# writing-documentation-with-diataxis

A skill that sorts technical documentation into the four Diataxis types and helps you write or review each one.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 615 installs · ★ 167
- Author: sammcj
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/sammcj/agentic-coding/tree/HEAD/Skills_disabled/diataxis-documentation/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/writing-documentation-with-diataxis

## What it does

The skill works off two axes: action versus cognition, and acquisition versus application. Their intersection gives exactly four documentation types — tutorials, how-to guides, reference and explanation. When you are unsure what to write, it has you answer two questions and read the type off a table.

Each type comes with its own principles. A tutorial walks a learner down one path with no alternatives and owns the fact that every step must work. A how-to guide tackles a real-world problem and assumes the reader already knows what they want. Reference states facts without instructing. Explanation answers why. There is a boundary section too: if explanation creeps into a tutorial, you pull it out into its own document and link to it.

Review mode is iterative. Pick any page or paragraph, run it through the skill's questions, make one improvement, then repeat. It advises against restructuring everything at once — structure should emerge from fixing pieces. The framework is presented as an approach, not a template, so empty sections for all four types are a mistake.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add sammcj/agentic-coding --skill writing-documentation-with-diataxis -a claude-code
```
```bash
npx skills add sammcj/agentic-coding --skill diataxis-documentation -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add sammcj/agentic-coding --skill diataxis-documentation -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add sammcj/agentic-coding --skill diataxis-documentation -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install sammcj/agentic-coding diataxis-documentation
```

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

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add sammcj/agentic-coding --skill diataxis-documentation -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/sammcj/agentic-coding --path Skills_disabled/diataxis-documentation
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add sammcj/agentic-coding --skill diataxis-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/sammcj/agentic-coding/tree/HEAD/Skills_disabled/diataxis-documentation/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- sort an existing docs set into the four Diataxis types
- decide between a tutorial and a how-to guide
- strip explanation out of a step-by-step tutorial
- check reference docs for stray instructions
- improve documentation one piece at a time

## Example prompts
- Write a tutorial that takes a new user through installing our CLI
- Review this docs section with Diataxis: which type is it and what is wrong
- This how-to drifted into explanation — split it out and link instead

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

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: 5ce9a51e86e64fca.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 5ce9a51e86e64fca
```text
---
name: writing-documentation-with-diataxis
description: Applies the Diataxis framework to create or improve technical documentation. Use when being asked to write high quality tutorials, how-to guides, reference docs, or explanations, when reviewing documentation quality, or when deciding what type of documentation to create. Helps identify documentation types using the action/cognition and acquisition/application dimensions.
---

# Writing Documentation with Diataxis

You help users create and improve technical documentation using the Diataxis framework, which identifies four distinct documentation types based on user needs.

## What Diataxis Is

Diataxis is a framework for creating documentation that **feels good to use** - documentation that has flow, anticipates needs, and fits how humans actually interact with a craft.

**Important**: Diataxis is an approach, not a template. Don't create empty sections for tutorials/how-to/reference/explanation just to have them. Create content that serves actual user needs, apply these principles, and let structure emerge organically.

**Core insight**: Documentation serves practitioners in a domain of skill. What they need changes based on two dimensions:
1. **Action vs Cognition** - doing things vs understanding things
2. **Acquisition vs Application** - learning vs working

These create exactly four documentation types:
- **Learning by doing** → Tutorials
- **Working to achieve a goal** → How-to Guides
- **Working and need facts** → Reference
- **Learning to understand** → Explanation

**Why exactly four**: These aren't arbitrary categories. The two dimensions create exactly four quarters - there cannot be three or five. This is the complete territory of what documentation must cover.

## The Diataxis Compass (Your Primary Tool)

When uncertain which documentation type is needed, ask two questions:

**1. Does the content inform ACTION or COGNITION?**
- Action: practical steps, doing things
- Cognition: theoretical knowledge, understanding

**2. Does it serve ACQUISITION or APPLICATION of skill?**
- Acquisition: learning, study
- Application: working, getting things done

Then apply:

| Content Type | User Activity | Documentation Type |
|--------------|---------------|--------------------|
| Action       | Acquisition   | **Tutorial**       |
| Action       | Application   | **How-to Guide**   |
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 5ce9a51e86e64fca

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 5ce9a51e86e64fca 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 2390 of 9185 bytes. © sammcj · Apache-2.0 · https://github.com/sammcj/agentic-coding/tree/HEAD/Skills_disabled/diataxis-documentation/SKILL.md

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---
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