# go-documentation

This skill directs coding agents on godoc conventions, testable examples, and project documentation for Go. It helps write docs that render cleanly on pkg.go.dev.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 83
- Author: eduardo-sl
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/(code-quality)/go-documentation/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-15
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/eduardo-sl-go-documentation

## What it does

The skill guides an AI assistant through official Go documentation conventions. Exported identifiers receive complete sentence comments starting with the symbol name. The text covers behavior, nil handling, error paths, and concurrency guarantees instead of repeating function signatures. If a package comment grows beyond a few sentences, it belongs in a standalone `doc.go` file.

It also enforces Go 1.19+ doc links like `[Type.Method]`, structured `Deprecated:` notices, and testable examples. Example functions live in `example_test.go` and require an `// Output:` block. That way, `go test` executes them alongside standard test suites. Project-level guidelines cover README structures, changelogs following Keep a Changelog, and `llms.txt`.

Running checks requires an installed Go toolchain with `gofmt` and `go vet` available in the environment. Note that explicit repository-level rules will override this skill if configured.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills --skill go-documentation -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/go-documentation/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/go-documentation/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills --skill go-documentation -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/go-documentation/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills --skill go-documentation -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/go-documentation/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills go-documentation
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/go-documentation/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills --skill go-documentation -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills --path 'skills/(code-quality)/go-documentation'
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/go-documentation/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills --skill go-documentation -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/(code-quality)/go-documentation/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- document exported Go identifiers using godoc conventions
- create testable functions in `example_test.go` with output validation
- mark obsolete APIs with formatted `Deprecated:` notices and replacements
- write project documentation including README, CHANGELOG, and `llms.txt`

## Example prompts
- Add godoc comments to all exported types and functions in this package
- Write a testable Example function with expected output for ParseDuration
- Deprecate the Fetch method and link callers to FetchContext instead

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: d8fa60166b9b33f1.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE d8fa60166b9b33f1
````text
---
name: go-documentation
description: >
  Go documentation conventions: godoc comments, package docs, testable
  Example functions, deprecation notices, doc links, and project docs
  (README, CHANGELOG, llms.txt). Use when: "add godoc", "document this
  package", "write doc comments", "add examples to docs", "deprecate a
  function", "write a README", "update the changelog", "improve the docs".
  Not for: commit messages (git-commit), code style (go-coding-standards).
user-invocable: true
license: MIT
compatibility: Designed for Claude Code or similar AI coding agents working on Go projects. Requires the Go toolchain.
allowed-tools: Read Edit Write Glob Grep Bash(go:*) Bash(gofmt:*)
metadata:
  author: eduardo-sl
  version: "1.2.1"
---

# Go Documentation

Godoc is not free-form prose — it's a convention the toolchain renders.
Comments that follow the convention become browsable documentation on
pkg.go.dev; comments that don't become noise.

> Community default. A project skill or agent-config rule that explicitly
> supersedes `go-documentation` takes precedence over this one.

Detailed reference material, loaded on demand:

- `references/project-docs.md` — README templates for libraries and
  services, CHANGELOG, llms.txt, CONTRIBUTING.

Read a reference file only when the summary below is not enough.

## 1. Doc Comment Form

Every exported identifier gets a doc comment. It starts with the
identifier's name and is a complete sentence:

```go
// ✅ Good
// ParseDuration parses a duration string such as "300ms" or "2h45m".
// It returns an error if the string is not a valid duration.
func ParseDuration(s string) (Duration, error) { ... }

// ❌ Bad — doesn't start with the name, fragment, restates signature
// this function parses durations
func ParseDuration(s string) (Duration, error) { ... }
```

- Groups of related constants/variables may share one comment on the
  block: `// Common HTTP methods.` above the `const (...)` group.
- Unexported identifiers: comment when the purpose isn't obvious from
  the name — same form, no obligation.
- Say what the caller needs: behavior, error conditions, nil/zero-value
  handling, concurrency safety. Not the implementation.

## 2. Package Documentation

One package comment per package, on the `package` clause. For more than
a few sentences, put it in a dedicated `doc.go`:

```go
// Package retry implements backoff strategies for retrying failed
// operations.
//
// The zero value of Policy retries three times with exponential
// backoff. Use functional options to customize:
//
//	p := retry.NewPolicy(retry.WithMaxAttempts(5))
//	err := p.Do(ctx, fetchUser)
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE d8fa60166b9b33f1

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the d8fa60166b9b33f1 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2654 of 6973 bytes. © eduardo-sl · MIT · https://github.com/eduardo-sl/go-agent-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/(code-quality)/go-documentation/SKILL.md

_Part of the page did not fit — see the HTML version._

---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md