Update Jamdesk

Updates customer-facing documentation in external repositories (not CLAUDE.md). Locates docs via .jamdesk-docs-path, asks clarifying questions, writes documentation, and verifies with the jamdesk CLI.

Announce: "I'm using the update-jamdesk skill to update your documentation."

Use when: User-facing changes to APIs, CLI commands, UI, config options, component behavior, or docs.json schema/features.

Skip when: Internal refactors, test-only changes, build/CI config, performance work without behavior change.

Common mistake: Changes to docs.json format or config handling are user-facing. Even if the change was made inside the docs repo itself, ask: "Does this introduce or change a config pattern that customers use?" If yes, document it.

Critical Rules

Always	Never
Include frontmatter (`title` 50-60 chars, `description` 120-160 chars)	Create stub pages with "TODO"
Use built-in components first	Use `mint.json` (use `docs.json`)
Ask clarifying questions before writing	Skip verification
State prerequisites up front	Include secrets, tokens, or real customer data
Use active voice and action-oriented headings	Promise guarantees ("always works", "instant")
Include explicit warnings for destructive steps	Use "click here" link text

Flags

Flag	Behavior
(none)	Full workflow: locate → clarify → analyze → write → verify → commit
`--preview`	Phases 1-3 only, describe changes without making them

Proactive: After /commit with changes to **/api/**, **/cli/**, or **/components/**, suggest running this skill.

Phase 1: Locate Documentation

Find .jamdesk-docs-path by walking up from current directory to git root.

docs_path: ../customer-docs    # Required - relative or absolute path
docs_branch: main              # Optional, default: main

First-time setup: If config doesn't exist, ask user for their docs repo path and create the file. This only happens once per project. Point users to https://jamdesk.com/docs for help getting started with Jamdesk.

Validation: Path exists, contains docs.json, check for uncommitted changes. If same git repo as code, skip separate git operations.

Phase 2: Clarify Scope

Review conversation to identify what changed, then ask:

Branch strategy: Feature branch (recommended), main, or current branch?
Scope confirmation: "I plan to [create/update] these pages: ... Any changes?"
Additional context (if needed): Terminology, related features, edge cases

Principle: Ask first, write later. 30-second clarification prevents 10-minute rework.

Phase 3: Analyze Existing Docs

Search docs repo for existing coverage of the feature. Present findings:

Existing: getting-started.mdx mentions feature briefly
Missing: No dedicated page

Recommended:
1. Create: features/new-feature.mdx
2. Update: getting-started.mdx (add link)

Decision matrix:

Scenario	Action
New feature	Create new page
Behavior change	Update existing page describing that behavior
Small addition	Add section to existing page
Major capability	New standalone page
Deprecation/removal	Update existing + add migration notes
Advanced usage	Add `<Accordion>` to existing page (keeps the page scannable for beginners)
New docs.json config/pattern	Update docs.json reference and/or navigation docs

Phase 4: Write Documentation

Reference https://jamdesk.com/docs for full standards.

Content quality:

Explain why, not just what
Show the simplest working example first
Use real values in examples, not placeholders (readers learn faster from concrete examples they can copy-paste)
One concept per section, 3-7 subsections per page
Define terms once and reuse consistently

Writing quality:

Active voice, direct instructions
Short sentences, avoid idioms (global audiences)
Action-oriented headings ("Configure X", "Verify Y", "Troubleshoot Z")
Descriptive link text (never "click here")
Include <Warning> for destructive/irreversible steps
No description echo: The opening paragraph MUST say something different from the frontmatter description. The description is for SEO meta tags; the opening paragraph should complement it with context, prerequisites, or what the reader will accomplish -- not repeat it.

Page structure:

Opening paragraph (what + why + target audience)
Prerequisites (tools, access, versions)
Quick Start (simplest example)
Configuration/Details
Examples (basic → advanced)
What's Next (2-4 related links)

Page types:

Task pages: Step-by-step procedure with numbered steps
Reference pages: Minimal example first, then expand with details

Heading structure: Single H1 (page title in frontmatter), body sections start at H2.

Minimal template:

---
title: Feature Name
description: SEO description (120-160 chars, unique per page)
lastUpdated: 2026-02-03  # Optional, for frequently-changing features
---

What this does and why it's useful. Target audience: developers who need X.

## Prerequisites

- Node.js 18+
- API key from [Settings](/settings)

## Quick Start

\`\`\`bash
command --example
\`\`\`

## What's Next?

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Related Feature" href="/related">
    Continue with this
  </Card>
  <Card title="API Reference" href="/api">
    Full API details
  </Card>
</Columns>

Components: <Tabs>, <Steps>, <Accordion>, <Columns>, <Card>, <Note>/<Warning>/<Tip>, <CodeGroup>. There is no <Cards> component -- use <Columns cols={2}> with <Card> children. See https://jamdesk.com/docs/components

Images: Store in /images/<feature>/, use absolute paths, always include alt text, avoid color-only cues.

Links: Relative paths, no .mdx extension, avoid orphan pages, link to source of truth (API spec, release notes).

API docs: Prefer OpenAPI auto-generation when available.

Navigation: Add new pages to docs.json navigation in alphabetical order unless the user has specified a different ordering or the existing structure suggests intentional grouping.

Maintenance: Use lastUpdated frontmatter for frequently-changing features. Mark or remove deprecated guidance promptly.

Phase 5: Verify

With CLI (recommended):

jamdesk dev          # Preview locally
jamdesk validate     # Check docs.json schema
jamdesk broken-links # Find broken links

Without CLI: Verify manually - code examples have language tags, frontmatter has title/description, links use correct paths (no .mdx), new pages added to docs.json.

Fix errors before proceeding. If user dislikes changes, they can git checkout . to revert before commit.

Phase 6: Commit

Present summary of changes, then ask user preference:

Commit to feature branch
Show diff first
Make additional changes

After commit, offer to push and create PR.

Commit format: docs: [action] [what] (e.g., docs: add webhook configuration guide)

Quick Reference

Situation	Action
No config file	Ask user, create `.jamdesk-docs-path`
External repo	Feature branch, separate git ops
Same-repo docs	No separate git ops needed
`--preview` flag	Analyze only, no changes
CLI unavailable	Manual verification checklist

Example

User: Document the new webhook feature

Claude: I'm using the update-jamdesk skill...

Found docs at ../customer-docs

Branch strategy?
1. Feature branch (recommended)
2. Main
3. Current

User: 1

Claude: I'll create docs/webhooks. Scope look right?

User: Yes, also update API reference

[Writes docs, runs verification]

✓ validate passed
✓ broken-links passed

Files: webhooks/overview.mdx (new), api/reference.mdx (updated), docs.json (updated)

Commit? [Y/n]

User: Y

Claude: Committed. Push and create PR?

Red Flags

Stop if you catch yourself:

Skipping clarifying questions
Creating pages without updating docs.json
Using full URLs for internal links
Adding images without alt text
Making changes with --preview flag
Including secrets, tokens, or real customer data
Using "click here" or vague link text
Missing <Warning> on destructive steps
Leaving deprecated content without marking it
Copying the frontmatter description as the opening paragraph (description echo)