diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index a6217c5b..9b60a9f6 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -1,32 +1,38 @@
-In order to make the review process faster, please take a few minutes to go through this checklist:
-
-## Acceptance Criteria
-
-- All of the following criteria must be met:
-  - [ ] This community is directly tied to an open source project
-  - [ ] The open source project has an OSI-approved open source license: https://opensource.org/licenses
-  - [ ] This Discord server is an official channel for the open source project approved by the maintainers of the open source project
-  - [ ] This Discord server adheres to the [Discord Community Guidelines](https://discord.com/guidelines)
-- One of the following criteria must be met:
-  - [ ] The Discord server has over 1,000 members
-  - [ ] The open source project has a repository with at least 1,000 GitHub Stars or some equivalent
-
-## Code Review
-
-- All of the following criteria must be met:
-  - [ ] The `"title"` field has a commonly identifiable name of the open source project
-  - [ ] The `"inviteCode"` field contains a valid invite code (without the full URL), without an expiration date
-  - [ ] The `"githubUrl"` field is a fully specified and valid URL starting with `https://` and refers to a place where we can easily find your primary open source repositories. GitHub repo or organization URLs (or some equivalent) are acceptable (but not a cloning URL).
-  - [ ] The `"logo"` field refers to the correct logo file (double-check the extension)
-  - [ ] The `"quote"` field (if included, it is optional) is about your usage of Discord (and not about the open source project itself)
-  - [ ] The `"quoteSourceUrl"` field (if included, it is optional) is a fully specified and valid URL starting with `https://`
-
-## Logo Review
-
-- All of the following criteria must be met:
-  - [ ] The logo makes use of transparent elements and does not include its own background
-  - [ ] The logo will look correct when the non-transparent elements are made solid white
-  - [ ] The logo is a commonly identifiable logo of the open source project
-- One of the following criteria must be met:
-  - [ ] The logo is an SVG file with 72x72 dimensions and has been optimized with [`svgo`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/svgo) ([Web UI](https://jakearchibald.github.io/svgomg/))
-  - [ ] The logo is a PNG file with 144x144 dimensions and has been optimized with [ImageOptim](https://imageoptim.com/) ([Web UI](https://imageoptim.com/online))
+# Review Checklist
+
+## 1. Acceptance Criteria
+
+### **All of the following criteria must be met:**
+- [ ] This community is directly tied to an open source project.
+- [ ] The open source project has an OSI-approved open source license ([List of OSI-approved licenses](https://opensource.org/licenses)).
+- [ ] This Discord server is an official channel for the open source project and is approved by the maintainers of the project.
+- [ ] This Discord server adheres to the [Discord Community Guidelines](https://discord.com/guidelines).
+
+### **One of the following criteria must be met:**
+- [ ] The Discord server has over **1,000 members**.
+- [ ] The open source project has a repository with at least **1,000 GitHub Stars** or an equivalent metric.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Code Review
+
+### **All of the following criteria must be met:**
+- [ ] The `"title"` field contains a commonly identifiable name of the open source project.
+- [ ] The `"inviteCode"` field contains a **valid invite code** (not a full URL) without an expiration date.
+- [ ] The `"githubUrl"` field is a fully specified and valid URL starting with `https://` and refers to the primary open source repositories (GitHub repo or organization URLs are acceptable, but cloning URLs are not).
+- [ ] The `"logo"` field refers to the correct logo file (double-check the file extension).
+- [ ] The `"quote"` field (optional) is about your usage of Discord, not about the open source project itself.
+- [ ] The `"quoteSourceUrl"` field (optional) is a fully specified and valid URL starting with `https://`.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Logo Review
+
+### **All of the following criteria must be met:**
+- [ ] The logo includes transparent elements and does not include its own background.
+- [ ] The logo looks correct when the non-transparent elements are made solid white.
+- [ ] The logo is a commonly identifiable logo of the open source project.
+
+### **One of the following criteria must be met:**
+- [ ] The logo is an **SVG file** with **72x72 dimensions** and has been optimized with [`svgo`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/svgo) ([Optimize via Web UI](https://jakearchibald.github.io/svgomg/)).
+- [ ] The logo is a **PNG file** with **144x144 dimensions** and has been optimized with [ImageOptim](https://imageoptim.com/) ([Optimize via Web UI](https://imageoptim.com/online)).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 73ea7181..16f833d3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,40 +1,65 @@
 # Open Source Communities on Discord
 
-This is the source list of OSS communities that use and live on Discord. It is used to populate the list at https://discord.com/open-source.
+This repository contains the source list of open source software (OSS) communities that utilize Discord. It is used to populate the list displayed on [Discord's Open Source page](https://discord.com/open-source).
 
-Thanks for being part of Discord!
+Thank you for being part of Discord!
 
