Write — Project: Create a Pathway Guide

[supernovia]

Pathway title

Create a Pathway Guide

Function

Write

Type

Project: focused work with a clear finish

Summary

Turn an approved pathway idea into a finished guide. Pick up an issue from the project board, follow TEMPLATE.md, and submit a pull request.

Links & Details

• Start from an existing pathway idea that's ready to be written
• Use TEMPLATE.md as your starting point
• Walk the pathway yourself before writing it up — if you get stuck, that's useful info
• Submit as a PR to the add/pathways branch

Links might not work til we get this first branch published

[chekle]

Please feel free to check out my draft "Create a Pathway Guide", any and all feedback is very welcome.

[chekle]

I added a more concise .md version here: https://github.com/WordPress/contributor-handbook/blob/feature/pathways/pathways/create-a-pathway-guide.md

@supernovia if you get some time, I'd love your thoughts about it. Thank you!

[supernovia]

@chekle will do! We've had to iterate quite a bit in the past few days, so this may change a bit more, but once we land we can review it again together.

[supernovia]

Create a Pathway Guide

Function: Write
Type: Project
Level: Beginner

Turn an approved pathway idea into a finished guide. Pick up an issue from the project board, draft it, get feedback, and submit a pull request.

Before you start

Complete the common setup first, then:

• Setup: Familiarize yourself with the Contributor Handbook GitHub repository and the pathway project board
• Read: Review About Pathways
• Connect: Join #core-program and introduce yourself

Steps

1. Pick up an issue from Ready or New on the project board, comment that you're working on it, and research the topic using linked resources, handbooks, tutorials, Learn WordPress, WordPress.tv, and team Slack channels.
2. Draft the guide using PROMPT.md](https://github.com/WordPress/contributor-handbook/blob/main/pathways/PROMPT.md) and AI, or with TEMPLATE.md as your guide, then post your draft as a comment on the issue.
3. Walk the pathway using your draft as a new contributor would. Ask teams for feedback, too, and refine based on what you learn.
4. Submit a pull request when you're ready to publish, and reference the issue in your PR description.

Contribution checklist

• All links work and are current
• Your draft is scannable and fits the TEMPLATE.md
• You've tested the pathway, requested feedback, and refined accordingly
• You've submitted a PR submitted referencing the issue

What happens next

Maintainers will review your PR for clarity, accuracy, and completeness. Once approved, the pathway will be merged and published to the handbook.

When you're ready, pick up another pathway from the project board or help review someone else's draft.

Help

Stuck? Check the getting help guide, then ask in #core-program.

Further reading:

• TEMPLATE.md — pathway structure and format
• PROMPT.md — detailed writing guide for each section
• WordPress Brand Writing Style Guide — tone and terminology
• Project board — available pathways to write

[supernovia]

We didn't get a chance to review, but we can iterate again soon! For now I'm going to share something like the draft above since it most closely matches our process.