How-To Documentation Skill

This skill provides patterns for writing effective How-To guides in documentation. How-To guides are task-oriented content for users who have a specific goal in mind.

Dependency: Use this skill with docs-style for core writing principles. To confirm a how-to is the right type — rather than a tutorial, reference, or explanation — see docs-style/references/diataxis-compass.md.

Purpose & Audience

Target readers:

• Users with a specific goal they want to accomplish
• Assumes some familiarity with the product (not complete beginners)
• Looking for practical, actionable steps
• Want to get things done, not learn concepts

How-To guides are NOT:

• Tutorials (which teach through exploration)
• Explanations (which provide understanding)
• Reference docs (which describe the system)