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Google Style Documentation Writer Skill

A comprehensive Agent Skill for writing technical documentation following Google's Developer Documentation Style Guide.

Overview

This skill helps AI agents and developers create clear, consistent, and accessible technical documentation that follows Google's industry-leading standards for developer documentation.

What This Skill Covers

  • Voice and tone: Second person, active voice, present tense, conversational style
  • Structure: Proper document organization from title to conclusion
  • Formatting: Code blocks, UI elements, placeholders, command-line examples
  • Accessibility: Inclusive language, proper heading hierarchy, descriptive links
  • Instructions: Clear, numbered steps with one action each
  • Examples: Complete, runnable code examples with explanations
  • Word choice: Google-preferred terminology and phrases to avoid

When to Use This Skill

Copilot will automatically use this skill when you: - Ask to create or write documentation - Request documentation reviews or edits - Need help with technical writing - Want to ensure docs follow Google's style

You can also explicitly invoke it: - "Write API documentation using Google style" - "Review this documentation for Google style compliance" - "Create a tutorial following Google documentation standards"

Quick Start

  1. For new documentation: Ask Copilot to "Create a [guide/tutorial/reference] for [topic] using Google style"
  2. For reviews: Ask to "Review [filename] for Google style compliance"
  3. For specific sections: Ask "Write a [section] for [topic] following Google documentation standards"

Key Principles

The skill enforces these core principles: 1. Clarity: Simple, direct language 2. Consistency: Uniform terminology and structure 3. Accessibility: Content accessible to all users 4. Inclusivity: Bias-free, inclusive language 5. Global audience: Works for international readers

Examples

Writing a How-To Guide

Create a how-to guide for setting up OAuth authentication following Google style

Reviewing Documentation

Review docs/api-reference.md and suggest improvements for Google style compliance

Creating API Documentation

Write API documentation for the authenticate() function using Google documentation standards

File Contents

  • SKILL.md: Complete instructions for the AI agent (this is what Copilot reads)
  • README.md: This file - human-readable overview
  • QUICKREF.md: Quick reference guide with checklists and common patterns

Additional Resources

Version

Created: January 2026
Compatible with: GitHub Copilot, Claude, and other Agent Skills-compatible AI assistants

License

MIT License - See parent repository for full license text