diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
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+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -2,6 +2,37 @@
 
 Thank you for your interest in contributing to the MCP Python SDK! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing.
 
+## Before You Start
+
+We welcome contributions! These guidelines exist to save everyone time, yours included. Following them means your work is more likely to be accepted.
+
+**All pull requests require a corresponding issue.** Unless your change is trivial (typo, docs tweak, broken link), create an issue first. PRs without a linked issue will be closed.
+
+Having an issue doesn't guarantee acceptance. Wait for maintainer feedback or a `ready for work` label before starting. PRs for issues without buy-in may also be closed.
+
+Use issues to validate your idea before investing time in code. PRs are for execution, not exploration.
+
+### The SDK is Opinionated
+
+Not every contribution will be accepted, even with a working implementation. We prioritize maintainability and consistency over adding capabilities. This is at maintainers' discretion.
+
+### What Needs Discussion
+
+These always require an issue first:
+
+- New public APIs or decorators
+- Architectural changes or refactoring
+- Changes that touch multiple modules
+- Features that might require spec changes (these need a [SEP](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol) first)
+
+Bug fixes for clear, reproducible issues are welcome—but still create an issue to track the fix.
+
+### Good Candidates for Contribution
+
+Issues labeled [`good first issue`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22) or [`help wanted`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22help+wanted%22) are great starting points. Issues labeled [`ready for work`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22ready+for+work%22) have been triaged and are ready for implementation.
+
+Issues labeled `needs confirmation` or `needs maintainer action` are **not** good candidates—wait for maintainer input before starting work.
+
 ## Development Setup
 
 1. Make sure you have Python 3.10+ installed