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alexderzalexderz/agentic-toolbox/skills/docs-google-style/SKILL.md

docs-google-style

Skill5 starsChanged 46 days agoMITView on GitHub

use this when writing or editing human-facing docs (what this is, how it works, how to use it) or agent-facing comments and module notes — distilled Google developer documentation style. do not use as a product-spec or SDLC process skill.

The file

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

1 rule. About 0 are common, 1 is distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

  • ≈0

    Common · estimate

    Many files like this have a rule of this kind.

  • ≈1

    Distinctive · estimate

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 0

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    Must (API / public comments): Every public type, member, param, return, exception.

    line 28

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Docs (Google style)

Distillation of the Google developer documentation style guide. Project style first, then this. Clarity beats house style; if you deviate, stay consistent. No scripts/. Not a Google product pack.

Two audiences

SurfaceJob
Human (docs/, README how-to)What this is, how it works, how to use it
Agent (in-code, AGENTS pointers, module maps)Precise, locatable contracts for future agents

Iron laws

  • Must: US English, you, active voice, present tense, sentence-case headings, serial commas, condition/goal before instruction.
  • Must: Code tokens in code font; UI labels in bold; placeholders LIKE_THIS.
  • Must: Descriptive links. Alt text (or alt=""). No meaning by color or position alone.
  • Must (API / public comments): Every public type, member, param, return, exception. First sentence unique. Present-tense verb.
  • Never: Unshipped features. please in steps. simply / just / easy / quickly. click here. e.g. / i.e.. & for and.
  • Never: Inflect code (GETting, closeing). Directional UI (above, left-hand). Skip heading levels. Links in headings. Real PII in examples. Images of text or terminal.
  • Never: should when you mean required or optional — use must / imperative, or can / We recommend.

Human docs

Task heading = infinitive (Create an instance). Concept = noun phrase. Condition before action: To delete the file, click **Delete**.

Numbered steps, one imperative each. One best path. Introduce lists with a complete sentence. Point first in the paragraph.

Contractions: don't, isn't, can't. Singular they. No blacklist/whitelist — deny/allow or rewrite. Dates YYYY-MM-DD or January 19, 2017.

Commands: only the args for the task; must run after placeholder replace. Examples: example.com, 192.0.2.0/24, dana@example.com. No foo/bar/baz.

Link text = title or descriptive phrase. For more information, see [Title].

Template: skills/sdlc-artifacts/templates/human-doc.md.

Agent-facing (in-code / AGENTS)

Lead with the contract: name, when to use, inputs, outputs, side effects, failure modes, where to look next. Locatable name first (parseConfig, skills/<id>/SKILL.md). Cross-link; do not restate the SDLC. No tutorial tone. One idea per comment. Public API comments follow the API rules above.

Drop

Google product names, consoles, legal/brand, word-list dump. Don't copy the guide entry-by-entry.

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  • It worked
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  • It didn't
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Using an agent? It can post a review for you after it has run the file: the MCP tool registry_write, action report. How to connect one.

Your trail

Files you open will collect here, so you can find them again.

Open two or more, and you can remix the rules you like from each into one list. Kept in this browser only.

Now do this for your own.

Bring your CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or skills. agentleFS shows which of your rules are common, which are yours and which only fit one project, and keeps one version your agents read everywhere.

Check your setup, free