diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5a4ecd8d..2f713fa0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,118 +3,95 @@
+
-
-
-[](#contributors-)
-

-

-

-

-

-

-[](https://visitcount.itsvg.in)
-
-This is your all-in-one resource for documentation and guidance on how to contribute.
-
----
+[](#contributors)
+[](https://github.com/recodehive/recode-website/stargazers)
+[](https://github.com/recodehive/recode-website/network/members)
+[](https://github.com/recodehive/recode-website/pulls)
+[](https://github.com/recodehive/recode-website/issues)
+[](https://github.com/recodehive/recode-website/graphs/contributors)
+[](https://github.com/recodehive/recode-website/LICENSE)
-Have questions or need guidance? Our contributors are happy to help! Join the conversation and get your doubts resolved:
+**Your all-in-one resource for learning Git, GitHub, Python, and Next.js through comprehensive tutorials and hands-on projects.**
-[](https://discord.gg/Yxv9RA3r) [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjay-k-v/)
+[Website](https://recodehive.com/) β’ [Documentation](https://recodehive.com/docs) β’ [Contributing](community/contributing-guidelines.md) β’ [Discord](https://discord.gg/Yxv9RA3r)
-## Getting Started
+
-To get started with contributing to recode hive, please refer to our [Contributing Guidelines](community/contributing-guidelines.md).
+---
-
-Happy open-source contributionsβhereβs to your career success! π
+**Happy open-source contributionsβhere's to your career success! π**
-### recode hive
-
-[Website](https://recodehive.com/) | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/nomad_brains/) | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjay-k-v/) | [Twitter](https://x.com/sanjay_kv_) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@RecodeHive)
-
-**π Donβt miss a beat!**
-Subscribe to receive our newsletter directly in your inbox for the latest career insights & tailored to your journey.
-
-[](https://recodehive.substack.com/)
+Made with β€οΈ by the recode hive community
-
+
diff --git a/community/contributing-guidelines.md b/community/contributing-guidelines.md
index 57c69e39..cd89723b 100644
--- a/community/contributing-guidelines.md
+++ b/community/contributing-guidelines.md
@@ -5,21 +5,18 @@ sidebar_label: Contributing Guidelines
sidebar_position: 2
---
-Thank you for considering contributing to recode hive! We welcome contributions from everyone. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, there are many ways to get involved and help improve recode hive. This document outlines the guidelines for contributing to this project.
+## Table of Contents
-## Getting Started
+- [Local Setup Guide](#local-setup-guide)
+- [Environment Setup (for GitHub API access)](#environment-setup-for-github-api-access)
+- [Contributing to recode hive](#contributing-to-recode-hive)
+- [Formatting](#formatting)
+- [Branding & Naming Conventions](#branding--naming-conventions)
+- [License](#license)
-To get started with contributing to recode hive, please refer to our [Contributing Guidelines](/community/contributing-guidelines).
+## Local Setup Guide
-Follow these steps:
-
-```mermaid
-flowchart LR
- Fork[Fork the project]-->branch[Create a New Branch]
- branch-->Edit[Edit file]
- Edit-->commit[Commit the changes]
- commit -->|Finally|creatpr((Create a Pull Request))
-```
+### How to set up recode hive:
1. **Clone the repository:**
@@ -49,26 +46,138 @@ flowchart LR
This command will start a development server and open the application in your default web browser.
-**If you'd like to contribute to recode hive, please follow these guidelines:**
+## Environment Setup (for GitHub API access)
-- **Fork** the repository and clone it locally.
-- Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix: `git checkout -b feature-name`
-- Make your changes and test thoroughly.
-- Commit your changes: `git commit -m "Brief description of your changes"`
-- Push to the branch: `git push origin feature-name`
-- Submit a pull request detailing your changes.
+Some parts of the dashboard β such as the Leaderboard β require access to the GitHub API.
+To avoid rate-limit issues, youβll need to set up a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) locally.
-### Branding & Naming Conventions
+1. **Copy the example environment file**
-- Use **`recode hive`** in lowercase for all mentions of the project name.
-- Update any headers, titles, or utility constants accordingly.
+ ```bash
+ cp .env.example .env
+ ```
+
+ This creates your local `.env` configuration file.
+
+2. **Generate a GitHub Personal Access Token**
+ 1. Go to [https://github.com/settings/tokens](https://github.com/settings/tokens)
+ 2. Click **βGenerate new token (classic)β**
+ 3. Give it a name (e.g. `recode hive`)
+ 4. Select **no special permissions** (the default is fine for public data)
+ 5. Copy the generated token
+
+3. **Add your token to `.env`**
+
+ Open `.env` and update this line:
+
+ ```bash
+ GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_generated_token_here
+ ```
+
+## Contributing to recode hive
+
+We welcome contributions! Follow these steps to get started.
+
+1. **Fork the Repository**
+ - Go to the [recode hive repository](https://github.com/recodehive/recode-website) and click **Fork**.
+
+2. **Clone Your Fork Locally**
+
+ ```bash
+ git clone https://github.com/your-username/recodehive-website.git
+ cd recodehive-website
+ ```
+
+3. **Add the Original Repository as Upstream**
+
+ This allows you to fetch changes from the main repository to keep your fork up to date.
+
+ ```bash
+ git remote add upstream