API Style Guide

API Style Guide Skill

When to Use

• Authoring or updating API references, tutorials, and SDK docs.
• Reviewing contributions from engineers, DevRel, or partners.
• Auditing docs for consistency before releases.

Framework

1. Language & Tone – audience-specific tone, terminology list, and banned phrases.
2. Structure – endpoint/order conventions, table layouts, code block formatting, error doc patterns.
3. Code Samples – naming standards, authentication handling, pagination patterns, inline comments.
4. Metadata & Tags – version labels, availability notes, beta flags, locale indicators.
5. Accessibility & Localization – heading hierarchy, alt-text, snippet annotations, translation guidance.

Templates

• Reference entry template (description, parameters, responses, examples, notes).
• Tutorial skeleton with prerequisites, steps, troubleshooting, next steps.
• Code sample checklist ensuring env vars, comments, and error handling are included.

Tips

• Keep examples runnable; provide curl equivalents even when primary sample is in another language.
• Link to glossary for shared terminology across teams.
• Pair with update-api-reference command to enforce consistent output.