# Style Guide

> Create practical style guides that enforce consistency in writing, terminology, tone, and formatting across documents or products. Use when establishing content standards for a team, product, brand, or documentation set.

- Skill: `itsual/style-guide` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add itsual/style-guide`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/itsual/style-guide/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: itsual (https://skillmd.com/u/itsual)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/itsual/style-guide

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# Style Guide

## Overview

A style guide reduces inconsistency and decision fatigue. It should be usable in daily work, not just aspirational.

## When to Use

- Documentation or content team standards
- Brand or product voice guidelines
- Engineering / API terminology standards
- Multi-author report or proposal consistency

## Common Sections

- Purpose and scope
- Voice and tone
- Grammar and mechanics (as needed)
- Terminology and glossary (preferred terms, forbidden terms)
- Formatting conventions (headings, lists, code, dates, numbers)
- Inclusive language guidance
- Examples of good vs. poor usage
- How to propose changes

## Principles

- Prefer short, enforceable rules over long essays
- Show examples for every important rule
- Make the guide easy to search
- Start with the highest-impact inconsistencies
- Keep it living — version and improve it

## Verification

- [ ] Authors can resolve common questions without debate
- [ ] Examples make the expected standard obvious
- [ ] The guide is actually referenced in review processes