Agent skill · writing content · thienanblog
documentation-guidelines
Coordinator-routed specialist for documentation architecture, broad audits, canonical ownership, module/feature docs, contracts, workflows, runbooks, or stale-content consolidation. Use after project-development-mindset makes documentation the primary deliverable, or directly when explicitly invoked or installed standalone. Do not use for routine docs alignment accompanying code or configuration changes.
Why this skill is useful
Provides structured guidelines for maintaining documentation consistency and clarity in complex codebases, which the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
About 4k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-05. 63 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Documentation Guidelines Goal Treat documentation as durable semantic context for agents. Capture what code cannot safely explain alone: business intent, ownership, invariants, lifecycle, permissions, side effects, contracts, operational constraints, and decision rationale. Let source and tests own implementation detail and executable evidence. Prefer compact facts over tutorial prose. Follow repository instructions and existing conventions; do not impose a standard directory tree. Run this skill in the main conversation. Delegation can increase usage; do not use subagents unless the user explicitly approves the proposed agent count and scope. Ask again before expanding an approved scope. Read only the relevant reference: references/templates.md for module, feature, workflow, contract, or runbook docs. references/architecture.md for multi-owner routing, registries, and structure. references/audit-cleanup.md for broad audits, consolidation, or stale-doc removal. Context Protocol Start with documentation before broad source exploration: 1. Read repository instructions and the nearest documentation router or index. 2. Read the owner document for the relevant scope. 3. Follow its required-context links for parent scope, contracts, dependencies, state models, decisions, and operational constraints. 4. Use named source and test anchors to verify missing, risky, or plausibly stale facts; do not rediscover the whole system from code by default. 5. Ask a targeted question only when docs, focused evidence, and history cannot resolve a fact or a product decision is required. Do not cap reading by file count. Stop when the completeness gate passes, and do not follow merely related links after that point. Mark required context separately from additional context when the distinction prevents over-reading or missed dependencies. Context Completeness Gate Before relying on docs, be able to state the applicable: Business outcome, scope, non-goals, and terminology. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills thienanblog/documentation-guidelines