diff --git a/.claude/skills/writing-style/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/writing-style/SKILL.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..f4ab6f0b3 --- /dev/null +++ b/.claude/skills/writing-style/SKILL.md @@ -0,0 +1,94 @@ +--- +name: writing-style +description: >- + Style guide for all prose authored in this repo: mintlify docs pages, OpenAPI + field and endpoint descriptions, changelog entries, READMEs, PR descriptions, + PR review comments, and commit messages. Read BEFORE drafting, not after. + Based on the Google developer documentation style guide + (developers.google.com/style). Triggers: writing or editing any .mdx page, + schema description, guide, PR description, or review comment. +--- + +# Writing style + +Technical prose in this repo follows the Google developer documentation style +guide, condensed below. The goal is plain, direct writing that does not read +as AI-generated. + +Exception: pages under `mintlify/legal/` are verbatim text provided by Legal. +Do not restyle them; change them only as instructed, word for word. + +## Sentences + +- Active voice. Name who does the action: "Grid retries the payout", not + "the payout is retried". Passive is fine when the actor is irrelevant + ("the quote expires after 30 seconds"). +- Second person for instructions: "you", not "we" or "the user". +- Present tense: "the webhook fires when the transaction settles", not + "will fire". +- Condition before instruction: "To receive status updates, register a + webhook", not "Register a webhook if you want status updates". Same for + links: "For supported currencies, see X", not "See X for supported + currencies". +- One idea per sentence. Short sentences, but complete ones. No fragments + for effect. +- Say it once and stop. Cut any sentence that restates the previous one. + +## Words + +- Plain words over jargon and buzzwords. Name the actual endpoint, field, + status, error code, or currency, not "the system" or "the workflow". +- Never "simply", "just", "easy", or "quickly" in instructions. +- No placeholder phrases: "please note", "at this time", "it's worth + noting", "keep in mind". +- No figurative language, metaphors, or pop-culture references. +- Introduce a term once, then use it consistently. Don't rotate synonyms + for variety. + +## Formatting + +- Sentence case for titles and headings. +- Numbered lists only for ordered steps; bullets for everything else. One + concrete behavior per bullet. +- Serial comma. +- Code font for endpoints, fields, values, and commands. Bold for UI + elements. +- Link text describes the destination ("see the quote lifecycle"), never + "click here" or a bare "here". +- Unambiguous dates (2026-08-19 or "August 19, 2026"). +- No exclamation marks. +- No em-dashes. Use commas, periods, parentheses, or restructure the + sentence. + +## Content + +- Write for a reader who was not in the working session. No shorthand or + codenames invented while drafting; spell out what happens. +- Don't document unreleased or future behavior. Describe only what the API + does today. +- Paste real request/response bodies and error payloads in code blocks; + never paraphrase what the API returns. +- State trade-offs directly: "chose X over Y because Z". No hedging, no + selling. +- Structure follows the content: add a heading or bullet list only when + there are genuinely multiple items. +- Lead with the conclusion or the change; background after. +- No summary or conclusion sections that restate the page. + +## PR descriptions and review comments + +- PR descriptions say what changed and why, in complete sentences, one + behavior per bullet. The test plan states what was actually run. +- Review comments open with the point ("nit:", "question:") and quote the + specific line or output. One finding per comment. Frame a suggestion as a + question when the author may know something you don't. + +## De-AI pass (run last, on every draft) + +- No AI jargon or grand framing: "first-class", "end-to-end", "robust", + "seamless", "leverage", "holistic", "comprehensive", "battle-tested". +- No punchy fragments for effect: "No more X.", "The result? Y.", "Simple." +- No "It's not X, it's Y" constructions, rhetorical questions, or triadic + flourishes ("faster, safer, simpler"). +- If a sentence could open a product blog post, rewrite it as a statement + of fact.