By name: documentation-patterns license: MIT compatibility: "Claude Code 2.1.170+." description: Technical documentation patterns for READMEs, ADRs, API docs (OpenAPI 3.1), changelogs, and writing style guides. Use when creating project documentation, writing architecture decisions, documenting APIs, or maintaining changelogs. tags: [documentation, readme, adr, api-docs, openapi, changelog, writing-style, technical-writing] version: 1.0.0 author: OrchestKit user-invocable: false disable-model-invocation: true context: inherit complexity: low persuasion-type: reference effort: low allowed-tools: - Read - Glob - Grep
Documentation Patterns
Templates and opinionated structures for technical documentation -- READMEs, Architecture Decision Records, OpenAPI specs, changelogs, and writing style. Each category has individual rule files in rules/ loaded on-demand.
Quick Reference
| Category | Rule | Impact | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| README | 1 | HIGH | Starting a project, onboarding contributors |
| ADR | 1 | HIGH | Recording architecture decisions |
| API Docs | 1 | HIGH | Documenting REST APIs with OpenAPI 3.1 |
| Changelog | 1 | MEDIUM | Maintaining release history |
| Writing Style | 1 | MEDIUM | Any technical writing task |
Total: 5 rules across 5 categories
Quick Start
## README Skeleton
# Project Name
Brief description -> Quick Start -> Installation -> Usage -> API -> Config -> Contributing -> License
## ADR Format
# ADR-001: Title
Status -> Context -> Decision -> Consequences (positive/negative) -> References
## OpenAPI Minimum
openapi: 3.1.0 with info, paths, components/schemas, error responses
## Changelog Entry
## [1.2.0] - 2026-03-05
### Added / Changed / Deprecated / Removed / Fixed / Security
## Writing Rule of Thumb
Active voice, present tense, second person, one idea per sentence
README
Complete README template with all essential sections for open-source and internal projects.
docs-readme-structure-- Project name, quick start, installation, usage, API reference, configuration, contributing, license
Architecture Decision Records
Structured format for capturing architectural decisions with context and consequences.
docs-adr-template-- Status, context, decision, consequences (positive/negative), references
API Documentation
OpenAPI 3.1 specification patterns for consistent, machine-readable API docs.
docs-api-openapi-- Path structure, operation definitions, schema components, error responses (RFC 9457)
Changelog
Keep a Changelog format for curated, human-readable release history.
docs-changelog-format-- Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security sections with semver
Writing Style
Technical writing conventions for clear, scannable documentation.
docs-writing-style-- Active voice, present tense, concise sentences, API doc checklist
Related Skills
ork:api-design-- API design patterns (complements OpenAPI documentation)ork:architecture-decision-record-- ADR workflow and lifecycleork:release-management-- Release process including changelog updates
Version: 1.0.0 (March 2026)