| name | technical-writing |
| description | Write internal technical documentation for engineers and operators: technical specs, architecture docs, ADRs, runbooks, migration plans, and developer-facing implementation guides. Use when the main job is capturing a technical decision, system boundary, operating procedure, or rollout path for builders and maintainers. Triggers on: tech spec, design doc, architecture doc, ADR, runbook, migration guide, implementation guide, rollout doc, operational guide, and internal technical writing. End-user onboarding guides, tutorials, FAQs, and help-center flows belong here too. Route API portals to `api-documentation`, release notes to `changelog-maintenance`, decks to `presentation-builder`, and GTM messaging to `marketing-automation`.
|
| allowed-tools | Read Write Edit Glob Grep |
| compatibility | Best for repositories and docs-as-code workflows where the output lives in Markdown, ADR directories, architecture docs, runbooks, migration docs, or internal knowledge bases.
|
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"tags":"technical-writing, documentation, specs, architecture, adr, runbooks, migration, developer-docs, docs-as-code","platforms":"Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini","version":"2.1.0","modernization":"2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z","hardening":"2026-04-17T00:00:00.000Z"} |
Technical Writing
Use this skill when the deliverable is internal technical documentation for builders and operators.
technical-writing is the documentation-cluster anchor for:
- technical specs
- architecture docs
- ADRs / decision records
- runbooks and incident procedures
- rollout / rollback / migration guides
- developer-facing implementation or maintenance guides
Read these support docs before choosing the mode or boundary:
When to use this skill
- A team needs a technical spec before implementation starts
- An engineer needs an architecture document or ADR that records trade-offs and decisions
- Ops needs a runbook, rollback guide, or incident response procedure
- A migration or rollout needs a durable written path with validation and rollback notes
- A developer-facing internal guide needs to explain how a system works and how to work on it safely
When not to use this skill
- Published API docs, SDK docs, OpenAPI reference, developer portal content →
api-documentation
- Release notes,
CHANGELOG.md, migration announcements for customers/devs → changelog-maintenance
- Slides, pitch decks, roadmap presentations, architecture demos →
presentation-builder
- Product positioning, launch copy, GTM messaging, marketing automation →
marketing-automation
- The main job is deciding the feature or API itself before writing the doc →
task-planning, api-design, or the relevant planning skill first
Instructions
Step 1: Classify one primary mode
Normalize the request into one primary mode before drafting.
technical_writing_mode:
primary_mode: spec