-## Acceptance criteria
+---
 
-At this time, we are accepting communities which meet the following criteria:
+## 🎯 Acceptance Criteria
 
-1.  Your community is not Discord-focused (for example, Discord bots or modifications are not accepted).
-2.  Your community has at least 1,000 members, or the GitHub repo has at least 1,000 stars.
-3.  Your community adheres to the [Discord community guidelines](https://discord.com/guidelines).
+To be added to the list, communities must meet the following requirements:
 
-Do you own a large bot? Take a look at [verifying it](https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040720412).
+1. **Open Source Focus:** Your community should be tied directly to an open source project and not Discord-focused (e.g., Discord bots or modifications are not accepted).
+2. **Community Size:** Your community must have at least **1,000 members**, or the associated GitHub repository must have **1,000 stars** or more.
+3. **Guidelines Compliance:** Your community must adhere to the [Discord Community Guidelines](https://discord.com/guidelines).
 
-## Adding your project
+> **Note:** If you own a large bot, consider [verifying it](https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040720412) as an alternative.
 
-1.  Fork the repo
-2.  Add your logo into [`/logos`](https://github.com/discord/discord-open-source/tree/master/logos)
+---
 
-    * Logo dimensions should be either `72x72` for SVG or `144x144` for PNG.
-    * Logo should be minified.
-    * Logo should be monochromatic and white (check [the website](https://discord.com/open-source) for examples)
-    * SVGs should contain only vector shapes — no raster graphics.
+## 🛠 Adding Your Project
 
-3.  Add your community to [`communities.json`](https://github.com/discord/discord-open-source/blob/master/communities.json), like so:
+Follow these steps to submit your project:
+
+### 1. Fork the Repository
+Fork this repository to your GitHub account.
+
+### 2. Add Your Logo
+Place your project's logo in the [`/logos`](https://github.com/discord/discord-open-source/tree/master/logos) directory.
+
+- **Dimensions:** 
+  - For SVG: `72x72`
+  - For PNG: `144x144`
+- **Optimization:** The logo should be minified.
+- **Style:** The logo must be monochromatic and white (see examples on the [Discord Open Source page](https://discord.com/open-source)).
+- **Format:** SVGs should contain only vector shapes (no raster graphics).
+
+### 3. Update `communities.json`
+Add your community details to the [`communities.json`](https://github.com/discord/discord-open-source/blob/master/communities.json) file using the following format:
 
 ```json
 {
   "title": "Name of your project",
-  "inviteCode": "The public invite code to your project, usually the code after https://discord.gg/",
+  "inviteCode": "The public invite code to your project (found after https://discord.gg/).",
   "githubUrl": "The URL of your GitHub organization or project repository.",
   "logo": "your-logo.svg",
   "quote": "Optional: A short quote about how you use Discord for your project.",
-  "quoteSourceUrl": "Optional: An optional source for the quote."
+  "quoteSourceUrl": "Optional: A URL providing the source of the quote."
 }
 ```
 
-4.  Submit a PR with your change, and if all is well, we'll merge it and display it on Discord's [open source page](https://discord.com/open-source)!
+### 4. Submit a Pull Request
+- Open a Pull Request (PR) with your changes.
+- Ensure all criteria are met and the JSON follows the required structure.
+- Once reviewed and approved, your community will be added to Discord's [Open Source page](https://discord.com/open-source).
+
+---
+
+## 📋 Notes
+
+- Communities tied to Discord-focused projects (e.g., bots, modifications) are not eligible for this list.
+- Ensure your logo meets all specifications to avoid delays in approval.
+- Join our growing list of open source communities and connect with contributors worldwide!
+
+💜 Thanks for contributing to open source and for being part of Discord!
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/validate.js b/validate.js
index 5950e8f8..31f1e3eb 100644
--- a/validate.js
+++ b/validate.js
@@ -14,54 +14,71 @@ const { data: communities } = require('./communities.json');
 const delay = (ms) => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
 
 async function validateCommunity(community, error, warn) {
-  for (const field of ['title', 'inviteCode', 'githubUrl', 'logo']) {
+  // Required string fields
+  const requiredFields = ['title', 'inviteCode', 'githubUrl', 'logo'];
+  for (const field of requiredFields) {
     if (!community[field] || typeof community[field] !== 'string') {
       error(`${chalk.bold(field)} field must be present and a string`);
     }
   }
 
-  const ghUrl = new URL(community.githubUrl);
-  if (ghUrl.protocol !== 'https:' || ghUrl.pathname.endsWith('.git')) {
-    error(`${chalk.bold('githubUrl')} should be a valid URL starting with \`https://\` (and not a cloning URL)`);
+  // Validate GitHub URL
+  try {
+    const ghUrl = new URL(community.githubUrl);
+    if (ghUrl.protocol !== 'https:' || ghUrl.pathname.endsWith('.git')) {
+      error(`${chalk.bold('githubUrl')} should be a valid URL starting with \`https://\` (and not a cloning URL)`);
+    }
+  } catch {
+    error(`${chalk.bold('githubUrl')} is not a valid URL`);
   }
 
