technical-writing

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. Route API portals to `api-documentation`, end-user help/tutorials to `user-guide-writing`, 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:

• references/document-modes-and-boundaries.md
• references/mode-structures.md
• references/quality-checklists.md
• references/docs-as-code-and-maintenance.md

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
• End-user onboarding, screenshots, tutorials, FAQs, help-center flows → user-guide-writing
• 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.