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+# Contributing to Kew
+
+First off, thanks for taking the time to contribute! 🎉 
+
+Kew is a community project and every contribution helps make it better. Whether you're fixing a bug, adding a feature, or improving documentation, your help is welcome.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+1. Fork the repository
+2. Clone your fork:
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/justrach/kew.git
+cd kew
+```
+
+3. Set up your development environment:
+```bash
+# Create a virtual environment
+python -m venv venv
+source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows, use `venv\Scripts\activate`
+
+# Install development dependencies
+pip install -e ".[dev]"
+```
+
+4. Start Redis (required for running tests):
+```bash
+docker run -d -p 6379:6379 redis:alpine
+```
+
+## Development Workflow
+
+1. Create a new branch for your changes:
+```bash
+git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
+```
+
+2. Make your changes
+
+3. Run the test suite:
+```bash
+pytest tests/
+```
+
+4. Format your code:
+```bash
+black kew/
+isort kew/
+```
+
+5. Run the linter:
+```bash
+flake8 kew/
+```
+
+## Testing
+
+We use pytest for our test suite. All new features should include tests. To run tests:
+
+```bash
+# Run all tests
+pytest
+
+# Run specific test file
+pytest tests/test_specific.py
+
+# Run with coverage report
+pytest --cov=kew tests/
+```
+
+### Test Requirements
+
+- All tests must pass
+- Coverage should not decrease
+- New features must include tests
+- Tests should include both success and error cases
+
+## Code Style
+
+We follow PEP 8 with some modifications:
+- Line length: 88 characters (Black default)
+- Use double quotes for strings
+- Use explicit type hints where beneficial
+
+We use these tools to maintain code quality:
+- Black for code formatting
+- isort for import sorting
+- flake8 for linting
+
+## Pull Request Process
+
+1. Update the README.md with details of your changes if needed
+2. Update the docs/ folder with any new documentation
+3. Add or update tests as needed
+4. Update the CHANGELOG.md following the Keep a Changelog format
+5. Submit your pull request
+
+### PR Requirements
+
+- Clear description of changes
+- Tests pass
+- Code formatted with Black
+- No linting errors
+- Documentation updated if needed
+- CHANGELOG.md updated
+
+## Commit Messages
+
+We follow the conventional commits specification. Each commit message should have a type:
+
+```
+feat: Add new feature
+fix: Fix bug
+docs: Update documentation
+test: Add tests
+chore: Update tooling or dependencies
+```
+
+Example:
+```
+feat: Add circuit breaker reset timeout configuration
+
+- Add reset_timeout parameter to QueueConfig
+- Update documentation
+- Add tests for timeout behavior
+```
+
+## Documentation
+
+If you're adding new features, please include:
+- Docstrings for new functions/classes
+- Updates to the relevant docs/ files
+- Examples in the README if appropriate
+
+## Need Help?
+
+If you're not sure about something:
+1. Check existing issues and pull requests
+2. Open an issue to discuss major changes
+3. Ask questions in the pull request
+
+## Types of Contributions
+
+### Bug Reports
+
+Please include:
+- Python version
+- Kew version
+- Minimal code to reproduce
+- Expected vs actual behavior
+
+### Feature Requests
+
+Please include:
+- Use case description
+- Example code showing desired API
+- Explanation of why it's useful
+
+### Code Contributions
+
+We especially welcome:
+- Bug fixes
+- Performance improvements
+- Documentation improvements
+- New features
+- Test improvements
+
+## Development Environment Tips
+
+### Running Redis Locally
+```bash
+# Using Docker
+docker run -d -p 6379:6379 redis:alpine
+
+# Or install locally
+sudo apt-get install redis-server  # Ubuntu
+brew install redis                 # macOS
+```
+
+### Useful Commands
+```bash
+# Run tests with output
+pytest -v
+
+# Format code
+black kew/
+isort kew/
+
+# Check types
+mypy kew/
+
+# Build docs
+cd docs/
+make html
+```
+
+## License
+
+By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License.
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