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+# Third Party Package Patching
+
+This directory includes local patches to third party dependencies we use in Prysm. Sometimes,
+we need to make a small change to some dependency for ease of use in Prysm without wanting
+to maintain our own fork of the dependency ourselves. Our build tool, [Bazel](https://bazel.build)
+allows us to include patches in a seamless manner based on simple diff rules.
+
+This README outlines how patching works in Prysm and an explanation of previously
+created patches. 
+
+**Given maintaining a patch can be difficult and tedious,
+patches are NOT the recommended way of modifying dependencies in Prysm 
+unless really needed**
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
+- [Creating a Patch](#creating-a-patch)
+- [Ethereum APIs Patch](#ethereum-apis-patch)
+- [Updating Patches](#updating-patches)
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+**Bazel Installation:**
+  - The latest release of [Bazel](https://docs.bazel.build/versions/master/install.html)
+  - A modern UNIX operating system (MacOS included)
+
+## Creating a Patch
+
+To create a patch, we need an original version of a dependency which we will refer to as `a`
+and the patched version referred to as `b`. 
+
+```
+cd /tmp
+git clone https://github.com/someteam/somerepo a
+git clone https://github.com/someteam/somerepo b && cd b
+```
+Then, make all your changes in `b` and finally create the diff of all your changes as follows:
+```
+cd ..
+diff -ur --exclude=".git" a b > $GOPATH/src/github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/third_party/YOURPATCH.patch
+```
+
+Next, we need to tell the Bazel [WORKSPACE](https://github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/blob/master/WORKSPACE) to patch the specific dependency.
+Here's an example for a patch we use today for the [Ethereum APIs](https://github.com/prysmaticlabs/ethereumapis)
+dependency:
+
+```
+go_repository(
+    name = "com_github_prysmaticlabs_ethereumapis",
+    commit = "367ca574419a062ae26818f60bdeb5751a6f538",
+    patch_args = ["-p1"],
+    patches = [
+        "//third_party:com_github_prysmaticlabs_ethereumapis-tags.patch",
+    ],
+    importpath = "github.com/prysmaticlabs/ethereumapis",
+)
+```
+
+Now, when used in Prysm, the dependency you patched will have the patched modifications
+when you run your code.
+
+## Ethereum APIs Patch
+
+As mentioned earlier, patches aren't a recommended approach when needing to modify dependencies
+in Prysm save for a few use cases. In particular, all of our public APIs and most canonical
+data structures for Prysm are kept in the [Ethereum APIs](https://github.com/prysmaticlabs/ethereumapis) repo.
+The purpose of the repo is to serve as a well-documented, well-maintained schema for a full-featured
+eth2 API. It is written in protobuf format, and specifies JSON over HTTP mappings as well
+as a [Swagger API](https://api.prylabs.network) front-end configuration.
+
+The Prysm repo specifically requires its data structures to have certain struct tags
+for serialization purposes as well as other package-related annotations for proper functionality.
+Given a protobuf schema is meant to be generic, easily readable, accessible, and language agnostic
+(at least for languages which support protobuf generation), it would be wrong for us to include
+Go-specific annotations in the Ethereum APIs repo. Instead of maintaining a duplicate of it
+within Prysm, we can apply a patch to include those struct tags as needed, while being able
+to use the latest changes in the Ethereum APIs repo. This is an appropriate use-case for a patch.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+```
+ // The block body of an Ethereum 2.0 beacon block.
+ message BeaconBlockBody {
+     // The validators RANDAO reveal 96 byte value.
+-    bytes randao_reveal = 1;
++    bytes randao_reveal = 1 [(gogoproto.moretags) = "ssz-size:\"96\""];
+ 
+     // A reference to the Ethereum 1.x chain.
+     Eth1Data eth1_data = 2;
+ 
+     // 32 byte field of arbitrary data. This field may contain any data and
+     // is not used for anything other than a fun message.
+-    bytes graffiti = 3; 
++    bytes graffiti = 3 [(gogoproto.moretags) = "ssz-size:\"32\""];
+... 
+}
+```
+
+Above, we're telling Prysm to patch a few lines to include protobuf tags
+for SSZ (the serialization library used by Prysm). 
+
+## Updating Patches
+
+Say a new change was pushed out to a dependency you're patching in Prysm. In order to update your
+patch or add any other modifications, you would need to:
+
+1. First, clone the repo of the dependency you're patching and the specific commit Prysm is 
+currently using for the dependency in the WORKSPACE file. For example, Ethereum APIs could have
+the following definition in the WORKSPACE:
+```
+go_repository(
+    name = "com_github_prysmaticlabs_ethereumapis",
+    commit = "367ca574419a062ae26818f60bdeb5751a6f538",
+    ...
+```
+Then, checkout that commit
+```
+git clone https://github.com/prysmaticlabs/ethereumapis && cd ethereumapis
+git checkout 367ca574419a062ae26818f60bdeb5751a6f538
+```
+2. Apply the patch currently in Prysm
+```
+git apply $GOPATH/src/github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/third_party/somepatch.patch
+```
+3. Resolve any conflicts, commit the changes you want to make
+
+```
+git commit -m 'added more changes since patch'
+```
+
+4. Generate a new diff by comparing your latest changes to the original commit
+the patch was for and output it directly into Prysm's third_party directory
+```
+git diff 367ca574419a062ae26818f60bdeb5751a6f538 > $GOPATH/src/github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/third_party/somepatch.patch
+```
+
+5. Build Prysm and ensure tests pass
+```
+bazel test //...
+```