Document Release

Document Release

Post-ship documentation update for enhanced development workflows and productivity

What Is This?

Overview

Document Release is a structured skill for performing post-ship documentation updates across an entire project. After code ships or a pull request merges, the skill reads all project documentation, cross-references the diff against existing content, and updates core files such as README, ARCHITECTURE, CONTRIBUTING, and CLAUDE.md to accurately reflect what was delivered. It also polishes CHANGELOG voice for consistency and removes stale TODO entries that no longer apply.

The skill operates using Bash, Read, and Write tools to inspect the repository state, compare documentation against the actual codebase, and apply targeted updates. Rather than requiring developers to manually audit every doc file after a release, Document Release automates the reconciliation process so that documentation stays synchronized with the shipped code without becoming a separate project in itself.

This skill is designed to be triggered explicitly when a developer asks to "update the docs," "sync documentation," or "post-ship docs." It can also be suggested proactively by an AI assistant immediately after a PR is merged or a deployment completes, making it a natural part of the release workflow rather than an afterthought.

Who Should Use This

• Backend and frontend engineers who ship features frequently and need documentation to stay current without manual effort.
• Technical leads and architects responsible for keeping ARCHITECTURE.md accurate as the system evolves.
• Open source maintainers who need CONTRIBUTING.md and README to reflect the current state of the project for new contributors.

Why Use It?

Problems It Solves

• Documentation drifts from the actual codebase after each release, causing confusion for contributors and users who rely on README or ARCHITECTURE files.
• CHANGELOG entries accumulate inconsistent tone and formatting across multiple contributors, reducing readability and professionalism.
• Stale TODO comments and documentation placeholders remain in project files long after the underlying work is complete.
• Version numbers in documentation files fall out of sync with the actual shipped version, creating ambiguity in release history.
• Post-ship documentation updates are deprioritized because they feel tedious, leading to compounding technical debt in the docs layer.

Core Highlights

• Reads all project documentation files before making any changes to build a complete picture of the current state.
• Cross-references the code diff to identify exactly which documentation sections require updates.
• Updates README, ARCHITECTURE, CONTRIBUTING, and CLAUDE.md in a single coordinated pass.
• Polishes CHANGELOG entries for consistent voice and formatting.
• Removes resolved TODO items from documentation files.
• Optionally bumps the VERSION file to match the release.
• Designed for proactive suggestion after PR merges or deployments.
• Works with Bash, Read, and Write tools for full repository access.

How to Use It?

Basic Usage

Trigger the skill by asking your AI assistant to perform a post-ship documentation update:

"Update the docs after this release."
"Sync documentation to match what shipped."
"Post-ship docs."

The skill will then read all relevant files, inspect the diff, and apply updates.

Specific Scenarios

Scenario 1: After merging a feature PR A new API endpoint was added. The skill reads the diff, updates the README usage section, adds the endpoint to ARCHITECTURE.md, and appends a CHANGELOG entry with consistent formatting.

Scenario 2: After a version bump The skill detects a version change, updates all documentation references to the old version number, and optionally writes the new version to the VERSION file.

Scenario 3: Cleaning up stale TODOs After a refactor completes, the skill scans documentation files for TODO markers that reference completed work and removes them.

Real-World Examples

## Inspect current documentation state before running
find . -name "*.md" | xargs grep -l "TODO\|FIXME"

## Review the diff that triggered the update
git diff HEAD~1 HEAD --stat

Important Notes

Requirements

• The repository must contain at least one of the standard documentation files: README.md, ARCHITECTURE.md, CONTRIBUTING.md, or CHANGELOG.md.
• Bash, Read, and Write tool access must be available in the execution environment.
• A recent git diff must be accessible so the skill can cross-reference changes against documentation.
• The project should follow a consistent file naming convention for documentation to ensure the skill locates all relevant files.