Explanation Documentation Skill

This skill provides patterns for writing effective explanation documents. Explanations are understanding-oriented content for readers who want to know why things work the way they do.

Dependency: Use this skill with docs-style for core writing principles. To confirm explanation is the right type — rather than a tutorial, how-to, or reference — see docs-style/references/diataxis-compass.md.

Purpose & Audience

Target readers:

• Users who want to understand concepts deeply, not just use them
• Architects and technical leads evaluating design decisions
• Team members onboarding to a codebase or system
• Anyone asking "why?" or "how does this work?"

Explanations are for reading away from the keyboard. Unlike tutorials or how-to guides, readers aren't trying to accomplish a task while reading. They're building mental models.