
Update Docs
After you ship code changes, sync READMEs, API docs, guides, and JSDoc so docs match what actually ships.
Overview
update-docs is an agent skill most often used in Build (also Ship, Operate) that updates project documentation for local code changes using a multi-agent tech-writer workflow.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/neolabhq/context-engineering-kit --skill update-docsWhat is this skill?
- Orchestrates multi-agent documentation updates using specialized tech-writer agents
- Scopes work to uncommitted changes or latest commit when no args are passed
- Supports optional focus: target directory, api, guides, readme, or jsdoc via argument-hint
- Uses Context7 MCP for accurate technical information gathering
- Emphasizes token efficiency, progressive disclosure, and avoiding documentation bloat
- Covers four documentation surfaces: docs/, READMEs, JSDoc, and API documentation
Adoption & trust: 558 installs on skills.sh; 1.1k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You merged or edited code but READMEs, API docs, guides, and JSDoc still describe the old behavior.
Who is it for?
Indie developers and small teams who refactor often and want agents to propagate doc edits in parallel with code review or pre-release checks.
Skip if: Greenfield projects with no code yet, or teams that only want a one-off marketing landing page with no tie to the codebase.
When should I use this skill?
After implementing new features or refactoring, when documentation must reflect local or latest-commit changes; optional args for directory or doc type.
What do I get? / Deliverables
Documentation across docs/, READMEs, JSDoc, and API surfaces is revised to reflect your latest local or committed changes with clearer, leaner prose.
- Updated documentation files aligned to current code
- Revised README and API reference sections where applicable
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Documentation maintenance is canonically shelved under Build because it tracks uncommitted or latest-commit code changes—the default trigger is right after implementation work. The skill explicitly targets docs/, READMEs, JSDoc, and API documentation with tech-writer agents, which maps directly to the docs subphase.
Where it fits
Refresh OpenAPI or endpoint docs after you rename routes in the latest uncommitted diff.
Regenerate guides under docs/ when a refactor changes public behavior.
Align README setup steps with what reviewers will actually run on the release branch.
Patch JSDoc and changelog-style notes after a hotfix commit lands.
How it compares
Use instead of asking the agent to "update the README" ad hoc without a scoped diff-to-docs workflow.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is update-docs for?
Solo and indie builders using Claude Code-style agents who already changed application code and need technical documentation to stay trustworthy for future them and collaborators.
When should I use update-docs?
After implementing features or refactors in Build, before release notes in Ship, or when Operate handoffs need accurate API and README references—especially when uncommitted changes exist.
Is update-docs safe to install?
Review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page for install risk and file-hash signals; the skill references external agents and Context7 MCP, so confirm those paths match your repo before running.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Update Docs
# Update Documentation for Local Changes <task> You are a technical documentation specialist who maintains living documentation that serves real user needs. Your mission is to create clear, concise, and useful documentation while ruthlessly avoiding documentation bloat and maintenance overhead. </task> <context> References: - Tech Writer Agent: @/plugins/sdd/agents/tech-writer.md - Documentation principles and quality standards - Token efficiency and progressive disclosure patterns - Context7 MCP for accurate technical information gathering </context> ## User Arguments User can provide specific focus areas or documentation types: ```text $ARGUMENTS ``` If nothing is provided, focus on all documentation needs for uncommitted changes. If everything is committed, cover the latest commit. ## Context After implementing new features or refactoring existing code, documentation must be updated to reflect changes. This command orchestrates automated documentation updates using specialized tech-writer agents and parallel analysis. ## Goal Ensure all code changes are properly documented with clear, maintainable documentation that helps users accomplish real tasks. ## Important Constraints - **Focus on user-facing impact** - not every code change needs documentation - **Preserve existing documentation style** - follow established patterns - **Analyse complexity of changes**: - If there are 3+ changed files affecting documentation, or significant API changes → **Use multi-agent workflow** - If there are 1-2 simple changes → **Write documentation yourself** - **Documentation must justify its existence** - avoid bloat and maintenance overhead ## Workflow Steps ### Preparation 1. **Read SADD skill if available** - If available, read the SADD skill to understand best practices for managing agents 2. **Discover documentation infrastructure** - CRITICAL: You MUST read root README.md and project config (package.json, pyproject.toml, etc.) - Identify existing documentation structure (docs/, README files, JSDoc) - Understand project conventions and documentation patterns - Check for documentation generation tools (OpenAPI, JSDoc, TypeDoc) 3. **Inventory existing documentation** ```bash # Find all documentation files find . -name "*.md" -o -name "*.rst" | grep -E "(README|CHANGELOG|CONTRIBUTING|docs/)" # Check for generated docs find . -name "openapi.*" -o -name "*.graphql" -o -name "swagger.*" ``` ### Analysis Do steps 4-5 in parallel using haiku agents: 4. **Analyze documentation structure** - Launch haiku agent to map existing documentation: - Identify docs/ folder structure and organization - Find all README.md files and their purposes - Locate API documentation (generated or manual) - Note JSDoc/TSDoc patterns in codebase - Output: Documentation map with locations and types 5. **Analyze local changes** - Run `git status -u` to identify all changed files (including untracked) - If no uncommitted changes, run `git show --name-status` for latest commit - Filter to identify documentation-impacting changes: - New/modified public APIs - Changed module structures - Updated configuration options - New features or workflows - Launch separate haiku agents per changed file to: - Analyze the file and its documentation impact - Identify what documentation needs to be created/updated - Identify index documents that need updates (see Index Documents section) - Prepare short summary of documentation requirements - Extract list of documentation tasks ### Documentation Planning 6. **Group changes by documentation area