# Documentation Strategy > Documentation levels and types (README, architecture, API, runbooks), keeping docs current and discoverable. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/documentation-strategy` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/documentation-strategy` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/documentation-strategy/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/documentation-strategy --- # Documentation Strategy Planning documentation so engineers can find what they need. ## Context You are planning documentation for a project or team. Multiple levels serve different needs. ## Domain Context - **README**: First thing people read; quick start - **Architecture**: How system is organized; key decisions - **API Docs**: How to use services; generated from schema - **Runbooks**: How to respond to alerts; specific procedures - **ADR**: Why we chose this tech/approach; decisions recorded - **HOWTO**: Step-by-step guides; "how do I deploy?" ## Instructions 1. **README**: Installation, basic usage, links to more docs 2. **Architecture**: System diagram, component responsibilities, data flows 3. **API**: Schema-driven docs; keep in sync automatically 4. **Runbooks**: One per alert; decision trees for diagnosis 5. **ADR**: Decisions recorded; future maintainers understand why 6. **Keep Current**: Outdated docs are worse than no docs 7. **Searchable**: Good naming, cross-links, table of contents ## Anti-Patterns - Documentation in people's heads; knowledge walks out - Scattered docs; team can't find them - Out-of-date docs; misinformation spreads - Too much prose; too little examples - No diagrams; hard to visualize architecture - No maintenance plan; docs decay ## Further Reading - Diátaxis documentation framework (Procida) - Google Technical Writing Course - Write the Docs community --- > Source: [sethdford/claude-skills](https://github.com/sethdford/claude-skills) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).