home / skills / lerianstudio / ring / documentation-structure
This skill helps you structure documentation by organizing content by user tasks, applying navigation and information architecture patterns for easier
npx playbooks add skill lerianstudio/ring --skill documentation-structureReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: ring:documentation-structure
description: |
Patterns for organizing and structuring documentation including hierarchy,
navigation, and information architecture.
trigger: |
- Planning documentation structure
- Organizing content hierarchy
- Deciding how to split content across pages
- Creating navigation patterns
skip_when: |
- Writing content → use writing-functional-docs or writing-api-docs
- Checking voice → use voice-and-tone
related:
complementary: [writing-functional-docs, writing-api-docs]
---
# Documentation Structure
Good structure helps users find what they need quickly. Organize content by user tasks and mental models, not by internal system organization.
## Content Hierarchy
```
Documentation/
├── Welcome/ # Entry point, product overview
├── Getting Started/ # First steps, quick wins
├── Guides/ # Task-oriented documentation
│ ├── Understanding X # Conceptual
│ ├── Use Cases # Real-world scenarios
│ └── Best Practices # Recommendations
├── API Reference/ # Technical reference
│ ├── Introduction # API overview
│ └── Endpoints/ # Per-resource documentation
└── Updates/ # Changelog, versioning
```
---
## Page Structure Patterns
| Page Type | Structure |
|-----------|-----------|
| **Overview** | Brief description → "In this section you will find:" → Linked list of child pages |
| **Conceptual** | Lead paragraph → Key characteristics (bullets) → How it works → Subtopics with `---` dividers → Related concepts |
| **Task-Oriented** | Brief context → Prerequisites → Numbered steps → Verification → Next steps |
---
## Section Dividers
Use `---` between major sections for visual separation.
**When to use:**
- Between major topic changes
- Before "Related" or "Next steps" sections
- After introductory content
- Before prerequisites in guides
**Don't overuse:** Not every heading needs a divider.
---
## Navigation Patterns
| Pattern | Usage |
|---------|-------|
| Breadcrumb | Show hierarchy: `Guides > Core Entities > Accounts` |
| Prev/Next | Connect sequential content: `[Previous: Assets] \| [Next: Portfolios]` |
| On-this-page | For long pages, show section links at top |
---
## Information Density
**Scannable content:**
1. Lead with key point in each section
2. Use bullet points for 3+ items
3. Use tables for comparing options
4. Use headings every 2-3 paragraphs
5. Bold key terms on first use
**Progressive disclosure:**
- Essential info (80% of users need) first
- Advanced configuration in separate section
- Edge cases and rare scenarios last
---
## Tables vs Lists
**Use tables when:** Comparing items across same attributes, showing structured data (API fields), displaying options with consistent properties
**Use lists when:** Items don't have comparable attributes, sequence matters (steps), items have varying detail levels
---
## Code Examples Placement
| Type | When |
|------|------|
| Inline code | Short references: "Set the `assetCode` field..." |
| Code blocks | Complete, runnable examples |
**Rules:**
1. Show example immediately after explaining it
2. Keep examples minimal but complete
3. Use realistic data (not "foo", "bar")
4. Show both request and response for API docs
---
## Cross-Linking Strategy
- **Link first mention** of a concept in each section
- **Don't over-link** – once per section is enough
- **Link destinations:** Concept → conceptual docs, API action → endpoint, "Learn more" → deeper dive
---
## Page Length Guidelines
| Page Type | Target | Reasoning |
|-----------|--------|-----------|
| Overview | 1-2 screens | Quick orientation |
| Concept | 2-4 screens | Thorough explanation |
| How-to | 1-3 screens | Task completion |
| API endpoint | 2-3 screens | Complete reference |
| Best practices | 3-5 screens | Multiple recommendations |
If >5 screens, consider splitting.
---
## Quality Checklist
- [ ] Content organized by user task, not system structure
- [ ] Overview pages link to all child content
- [ ] Section dividers separate major topics
- [ ] Headings create scannable structure
- [ ] Tables used for comparable items
- [ ] Code examples follow explanations
- [ ] Cross-links connect related content
- [ ] Page length appropriate for type
- [ ] Navigation connects sequential content
This skill documents proven patterns for organizing and structuring product and API documentation to improve discoverability and task completion. It prescribes content hierarchy, page-level templates, navigation patterns, and rules for information density so teams publish consistent, scannable docs. Use it to align documentation with user tasks and mental models rather than internal system layouts.
The skill inspects documentation needs and provides a recommended folder hierarchy (Welcome, Getting Started, Guides, API Reference, Updates). It defines page templates for overview, conceptual, and task-oriented content, plus guidance on dividers, navigation, tables vs lists, code example placement, and cross-linking. A quality checklist verifies structure, navigation, code example placement, and appropriate page length.
When should I split a page into multiple pages?
If content exceeds five screenfuls or mixes basic and advanced material, split into focused pages with progressive disclosure.
How many links per section are acceptable?
Link the first mention of a concept in a section; avoid repeating links more than once per section to reduce noise.