# Technical Documentation

> Write clear, accurate, and maintainable technical documentation for APIs, systems, architecture, and developer-facing content. Use when creating or improving API docs, architecture docs, developer guides, or internal technical references.

- Skill: `itsual/technical-documentation` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add itsual/technical-documentation`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/itsual/technical-documentation/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/technical-documentation

---


# Technical Documentation

## Overview

Good technical documentation reduces support burden, speeds onboarding, and prevents knowledge loss. It prioritizes accuracy, discoverability, and the reader’s task.

## When to Use

- API reference and guides
- Architecture and design documentation
- Developer onboarding and how-to guides
- Internal system documentation
- Runbooks that require technical depth

## Core Principles

- Write for the reader’s goal (solve a problem, integrate, understand a system)
- Prefer concrete examples over abstract descriptions
- Keep documentation close to the code when possible
- Version docs with the system they describe
- Distinguish reference (what) from tutorials (how) from explanation (why)
- Make the happy path obvious; document edge cases and errors clearly

## Recommended Structure (API / System Docs)

1. Overview and purpose
2. Quickstart / getting started
3. Core concepts
4. Reference (endpoints, schemas, configuration)
5. Examples and recipes
6. Error handling and troubleshooting
7. Changelog / versioning notes

## Verification

- [ ] A new reader can complete a basic task using only the docs
- [ ] Examples are accurate and up to date
- [ ] Ambiguous terms are defined
- [ ] Error cases and limits are documented