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Contributing to AgentGuard

AgentGuard is a zero-dependency runtime-control SDK for Python agents. Good contributions make the SDK easier to trust, install, test, or use in a real agent repo.

Best First Contributions

Start with issues labeled good first issue or one of these small scopes:

  • improve an example without adding dependencies
  • add a focused test for an existing guard, CLI command, or helper
  • clarify docs around local-first setup, MCP, or framework integration
  • add a minimal recipe for a real Python agent workflow
  • fix package metadata, release notes, or README link drift

Avoid speculative new guards, broad observability features, dashboard-only features, or changes that add hard runtime dependencies.

Repo Map

sdk/          Python SDK source and tests
mcp-server/   Read-only MCP server package
docs/         Guides, examples, launch notes, and competitive notes
examples/     Runnable local examples and starter files
ops/          Product direction, architecture, roadmap, and definition of done
memory/       SDK-specific state and decisions for agent contributors
.github/      CI, issue templates, PR template, and repo automation

The hosted dashboard is not developed in this public repository.

Local Setup

Prerequisites:

  • Python 3.9 through 3.12 for supported runtime testing
  • Git
  • Node.js only if you are working on mcp-server/
git clone https://github.com/bmdhodl/agent47.git
cd agent47
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ./sdk
pip install pytest pytest-cov ruff

On Windows PowerShell:

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install -e .\sdk
pip install pytest pytest-cov ruff

Verify the local path:

agentguard doctor
agentguard demo

Common Checks

Prefer the Makefile when available:

make preflight
make check
make release-guard

Direct equivalents:

python -m pytest sdk/tests/ -v --cov=agentguard --cov-report=term-missing --cov-fail-under=80
python -m ruff check sdk/agentguard/
python scripts/sdk_release_guard.py

Focused examples:

python -m pytest sdk/tests/test_guards.py -v
python -m pytest sdk/tests/test_quickstart.py -v
python examples/coding_agent_review_loop.py

If you touch mcp-server/:

cd mcp-server
npm ci
npm run build

Zero-Dependency Rule

The core SDK under sdk/agentguard/ must stay stdlib-only. Optional integration dependencies are allowed only in integration modules or optional sinks, and they must be guarded with try/except ImportError.

Allowed pattern:

try:
    from opentelemetry.trace import StatusCode
except ImportError:
    StatusCode = None

Do not add a hard dependency to the core SDK unless maintainers explicitly approve the tradeoff first.

Public API Rule

Public imports are exported from sdk/agentguard/__init__.py. If a PR changes that surface, call it out in the PR and update architecture docs when needed.

Guards should raise specific exceptions such as BudgetExceeded, LoopDetected, TimeoutExceeded, or RetryLimitExceeded. They should not return booleans as the main enforcement path.

Pull Request Checklist

Open focused PRs. A good PR usually does one thing.

Include:

  • what changed
  • why it matters
  • which files are in scope
  • validation commands and results
  • risk and rollback notes
  • linked issue when applicable

Before requesting review, run the smallest relevant checks plus make preflight or the direct equivalent. New behavior needs tests. Docs-only PRs should still run release/readme sync checks when they touch release-facing files.

AI-Assisted Contributions

AI-assisted contributions are welcome. The quality bar is unchanged.

If an autonomous agent opened the PR end-to-end with minimal human steering, prefix the PR title with agent: and apply the agent-generated label. If a human used Copilot, Claude, Cursor, Codex, or another tool while reviewing and owning the result, no special label is required.

Communication

Use GitHub issues for bugs, integration requests, demo requests, and feature proposals. Use GitHub Discussions for broader usage questions when available.

License

AgentGuard is MIT licensed. By contributing, you agree that your contribution is licensed under MIT.