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Require WG/IG discussion before SEP submission #3336

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Require WG/IG discussion before SEP submission
claude Sep 1, 2026
8cbae44
Note collaborator-only pull request restriction in SEP guidelines
claude Sep 10, 2026
7c225af
Merge branch 'main' into require-wg-ig-sep-discussion
sambhav Sep 19, 2026
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3 changes: 3 additions & 0 deletions CONTRIBUTING.md
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Expand Up @@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ When contributing to the documentation:
## Specification Proposal Guidelines

Specification changes follow the [SEP process](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/community/sep-guidelines).
Discuss the idea with the relevant working or interest group in Discord and link that discussion in
the pull request description, as required by the
[SEP guidelines](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/community/sep-guidelines#step-by-step-process).
Before drafting a proposal, review the [MCP design principles](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/community/design-principles)
— proposals that align with these principles move faster through review.

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34 changes: 19 additions & 15 deletions docs/community/sep-guidelines.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -70,35 +70,39 @@ flowchart TD

### Step-by-Step Process

<Note>
To improve your chances of a SEP being accepted:

- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
**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.

<Note>
To improve your chances of a SEP being accepted, 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.
</Note>

1. **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.
1. **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.

2. **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.

2. **Create a pull request** adding your SEP file to the `seps/` directory in the [specification repository](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol).
3. **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.

@localden localden Sep 10, 2026

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@claude keep in mind that now the repository is restricted to PRs from collaborators only.

@claude claude Bot Sep 10, 2026

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Updated step 3 to state the restriction. It now ends with: "The repository accepts pull requests from collaborators only."

Generated by Claude Code

3. **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.
4. **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.

4. **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:
5. **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:
- Tag 1-2 relevant maintainers, not everyone
- Share your PR in the relevant Discord channel
- If no response after 2 weeks, ask in `#general`

5. **Sponsor assigns themselves**: When a sponsor agrees, they assign themselves to the PR and update the SEP status to `draft`.
6. **Sponsor assigns themselves**: When a sponsor agrees, they assign themselves to the PR and update the SEP status to `draft`.

6. **Informal review**: The sponsor reviews the proposal and may request changes. Discussion happens in PR comments.
7. **Informal review**: The sponsor reviews the proposal and may request changes. Discussion happens in PR comments.

7. **Formal review**: When ready, the sponsor updates the status to `in-review`. The SEP enters formal review by Core Maintainers (meetings every two weeks).
8. **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).

8. **Resolution**: The SEP may be `accepted`, `rejected`, or returned for revision. The sponsor updates the status.
9. **Resolution**: The SEP may be `accepted`, `rejected`, or returned for revision. The sponsor updates the status.

9. **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.
10. **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.

### SEP Statuses

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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion docs/community/working-interest-groups.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ No. IG participation can help validate ideas and build support, but it's not req

### Do I need to be in a WG to submit a SEP?

No. Anyone can submit a SEP. However, WG collaboration can strengthen your proposal and help it find a sponsor.
No. Anyone can submit a SEP, and group membership is not required. The proposal must still be brought to the relevant group's Discord channel before the SEP pull request is opened, as described in the [SEP guidelines](/community/sep-guidelines#step-by-step-process). Beyond that requirement, closer WG collaboration can strengthen your proposal and help it find a sponsor.

### What if my IG discussion leads to a concrete solution?

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