diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 79f0108..7725572 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -26,9 +26,70 @@ If you find something you'd like added, feel free to
 sure to [review existing issues](https://github.com/workday/canvas-tokens/issues) first to
 reduce duplicates.
 
-### Submitting a Pull Request
+### Making A Contribution
 
-### Git Guidelines
+#### Forking the Repo
 
-This project uses [conventional commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/) to keep
-commit messages consistent.
+Once you have an issue, you're ready to start working your contribution! If this is your first contribution, you'll need to fork this repo. You can either do this through GitHub's UI or the [`gh` CLI](https://cli.github.com/manual/gh_repo_fork).
+
+```sh
+gh fork repo Workday/canvas-tokens
+```
+
+Once forked, you can clone it locally, and set upstream and set your remotes
+
+```sh
+# clone the repo
+gh repo clone Workday/canvas-tokens
+# change the directory
+cd canvas-tokens
+# rename the origin remote to upstream
+git remote rename origin upstream
+# set the origin remote to your fork
+git remote add origin git@github.com:[your-username]/canvas-tokens.git
+```
+
+#### Making Updates
+
+Before making updates, be sure you're up to date with the latest `main` and have updated your dependencies.
+```sh
+# pull the latest updates from the main branch
+git pull upstream main
+# install dependencies
+yarn install
+```
+
+Now you're ready to create a new branch. By convention, we use GitHub issue numbers as branch names. For example, if you were working on issue #4, you'd create a branch called `ISSUE-4`. You can also be more descriptive if you'd like.
+
+```sh
+git checkout -b ISSUE-4
+```
+
+Now you're ready to make your updates! Please keep changes relevant to the issue being resolved. This streamlines the review process and creates fewer opportunities for error. As you're making changes, consider whether you should include updates to documentation and tests.
+
+#### Committing Changes
+
+Once you complete your changes, you're ready to commit! We use [conventional commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/) to keep commit messages consistent and for automation. If you're making changes to `@workday/canvas-tokens-web`, please use the `(web)` scope. This helps us automatically generate a changelog for the change. In the example below, we're committing a non-breaking patch update to `canvas-tokens-web`.
+
+```sh
+# stage your changes
+git add .
+# create a commit
+git commit -m "fix(web): Fixes release action"
+# push your changes
+git push
+```
+
+#### Submitting a Pull Request
+
+After committing your changes, you can push them up and create a pull request. You can either create a PR in [GitHub's UI](https://github.com/Workday/canvas-tokens/pulls) or [the `gh` CLI](https://cli.github.com/manual/gh_pr_create). When creating a PR, please allow edits by maintainers, so we can add small nits and suggestions as we review.
+
+```sh
+gh pr create
+```
+
+If you'd like early feedback, please create a draft PR. And when you're ready for review, add a `ready for review` label. We triage open pull requests daily and assign owners to ensure they move along in a timely manner. Once the CI checks pass and changes are approved, we'll merge your branch and create a new release, if needed.
+
+#### Thank You!
+
+We know contributions can feel intimidating, especially first one, and really appreciate your support.