wshobson HADS Claude Skill
Version 1.0.0 · Human-AI Document Standard · 2026 · HADS 1.0.0
AI READING INSTRUCTION
This skill teaches Claude how to read, generate, and validate HADS documents.
Read all [SPEC] blocks before responding to any HADS-related request.
Read [NOTE] blocks if you need context on intent or edge cases.
1. WHAT IS HADS
[SPEC]
- HADS = Human-AI Document Standard
- Convention for Markdown technical documentation
- Four block types:
**[SPEC]**,**[NOTE]**,**[BUG]**,**[?]** - Every HADS document requires: H1 title, version declaration, AI manifest
- AI manifest appears before first content section, tells AI what to read/skip
- File extension:
.md— standard Markdown, no tooling required
2. BLOCK TYPES
[SPEC]
**[SPEC]** Authoritative fact. Terse. Bullet lists, tables, code. AI reads always.
**[NOTE]** Human context, history, examples. AI may skip.
**[BUG]** Verified failure + fix. Required fields: symptom, cause, fix. Always read.
**[?]** Unverified / inferred. Lower confidence. Always flagged.
Block tag rules:
- Bold, on its own line:
**[SPEC]** - Content follows immediately (no blank line between tag and content)
- Multiple blocks of different types allowed per section
- Titled BUG blocks allowed:
**[BUG] Short description** - No nesting of blocks inside blocks
3. REQUIRED DOCUMENT STRUCTURE
[SPEC]
# Document Title
**Version X.Y.Z** · Author · Date · [metadata]
---
## AI READING INSTRUCTION
Read `[SPEC]` and `[BUG]` blocks for authoritative facts.
Read `[NOTE]` only if additional context is needed.
`[?]` blocks are unverified — treat with lower confidence.
---
## 1. First Section
**[SPEC]**
...
Required elements in order:
- H1 title
**Version X.Y.Z**in header (first 20 lines)- AI manifest section before first content section
- Content sections (H2), subsections (H3)
4. HOW CLAUDE READS HADS
[SPEC] When encountering a HADS document:
- Find and read the AI manifest first
- Read all
[SPEC]blocks — these are ground truth - Read all
[BUG]blocks — always, before generating any code or config - Read
[NOTE]blocks only if[SPEC]is insufficient to answer the query - Treat
[?]content as hypothesis — note uncertainty in response
Token optimization: for large documents, scan section headings first, then read only [SPEC] and [BUG] blocks in relevant sections.
5. HOW CLAUDE GENERATES HADS
[SPEC] When asked to write documentation in HADS format:
- Start with header block (title, version, metadata)
- Add AI manifest — always include, never skip
- Organize content into numbered H2 sections
- For each fact: write as
[SPEC]— terse, bullet or table or code - For each "why" or context: write as
[NOTE] - For each known failure mode with confirmed fix: write as
[BUG] - For each unverified claim: write as
[?] - End with changelog section
Content rules for [SPEC]:
- Prefer bullet lists over prose
- Prefer tables for multi-field facts
- Prefer code blocks for syntax, formats, examples
- Maximum 2 sentences of prose — if more needed, move to
[NOTE]
Content rules for [BUG]:
- Always include: symptom, cause, fix
- Optional: affected versions, workaround
- Title on same line:
**[BUG] Short description**
[NOTE]
When converting existing documentation to HADS: extract facts into [SPEC], move narrative and history to [NOTE], surface all known issues as [BUG]. Do not duplicate content between block types.
6. VALIDATION RULES
[SPEC] A valid HADS document must have:
- H1 title
**Version X.Y.Z**in first 20 lines- AI manifest before first content section
- All block tags bold:
**[SPEC]**not[SPEC]not [SPEC] [BUG]blocks contain at minimum symptom + fix
Validator: (planned — not yet included in this release)
7. EXAMPLE INTERACTIONS
[SPEC]
User: "Write HADS documentation for this REST API" → Generate full HADS document: header, manifest, sections with [SPEC]/[NOTE]/[BUG] blocks
User: "Convert this README to HADS format" → Restructure existing content into HADS blocks, preserve all facts, add manifest
User: "Is this document valid HADS?" → Check: H1 title, version, manifest, block tag formatting, BUG block completeness
User: "Summarize this HADS document" → Read only [SPEC] and [BUG] blocks, return structured summary
User: "What does this API do?" (HADS doc provided) → Read manifest, read [SPEC] blocks in relevant sections, answer directly
8. DESIGN INTENT
[NOTE] HADS exists because AI models increasingly read documentation before humans do. The format optimizes for this reality without sacrificing human readability.
Key insight: the AI manifest is the core innovation. It lets even small (7B) models know what to read and what to skip — without requiring them to reason about document structure. Explicit is better than implicit for model consumption.
When generating HADS, think of [SPEC] as the API surface and [NOTE] as the comments. [BUG] blocks are the most valuable content — they represent hard-won knowledge that saves others from hitting the same wall.
9. QUICK REFERENCE
[SPEC]
Tag | Bold format | Reader | Required content
----------|----------------|---------|------------------
[SPEC] | **[SPEC]** | AI | Facts, terse
[NOTE] | **[NOTE]** | Human | Context, narrative
[BUG] | **[BUG] ...** | Both | Symptom + fix
[?] | **[?]** | Both | Unverified claims
Manifest minimum:
## AI READING INSTRUCTION
Read `[SPEC]` and `[BUG]` blocks for authoritative facts.
Read `[NOTE]` only if additional context is needed.
`[?]` blocks are unverified.
Source: wshobson/agents → plugins/documentation-standards/skills/hads/SKILL.md