SEP Guidelines changedcommunity/sep-guidelines
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6969
7070### Step-by-Step Process
7171
72<Note>
73 To improve your chances of a SEP being accepted:
72**Prior discussion is required.** SEP authors must discuss the idea with the relevant [working or interest group](/community/working-interest-groups) in [Discord](/community/communication#discord) before opening the SEP pull request, and the PR description must link to that discussion (a Discord thread, WG/IG meeting notes, or a GitHub Discussion). A SEP without a linked prior discussion is not accepted. If no relevant group exists, start a conversation in [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/discussions) or the `#general` channel in [Discord](/community/communication#discord) instead. If there is enough interest, it may be worth [creating a new IG or WG](/community/working-interest-groups#creating-an-interest-group). The effort involved in finding sponsors and facilitators is a good signal of whether the idea has sufficient traction.
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75 * **Discuss your idea with the relevant [working or interest group](/community/working-interest-groups) in [Discord](/community/communication#discord) first.** This is the single best way to refine your proposal and build early support.
76 * **If no relevant group exists, start a conversation in [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/discussions) or the `#general` channel in [Discord](/community/communication#discord).** If there is enough interest, it may be worth [creating a new IG or WG](/community/working-interest-groups#creating-an-interest-group) — the effort involved in finding sponsors and facilitators is a good signal of whether the idea has sufficient traction, and is still preferable to a cold submission.
77 * **Check alignment with [Core Maintainer](/community/governance#roles) priorities and [design principles](/community/design-principles).** Priorities are generally reflected in the [project roadmap](/development/roadmap). Proposals outside current priorities or that conflict with design principles are more likely to face delays or additional friction in the review process.
74<Note>
75 To improve your chances of a SEP being accepted, check alignment with [Core
76 Maintainer](/community/governance#roles) priorities and [design
77 principles](/community/design-principles). Priorities are generally reflected
78 in the [project roadmap](/development/roadmap). Proposals outside current
79 priorities or that conflict with design principles are more likely to face
80 delays or additional friction in the review process.
7881</Note>
7982
801. **Draft your SEP** as a markdown file named `0000-your-feature-title.md`, using `0000` as a placeholder. Follow the [SEP format](#sep-format) below.
831. **Discuss with the relevant group**: Bring your idea to the matching [working or interest group](/community/working-interest-groups) and refine it there. Keep a link to the discussion (a Discord thread, meeting notes, or a GitHub Discussion) so you can include it in the PR description.
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822. **Create a pull request** adding your SEP file to the `seps/` directory in the [specification repository](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol).
852. **Draft your SEP** as a markdown file named `0000-your-feature-title.md`, using `0000` as a placeholder. Follow the [SEP format](#sep-format) below.
8386
843. **Update the SEP number**: Once your PR is created, rename the file using the PR number (e.g., PR #1850 becomes `1850-your-feature-title.md`) and update the SEP header.
873. **Create a pull request** adding your SEP file to the `seps/` directory in the [specification repository](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol). The repository accepts pull requests from collaborators only.
8588
864. **Find a Sponsor**: Tag a Core Maintainer or Maintainer from [the maintainer list](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/blob/main/MAINTAINERS.md). Choose someone whose area relates to your proposal. Tips:
894. **Update the SEP number**: Once your PR is created, rename the file using the PR number (e.g., PR #1850 becomes `1850-your-feature-title.md`) and update the SEP header.
90
915. **Find a Sponsor**: Tag a Core Maintainer or Maintainer from [the maintainer list](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/blob/main/MAINTAINERS.md). Choose someone whose area relates to your proposal. Tips:
8792 * Tag 1-2 relevant maintainers, not everyone
8893 * Share your PR in the relevant Discord channel
8994 * If no response after 2 weeks, ask in `#general`
9095
915. **Sponsor assigns themselves**: When a sponsor agrees, they assign themselves to the PR and update the SEP status to `draft`.
966. **Sponsor assigns themselves**: When a sponsor agrees, they assign themselves to the PR and update the SEP status to `draft`.
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936. **Informal review**: The sponsor reviews the proposal and may request changes. Discussion happens in PR comments.
987. **Informal review**: The sponsor reviews the proposal and may request changes. Discussion happens in PR comments.
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957. **Formal review**: When ready, the sponsor updates the status to `in-review`. The SEP enters formal review by Core Maintainers (meetings every two weeks).
1008. **Formal review**: When ready, the sponsor updates the status to `in-review`. Before doing so, the sponsor confirms that the group discussion happened and is linked in the PR description. The SEP enters formal review by Core Maintainers (meetings every two weeks).
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978. **Resolution**: The SEP may be `accepted`, `rejected`, or returned for revision. The sponsor updates the status.
1029. **Resolution**: The SEP may be `accepted`, `rejected`, or returned for revision. The sponsor updates the status.
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999. **Finalization**: Once accepted, the reference implementation must be completed. For Standards Track SEPs with observable protocol behavior, a [conformance test](#conformance-test-requirement) must also be merged. The author adds the specification changes (schema changes, specification text, and a changelog entry) to the SEP's pull request. SDK implementations are not required for a SEP to become `final`. When this work is complete, the sponsor updates the status to `final` and the SEP's PR can be merged. Merged SEPs are published in the [SEP index](/seps/index), and each one is reachable by number at `modelcontextprotocol.io/seps/<number>` (for example, [/seps/1850](/seps/1850)).
10410. **Finalization**: Once accepted, the reference implementation must be completed. For Standards Track SEPs with observable protocol behavior, a [conformance test](#conformance-test-requirement) must also be merged. The author adds the specification changes (schema changes, specification text, and a changelog entry) to the SEP's pull request. SDK implementations are not required for a SEP to become `final`. When this work is complete, the sponsor updates the status to `final` and the SEP's PR can be merged. Merged SEPs are published in the [SEP index](/seps/index), and each one is reachable by number at `modelcontextprotocol.io/seps/<number>` (for example, [/seps/1850](/seps/1850)).
100105
101106### SEP Statuses
102107
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