$ARGUMENTS is a file path or directory. If a directory, process all .md files. If empty, ask the user what to optimize.

Step 1: Classify the documentation type

Read the file and identify its type. This determines H1 style, opening tone, and whether to add requirements.

Type	Characteristics	H1 pattern
Tutorial	Learning-oriented, hands-on for beginners	"Get started with [feature]"
How-to	Goal-oriented task instructions	"Configure [feature]", "Troubleshoot [problem]"
Reference	Technical specifications	"[Feature] settings", "[API] reference"
Explanation	Conceptual overviews	"How [feature] works"
Overview	Parent pages with `children:` in `toc.yml`	Feature name only

To detect overview pages, check toc.yml for entries with children: pointing to the file.

Step 2: Optimize the H1 title

The H1 must be:

Discoverable — include the feature name and context (e.g., "in Kibana", "with ES|QL")
Specific — clearly indicate what the page covers
Unique — no other page should share this title
Anchored — always include [anchor-name] in brackets

# Configure data views in Kibana [configure-data-views]

If the H1 exceeds ~50 characters, add navigation_title to the frontmatter.

Step 3: Write the opening paragraph

The opening paragraph (2-4 sentences) immediately follows the H1. It must NOT repeat the frontmatter description.

By doc type

Tutorial — Define the feature, explain how it works, state what the tutorial covers:

Elasticsearch Query Language ({{esql}}) makes it easier to explore your data
in **Discover**. {{esql}} uses a piped syntax to filter, transform, and aggregate
data. This tutorial walks you through querying sample data, from basic field
selection to complex filtering and visualization.

How-to — Define the feature, explain what it does, state the value:

Pattern analysis in **Discover** helps you find patterns in unstructured log
messages by performing categorization analysis on text fields. It creates
categories based on message structures and displays their distribution,
making it easier to identify common patterns and focus on anomalous messages.

Reference — Define the subject, state its purpose:

API keys provide secure, token-based authentication for applications accessing
{{product.elasticsearch}}. Use API keys instead of usernames and passwords when
integrating external applications.

Explanation — Establish context, state what concepts are covered:

{{product.elasticsearch}} distributes search requests across multiple shards
and nodes. Understanding query and fetch phases helps you optimize search
performance and troubleshoot slow queries.

Overview — State what the feature is, its value, and key capabilities:

**Discover** is the primary tool for exploring your data in {{product.kibana}}.
Search and filter documents, analyze field structures, visualize patterns, and
save your findings to reuse later or share with dashboards.

Key principles

Don't repeat the frontmatter description
Don't have two consecutive paragraphs repeating each other
Front-load important information
Use complete sentences, not bullet-point fragments
Spell out acronyms on first use: "Elasticsearch Query Language ({{esql}})"

Step 4: Add a "Before you begin" section

Add ## Before you begin only when all conditions are met:

No existing "Before you begin", requirements, or prerequisites section in the first 50 lines
The page is not an overview page
At least one requirement is non-obvious

What to include

Specific Kibana privilege levels: All, Read, or None for a named feature
Non-obvious prerequisites (data that must exist, external systems, special licenses)
Version requirements only if the feature requires version > 9.0

What to exclude

Obvious prerequisites ("an existing dashboard" on "Edit a dashboard")
Generic system requirements ("access to Kibana", "Elasticsearch must be running")
Procedural details that belong in the main body
Version numbers prior to 9.0

Format

Use an H2 with a descriptive anchor:

## Before you begin [create-dashboard-before-you-begin]

To create dashboards, you need:

* [Data indexed into {{product.elasticsearch}}](/manage-data/ingest.md) and a [data view](../data-views.md).
* **All** privilege for the **Dashboard** feature in {{product.kibana}}.

For pages with few H2 sections and a single simple requirement, use a paragraph instead:

You need the **All** privilege for the **Dashboard** feature.

Step 5: Enforce substitutions

Replace hardcoded product names with Jinja2 substitutes:

{{product.kibana}}, {{product.elasticsearch}}
{{esql}}, {{data-source}}, {{data-sources}}
{{ece}}, {{eck}}, {{ech}}

Use bold for UI elements (buttons, apps, field labels). Use monospace for technical elements (commands, file paths, settings).

Step 6: Lint

Run Vale on the modified file immediately after editing. Fix all errors in the opening section before moving to the next file.

vale <file>

Pre-flight checks

Before modifying any file, verify:

Important/warning admonitions in the first ~20 lines — never modify, move, or rewrite them. Edit only the content around them.
Overview page (has children: in toc.yml) — do not add a "Before you begin" section.
Pre-9.0 version references — remove them (these docs are for Stack 9+). Only keep versions > 9.0.

docs-page-opening-optimizer

Inputs