Skills Development Technical Documentation Templates and Guidelines

Technical Documentation Templates and Guidelines

v20260427
documentation-templates
This guide provides comprehensive templates and best practices for structuring all types of technical documentation. It covers essential formats including README files, REST API endpoints, code comments (JSDoc), Changelogs, Architecture Decision Records (ADR), and AI-optimized documentation. Use these templates to ensure your project documentation is standardized, scannable, and easily consumable by both human developers and AI agents.
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Overview

Documentation Templates

Templates and structure guidelines for common documentation types.


1. README Structure

Essential Sections (Priority Order)

Section Purpose
Title + One-liner What is this?
Quick Start Running in <5 min
Features What can I do?
Configuration How to customize
API Reference Link to detailed docs
Contributing How to help
License Legal

README Template

# Project Name

Brief one-line description.

## Quick Start

[Minimum steps to run]

## Features

- Feature 1
- Feature 2

## Configuration

| Variable | Description | Default |
|----------|-------------|---------|
| PORT | Server port | 3000 |

## Documentation

- API Reference
- Architecture

## License

MIT

2. API Documentation Structure

Per-Endpoint Template

## GET /users/:id

Get a user by ID.

**Parameters:**
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|------|------|----------|-------------|
| id | string | Yes | User ID |

**Response:**
- 200: User object
- 404: User not found

**Example:**
[Request and response example]

3. Code Comment Guidelines

JSDoc/TSDoc Template

/**
 * Brief description of what the function does.
 * 
 * @param paramName - Description of parameter
 * @returns Description of return value
 * @throws ErrorType - When this error occurs
 * 
 * @example
 * const result = functionName(input);
 */

When to Comment

✅ Comment ❌ Don't Comment
Why (business logic) What (obvious)
Complex algorithms Every line
Non-obvious behavior Self-explanatory code
API contracts Implementation details

4. Changelog Template (Keep a Changelog)

# Changelog

## [Unreleased]
### Added
- New feature

## [1.0.0] - 2025-01-01
### Added
- Initial release
### Changed
- Updated dependency
### Fixed
- Bug fix

5. Architecture Decision Record (ADR)

# ADR-001: [Title]

## Status
Accepted / Deprecated / Superseded

## Context
Why are we making this decision?

## Decision
What did we decide?

## Consequences
What are the trade-offs?

6. AI-Friendly Documentation (2025)

llms.txt Template

For AI crawlers and agents:

# Project Name
> One-line objective.

## Core Files
- [src/index.ts]: Main entry
- [src/api/]: API routes
- [docs/]: Documentation

## Key Concepts
- Concept 1: Brief explanation
- Concept 2: Brief explanation

MCP-Ready Documentation

For RAG indexing:

  • Clear H1-H3 hierarchy
  • JSON/YAML examples for data structures
  • Mermaid diagrams for flows
  • Self-contained sections

7. Structure Principles

Principle Why
Scannable Headers, lists, tables
Examples first Show, don't just tell
Progressive detail Simple → Complex
Up to date Outdated = misleading

Remember: Templates are starting points. Adapt to your project's needs.

When to Use

This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

Limitations

  • Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
  • Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
  • Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
Info
Category Development
Name documentation-templates
Version v20260427
Size 3.63KB
Updated At 2026-04-28
Language