Open contribution guide
Add a bot people can trust.
A ready-made bot is a small configuration: a clear name, a focused prompt, and references to any existing skills or tools it needs. There is no separate bot code to maintain.
Before you start
- Search the bot directory and existing requests so you do not duplicate a bot.
- Choose one clear user outcome. “Plan a group trip” is stronger than “be helpful.”
- Never put API tokens, passwords, or other secrets in the catalog. HeyTim supplies any shared-service credentials; private account data uses provider OAuth.
Submit a bot
- Open a public contribution request with the bot’s name, purpose, and proposed instructions.
- Write a focused prompt, reference existing skill IDs, and list only tools the bot directly requires. The app decides model and speed settings.
- Include realistic scenarios and expected behavior so reviewers can test the result.
- Maintainers review usefulness, clarity, safety, and least privilege, then integrate accepted contributions into the central HeyTim catalog.
The public repository is a publishing mirror and contribution inbox. The website and catalog are maintained together with the app, so edits to the old public source do not publish automatically.
Contribute a supporting skill
Skills stay in the codebase as reusable, readable instructions that multiple bots can share. If a bot needs a new way of working, add a focused SKILL.md, register it in catalog.json, and reference it from the bot.
Propose a tool
Tools can access services or take actions, so they require server-side implementation and a stricter review. Start with a tool request that states:
- the user outcome and exact actions;
- what information the tool reads, stores, or changes;
- how authentication works and where credentials live;
- whether each action is read-only, sandboxed, or interactive; and
- the smallest permissions that can support the use case.
What happens after review
Accepted bots appear in the directory without an app release. Installing one creates a private, editable copy; future catalog changes do not rewrite it. Supporting skills remain versioned so existing bots stay predictable.