Getting started

Quick orientation and first steps for new contributors

Use this guide to get oriented, run the project locally, and explore the codebase with AI tools.

First steps

1. Read the project README

   Start with wlumsa.org/README.md to understand requirements, environment variables, and local setup.

2. Run the app locally

   Follow the steps in the internal docs at /development to install dependencies, configure .env, and start the dev server.

3. Explore the content model

   Review wlumsa.org/src/payload.config.ts to see collections, globals, and plugins.

Useful reference points

• wlumsa.org/src/app/ public pages and routes
• wlumsa.org/src/collections/ Payload collections for content types
• wlumsa.org/src/blocks/ reusable content blocks
• wlumsa.org/src/components/ UI components
• wlumsa.org/src/Utils/ data fetching and utilities

AI usage

AI tools are a way to understand the codebase when you scope requests to the repo and the task at hand.

Suggested prompts

Map the data flow for the prayer timings feature. Show the key files and how data moves from Payload to the UI.

List the Payload collections related to events, forms, and registrations. Summarize what each collection does.

Find where the homepage pulls data from. Provide the entry file and the helpers it calls.

Show me the public routes and which ones are tied to blog content or media.

Trace how media uploads are stored and accessed. Include storage config and where URLs are generated.

Service links

• Payload CMS docs: https://payloadcms.com/docs
• Payload MCP plugin: https://payloadcms.com/docs/plugins/mcp
• Supabase docs: https://supabase.com/docs
• Resend docs: https://resend.com/docs
• Stripe docs: https://stripe.com/docs
• PostHog docs: https://posthog.com/docs
• Google Analytics docs: https://developers.google.com/analytics

Avoid pasting secrets or production credentials into AI tools. If you need access, contact a maintainer.