diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index de69c17..fd0bfe5 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -15,6 +15,45 @@ The cryptographic core, the `PENC` envelope format and the key model are stable.
 crypto behaviour, the envelope format, or the public API without opening an issue and agreeing on the
 approach first. Extensions should be additive (a new `SuiteId`, `AadSchemeId`, key version, or package).
 
+## Public API surface
+
+The packable libraries track their public API with `Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.PublicApiAnalyzers`. Each
+project carries two files:
+
+- `PublicAPI.Shipped.txt` — API that has already been published.
+- `PublicAPI.Unshipped.txt` — public API added since the last release, not yet published.
+
+Every public type and member must appear in one of these files, so any change to the public surface shows
+up as a deliberate diff in your pull request. The analyzer fails the build (these diagnostics are errors)
+when the files and the code disagree:
+
+- **`RS0016`** — a public API exists in the code but is not declared in the files. Add it.
+- **`RS0017`** — a public API is declared in the files but no longer exists in the code. Remove it.
+
+What to do:
+
+- **Adding public API:** add the new entries to that project's `PublicAPI.Unshipped.txt`.
+- **Removing or changing public API before 1.0** (still allowed while on `0.x`): adjust
+  `PublicAPI.Shipped.txt` accordingly and explain the breaking change clearly in the pull request.
+- **After 1.0:** avoid breaking changes — the public surface is frozen for the major version (a
+  PackageValidation baseline will additionally enforce this later).
+
+A plain build reports the diagnostics:
+
+```
+dotnet build -c Release
+```
+
+To regenerate the entries, run this **from the project's own folder** (a solution-wide run has not
+reliably populated every project):
+
+```
+dotnet format analyzers --diagnostics RS0016
+```
+
+Do **not** update the `PublicAPI.*.txt` files blindly just to make the build green — the diff is part of
+the review, and an unexpected entry usually means a type or member was made public by accident.
+
 ## Coding style
 
 Match the existing style: explicit and small responsibilities, `sealed` by default, nullable reference