diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS.md b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
index 60eef1f93..3def8c82e 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@ To do this, please follow this process:
 1. Fork the repo.
 2. Create a PR in **your own repo**.
 3. The "Lint PR title preview (current branch)" workflow will run the new version and will help you validate the change.
-4. Create a PR to this repo with the changes. In this case the preview workflow will fail, but we'll know that it works since you tested it in the fork. Please include a include a link to a workflow where you tested the current state of this pull request.
+4. Create a PR to this repo with the changes. In this case the preview workflow will fail, but we'll know that it works since you tested it in the fork. Please include a link to a workflow where you tested the current state of this pull request.
 5. Don't run `npm run build` to update the `dist` folder as it will be generated on CI during the build
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e2ab8e72a..cdefc508e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ jobs:
 
 ## Configuration
 
-The action works without configuration, however you can provide options for customization.
+The action works without configuration, however you can provide options for customization. You can either use inputs to pass the configuration, or add a `.github/semantic.json` file to your repository. The action inputs will override the configuration file. Lists will be appended.
 
 The following terminology helps to understand the configuration options:
 
diff --git a/src/parseConfig.js b/src/parseConfig.js
index bbfa85aa4..9a25f2bf4 100644
--- a/src/parseConfig.js
+++ b/src/parseConfig.js
@@ -1,92 +1,100 @@
+const {readFileSync} = require('fs');
 const ConfigParser = require('./ConfigParser');
 
 module.exports = function parseConfig() {
-  let types;
+  let config = {};
+  try {
+    config = JSON.parse(
+      readFileSync('.github/semantic.json', {encoding: 'utf8'})
+    );
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof SyntaxError) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'The semantic.json file is not valid JSON. Please fix the syntax errors: ' +
+          error.message
+      );
+    }
+    // skipping if the file doesn't exist
+  }
+
   if (process.env.INPUT_TYPES) {
-    types = ConfigParser.parseEnum(process.env.INPUT_TYPES);
+    config.types = [
+      ...config.types,
+      ...ConfigParser.parseEnum(process.env.INPUT_TYPES)
+    ];
   }
 
-  let scopes;
   if (process.env.INPUT_SCOPES) {
-    scopes = ConfigParser.parseEnum(process.env.INPUT_SCOPES);
+    config.scopes = [
+      ...config.scopes,
+      ...ConfigParser.parseEnum(process.env.INPUT_SCOPES)
+    ];
   }
 
-  let requireScope;
   if (process.env.INPUT_REQUIRESCOPE) {
-    requireScope = ConfigParser.parseBoolean(process.env.INPUT_REQUIRESCOPE);
+    config.requireScope = ConfigParser.parseBoolean(
+      process.env.INPUT_REQUIRESCOPE
+    );
   }
 
-  let disallowScopes;
   if (process.env.INPUT_DISALLOWSCOPES) {
-    disallowScopes = ConfigParser.parseEnum(process.env.INPUT_DISALLOWSCOPES);
+    config.disallowScopes = [
+      ...config.disallowScopes,
+      ...ConfigParser.parseEnum(process.env.INPUT_DISALLOWSCOPES)
+    ];
   }
 
-  let subjectPattern;
   if (process.env.INPUT_SUBJECTPATTERN) {
-    subjectPattern = ConfigParser.parseString(process.env.INPUT_SUBJECTPATTERN);
+    config.subjectPattern = ConfigParser.parseString(
+      process.env.INPUT_SUBJECTPATTERN
+    );
   }
 
-  let subjectPatternError;
   if (process.env.INPUT_SUBJECTPATTERNERROR) {
-    subjectPatternError = ConfigParser.parseString(
+    config.subjectPatternError = ConfigParser.parseString(
       process.env.INPUT_SUBJECTPATTERNERROR
     );
   }
 
-  let headerPattern;
   if (process.env.INPUT_HEADERPATTERN) {
-    headerPattern = ConfigParser.parseString(process.env.INPUT_HEADERPATTERN);
+    config.headerPattern = ConfigParser.parseString(
+      process.env.INPUT_HEADERPATTERN
+    );
   }
 
-  let headerPatternCorrespondence;
   if (process.env.INPUT_HEADERPATTERNCORRESPONDENCE) {
-    headerPatternCorrespondence = ConfigParser.parseString(
+    config.headerPatternCorrespondence = ConfigParser.parseString(
       process.env.INPUT_HEADERPATTERNCORRESPONDENCE
     );
   }
 
-  let wip;
   if (process.env.INPUT_WIP) {
-    wip = ConfigParser.parseBoolean(process.env.INPUT_WIP);
+    config.wip = ConfigParser.parseBoolean(process.env.INPUT_WIP);
   }
 
-  let validateSingleCommit;
   if (process.env.INPUT_VALIDATESINGLECOMMIT) {
-    validateSingleCommit = ConfigParser.parseBoolean(
+    config.validateSingleCommit = ConfigParser.parseBoolean(
       process.env.INPUT_VALIDATESINGLECOMMIT
     );
   }
 
-  let validateSingleCommitMatchesPrTitle;
   if (process.env.INPUT_VALIDATESINGLECOMMITMATCHESPRTITLE) {
-    validateSingleCommitMatchesPrTitle = ConfigParser.parseBoolean(
+    config.validateSingleCommitMatchesPrTitle = ConfigParser.parseBoolean(
       process.env.INPUT_VALIDATESINGLECOMMITMATCHESPRTITLE
     );
   }
 
-  let githubBaseUrl;
   if (process.env.INPUT_GITHUBBASEURL) {
-    githubBaseUrl = ConfigParser.parseString(process.env.INPUT_GITHUBBASEURL);
+    config.githubBaseUrl = ConfigParser.parseString(
+      process.env.INPUT_GITHUBBASEURL
+    );
   }
 
-  let ignoreLabels;
   if (process.env.INPUT_IGNORELABELS) {
-    ignoreLabels = ConfigParser.parseEnum(process.env.INPUT_IGNORELABELS);
+    config.ignoreLabels = ConfigParser.parseEnum(
+      process.env.INPUT_IGNORELABELS
+    );
   }
 
-  return {
-    types,
-    scopes,
-    requireScope,
-    disallowScopes,
-    wip,
-    subjectPattern,
-    subjectPatternError,
-    headerPattern,
-    headerPatternCorrespondence,
-    validateSingleCommit,
-    validateSingleCommitMatchesPrTitle,
-    githubBaseUrl,
-    ignoreLabels
-  };
+  return config;
 };