for multiple languages]
       G --- H[Review Hugo page content<br>types and shortcodes]
    end


    first ----> second


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***Figure - Contributing new content preparation***

The figure above depicts the information you should know
prior to submitting new content. The information details follow.



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## Contributing basics

- Write Kubernetes documentation in Markdown and build the Kubernetes site
  using [Hugo](https://gohugo.io/).
- Kubernetes documentation uses [CommonMark](https://commonmark.org/) as its flavor of  Markdown.
- The source is in [GitHub](https://github.com/kubernetes/website). You can find
  Kubernetes documentation at `/content/en/docs/`. Some of the reference
  documentation is automatically generated from scripts in
  the `update-imported-docs/` directory.
- [Page content types](/docs/contribute/style/page-content-types/) describe the
  presentation of documentation content in Hugo.
- You can use [Docsy shortcodes](https://www.docsy.dev/docs/adding-content/shortcodes/) or [custom Hugo shortcodes](/docs/contribute/style/hugo-shortcodes/) to contribute to Kubernetes documentation.
- In addition to the standard Hugo shortcodes, we use a number of
  [custom Hugo shortcodes](/docs/contribute/style/hugo-shortcodes/) in our
  documentation to control the presentation of content.
- Documentation source is available in multiple languages in `/content/`. Each
  language has its own folder with a two-letter code determined by the
  [ISO 639-1 standard](https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/code_list.php)
  . For example, English documentation source is stored in `/content/en/docs/`.
- For more information about contributing to documentation in multiple languages
  or starting a new translation,
  see [localization](/docs/contribute/localization).

## Before you begin {#before-you-begin}

### Sign the CNCF CLA {#sign-the-cla}

All Kubernetes contributors **must** read
the [Contributor guide](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/main/contributors/guide/README.md)
and [sign the Contributor License Agreement (CLA)](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/main/CLA.md)
.

Pull requests from contributors who haven't signed the CLA fail the automated
tests. The name and email you provide must match those found in
your `git config`, and your git name and email must match those used for the
CNCF CLA.

### Choose which Git branch to use

When opening a pull request, you need to know in advance which branch to base
your work on.

Scenario | Branch
:---------|:------------
Existing or new English language content for the current release | `main`
Content for a feature change release | The branch which corresponds to the major and minor version the feature change is in, using the pattern `dev-<version>`. For example, if a feature changes in the `v1.37` release, then add documentation changes to the ``dev-1.37`` branch.
Content in other languages (localizations) | Use the localization's convention. See the [Localization branching strategy](/docs/contribute/localization/#branch-strategy) for more information.

If you're still not sure which branch to choose, ask in `#sig-docs` on Slack.


<div class="alert alert-info" role="note"><h4 class="alert-heading">Note:</h4>If you already submitted your pull request and you know that the
base branch was wrong, you (and only you, the submitter) can change it.</div>


### Languages per PR

Limit pull requests to one language per PR. If you need to make an identical
change to the same code sample in multiple languages, open a separate PR for
each language.

## Tools for contributors

The [doc contributors tools](https://github.com/kubernetes/website/tree/main/content/en/docs/doc-contributor-tools)
directory in the `kubernetes/website` repository contains tools to help your
contribution journey go more smoothly.

## What's next

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* Read about submitting [blog articles](/docs/contribute/blog/article-submission/).

---

Section pages:

- [Opening a pull request](/docs/contribute/new-content/open-a-pr/)
- [Previewing locally](/docs/contribute/new-content/preview-locally/)
- [Documenting a feature for a release](/docs/contribute/new-content/new-features/)
- [Submitting case studies](/docs/contribute/new-content/case-studies/)