-  if (community.quote) {
-    if (community.quote.length > 350) {
-      warn(`${chalk.bold('quote')} field must not have more than 350 characters`);
-    }
+  // Validate quote length
+  if (community.quote && community.quote.length > 350) {
+    warn(`${chalk.bold('quote')} field must not have more than 350 characters`);
   }
 
+  // Validate quote source URL
   if (community.quoteSourceUrl) {
     if (!community.quote) {
       error(`${chalk.bold('quoteSourceUrl')} field requires the ${chalk.bold('quote')} field`);
     }
-    const url = new URL(community.quoteSourceUrl);
-    if (url.protocol !== 'https:') {
-      error(`${chalk.bold('quoteSourceUrl')} should be a valid URL starting with \`https://\``);
+    try {
+      const url = new URL(community.quoteSourceUrl);
+      if (url.protocol !== 'https:') {
+        error(`${chalk.bold('quoteSourceUrl')} should be a valid URL starting with \`https://\``);
+      }
+    } catch {
+      error(`${chalk.bold('quoteSourceUrl')} is not a valid URL`);
     }
   }
 
-  await fs.stat(`./logos/${community.logo}`);
+  // Check if logo file exists
+  try {
+    await fs.stat(`./logos/${community.logo}`);
+  } catch {
+    error(`Logo file ${chalk.bold(community.logo)} not found in /logos folder`);
+  }
 
+  // Validate Discord invite
   while (true) {
-    const req = await fetch(`https://discord.com/api/v9/invites/${community.inviteCode}?with_expiration=1`);
-    const response = await req.json();
+    const res = await fetch(`https://discord.com/api/v9/invites/${community.inviteCode}?with_expiration=1`);
+    const json = await res.json();
 
-    if (response.retry_after) {
-      console.warn(chalk.yellow(`Rate limited for ${response.retry_after}s, waiting`));
-      await delay(response.retry_after * 1000);
+    if (json.retry_after) {
+      console.warn(chalk.yellow(`Rate limited for ${json.retry_after}s, waiting...`));
+      await delay(json.retry_after * 1000);
       continue;
     }
 
-    if (!response.guild) {
-      error(`${community.inviteCode} ${util.inspect(response)}`);
+    if (!json.guild) {
+      error(`${community.inviteCode} ${util.inspect(json)}`);
     }
 
-    if (response.expires_at) {
-      error('Invite must be permanant');
+    if (json.expires_at) {
+      error('Invite must be permanent');
     }
 
-    if (!response.guild.features.includes('COMMUNITY')) {
+    if (!json.guild.features.includes('COMMUNITY')) {
       warn('COMMUNITY feature is not enabled');
     }
 
@@ -71,49 +88,47 @@ async function validateCommunity(community, error, warn) {
 
 async function validate() {
   console.log(chalk.underline.bold.white('Validating communities.json'));
+
   const bar = new cliProgress.SingleBar({}, cliProgress.Presets.shades_classic);
   bar.start(communities.length, 0);
 
   for (const community of communities) {
-    const error = (message) => {
+    const error = (msg) => {
       process.exitCode = 1;
       if (process.stderr.clearLine) {
         process.stderr.clearLine();
         process.stderr.cursorTo(0);
       }
-      console.error(`${chalk.red.bold(community.title)}: ${message}`);
+      console.error(`${chalk.red.bold(community.title)}: ${msg}`);
     };
-    const warn = (message) => {
+
+    const warn = (msg) => {
       if (process.stderr.clearLine) {
         process.stderr.clearLine();
         process.stderr.cursorTo(0);
       }
-      console.error(`${chalk.yellow.bold(community.title)}: ${message}`);
+      console.error(`${chalk.yellow.bold(community.title)}: ${msg}`);
     };
 
     await validateCommunity(community, error, warn);
-
     bar.increment();
   }
 
   bar.stop();
 
-  const sorted = communities
-    .slice(0)
-    .sort((a, b) => a.title.localeCompare(b.title));
-
-  for (let i = 0; i < sorted.length; i += 1) {
-    const a = sorted[i];
-    const b = communities[i];
-    if (a.title !== b.title) {
-      console.log(chalk.red(`${chalk.bold(b.title)} is not in alphabetical order!`));
+  // Alphabetical order check
+  const sorted = [...communities].sort((a, b) => a.title.localeCompare(b.title));
+  for (let i = 0; i < sorted.length; i++) {
+    if (sorted[i].title !== communities[i].title) {
+      console.log(chalk.red(`${chalk.bold(communities[i].title)} is not in alphabetical order!`));
       process.exitCode = 1;
       break;
     }
   }
 }
 
-validate().catch((e) => {
+// Entry point
+validate().catch((err) => {
   process.exitCode = 1;
-  console.error(e);
+  console.error(err);
 });