Documentation Simplification (Meaning-Preserving)

Transform technical/product docs into shorter, clearer text without altering meaning. Preserve terminology, APIs, paths, config keys, and (unless allowed) structure.

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Usage Scenarios

Use this Skill when you need to:

• Shorten documentation while preserving meaning
• Keep technical identifiers unchanged (APIs, paths, config keys)
• Improve clarity and consistency across multiple docs

Do NOT use this Skill when:

• You need structural rewrites or marketing copy
• You need translation/localization
• You must add new content or change technical facts

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Core Principles

1. Meaning first — never change constraints or behavior.
2. Identifiers are sacred — APIs/paths/config keys remain unchanged.
3. Structure is stable — keep headings and code blocks unless explicitly allowed.
4. Brevity with precision — shorter, but still exact.

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Workflow

1. Confirm scope: target files, audience, and whether headings can change.
2. Scan structure: map headings, lists, tables, and code blocks; flag verbose sections.
3. Simplify:
   • Sentence level: remove redundancy, merge repeats, use active verbs.
   • List level: dedupe items, compress descriptions, keep all information.
   • Table level: shorten “description/usage” cells while retaining key terms.
4. Guardrails:
   • Do not change meaning or technical identifiers.
   • Keep code blocks and examples unless clearly redundant.
   • Keep heading hierarchy unless permission to restructure.
5. Consistency pass: terminology, punctuation, and tone.
6. Summarize changes: list edited files and high‑level edits.
7. Handle ambiguity: if a change could alter meaning, ask a minimal clarification.

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Quality Gates

• No technical identifiers changed.
• No meaning/constraints altered.
• Code blocks and paths preserved.
• Lists/tables remain complete.

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References

Topic	Description	Reference
Concise Editing Guide	Rules and examples for meaning‑preserving edits	reference