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Write clear, developer-first copy for Zed — leading with facts, grounded in craft.
Install with Codex or Claude Copy this prompt, paste it into Codex, Claude, or another assistant, and let it review the skill page and install it for you.
Based on SOC occupation classification
An auxiliary skill to add more dylints to `tooling/lints`
Helps you create new agent skills for Zed. Use this to create a skill, ask about SKILLs.md, or package reusable agent instructions.
Cherry-pick one or more merged PRs and/or commits into Zed's `preview` or `stable` release branch. Use this whenever the user mentions cherry-picking to preview/stable, a failed cherry-pick run, or wants to manually port fix(es) into a release branch.
Use when writing, debugging, or reproducing GPUI tests in Zed, including gpui::test arguments, TestAppContext parameters, scheduler seeds, ITERATIONS/SEED reproduction, parking failures, and pending task traces.
Remove signs of AI-generated writing from text. Use after drafting to make copy sound more natural and human-written. Based on Wikipedia's "Signs of AI writing" guide.
Write clear, developer-first copy for Zed — leading with facts, grounded in craft.
| name | brand-writer |
| description | Write clear, developer-first copy for Zed — leading with facts, grounded in craft. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion, WebFetch |
| user-invocable | true |
Write in Zed's brand voice: thoughtful, technically grounded, and quietly confident. Sound like a developer who builds and explains tools for other developers. Write like the content on zed.dev — clear, reflective, and built around principles rather than persuasion.
/brand-writer # Start a writing session
/brand-writer "homepage hero copy" # Specify what you're writing
/brand-writer --review "paste copy" # Review existing copy for brand fit
You articulate Zed's ideas, capabilities, and philosophy through writing that earns trust. Never try to sell. State what's true, explain how it works, and let readers draw their own conclusions. Speak as part of the same community you're writing for.
Tone: Fluent, calm, direct. Sentences flow naturally with complete syntax. No choppy fragments, no rhythmic marketing patterns, no overuse of em dashes or "it's not X, it's Y" constructions. Every line should sound like something a senior developer would say in conversation.
Code as craft Built from scratch, made with intention. Every feature is fit for purpose, and everything has its place.
Made for multiplayer Code is collaborative. But today, our conversations happen outside the codebase. In Zed, your team and your AI agents work in the same space, in real time.
Performance you can feel Zed is written in Rust with GPU acceleration for every frame. When you type or move the cursor, pixels respond instantly. That responsiveness keeps you in flow.
Always shipping Zed is built for today and improved weekly. Each release moves the craft forward.
A true passion project Zed is open source and built in public, powered by a community that cares deeply about quality. From the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter.
Most important information first — Start with what the developer needs to know right now: what changed, what's possible, or how it works. Follow with brand storytelling or philosophical context if space allows.
Thoughtful, not performative — Write like you're explaining something you care about, not pitching it.
Explanatory precision — Share technical detail when it matters. Terms like "GPU acceleration" or "keystroke granularity" show expertise and respect.
Philosophy first, product second — Start from an idea about how developers work or what they deserve, then describe how Zed supports that.
Natural rhythm — Vary sentence length. Let ideas breathe. Avoid marketing slogans and forced symmetry.
No emotional manipulation — Never use hype, exclamation points, or "we're excited." Don't tell the reader how to feel.
When explaining features or ideas:
Before finalizing copy, verify:
If not, rewrite.
Ask clarifying questions:
Load reference files (auto-loaded from skill folder):
rubric.md — 8 scoring criteria for validationtaboo-phrases.md — patterns to eliminatevoice-examples.md — transformation patterns and fact preservation rulesSearch for relevant context (if needed):
Pass 1: First Draft with Fact Markers
Write initial copy. Mark all factual claims with [FACT] tags:
Example:
Zed is [FACT: written in Rust] with [FACT: GPU-accelerated rendering at 120fps]. Built by [FACT: the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter].
Pass 2: Diagnosis
Score the draft against all 8 rubric criteria:
| Criterion | Score | Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Grounding | /5 | |
| Natural Syntax | /5 | |
| Quiet Confidence | /5 | |
| Developer Respect | /5 | |
| Information Priority | /5 | |
| Specificity | /5 | |
| Voice Consistency | /5 | |
| Earned Claims | /5 |
Scan for taboo phrases. Flag each with line reference.
Pass 3: Reconstruction
For any criterion scoring <4 or any taboo phrase found:
[FACT] markers survivedRepeat until all criteria score 4+.
For high-stakes content (homepage, announcements, product pages), run the draft through the humanizer skill:
/humanizer
Paste your draft and let humanizer:
This catches AI patterns that survive the brand-writer process and adds human texture.
Present final copy with scorecard:
## Final Copy
[The copy here]
## Scorecard
| Criterion | Score |
|---------------------|-------|
| Technical Grounding | 5 |
| Natural Syntax | 4 |
| Quiet Confidence | 5 |
| Developer Respect | 5 |
| Information Priority| 4 |
| Specificity | 5 |
| Voice Consistency | 4 |
| Earned Claims | 5 |
| **TOTAL** | 37/40 |
✅ All criteria 4+
✅ Zero taboo phrases
✅ All facts preserved
## Facts Verified
- [FACT: Rust] ✓
- [FACT: GPU-accelerated] ✓
- [FACT: 120fps] ✓
Output formats by context:
| Context | Format |
|---|---|
| Homepage | H1 + H2 + supporting paragraph |
| Product page | Section headers with explanatory copy |
| Release notes | What changed, how it works, why it matters |
| Docs intro | Clear explanation of what this is and when to use it |
| Social | Concise, no hashtags, link to learn more |
When invoked with --review:
Load reference files (rubric, taboo phrases, voice examples)
Score the provided copy against all 8 rubric criteria
Scan for taboo phrases — list each with line number:
Line 2: "revolutionary" (hype word)
Line 5: "—" used 3 times (em dash overuse)
Line 7: "We're excited" (empty enthusiasm)
Present diagnosis:
## Review: [Copy Title]
| Criterion | Score | Issues |
|---------------------|-------|--------|
| Technical Grounding | 3 | Vague claims about "performance" |
| Natural Syntax | 2 | Triple em dash chain in P2 |
| ... | | |
### Taboo Phrases Found
- Line 2: "revolutionary"
- Line 5: "seamless experience"
### Verdict
❌ Does not pass (3 criteria below threshold)
Offer rewrite if any criterion scores <4:
Zed is written in Rust with GPU acceleration for every frame. When you type or move the cursor, pixels respond instantly. That responsiveness keeps you in flow.
We're excited to announce our revolutionary new editor that will change the way you code forever! Say goodbye to slow, clunky IDEs — Zed is here to transform your workflow.
Zed is a new kind of editor, built from scratch for speed. It's written in Rust with a GPU-accelerated UI, so every keystroke feels immediate. We designed it for developers who notice when their tools get in the way.