Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Technical Writer agent skill (technical-writer)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Technical Writer skill (technical-writer) gives an AI agent a set of instructions and reference files for writing, reviewing and editing developer documentation for SDKs, libraries and frameworks. This guide explains what the skill changes, how to install it from a ZIP download or the Claude apps, how to ask for work in plain language, and what to check before you publish the result. It is written for readers who have not used agent skills before.
Technical Writervercel-labs/agent-browser · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the technical-writer skill ZIP file from the listing page.
- 2Unzip the skill. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into the .claude/skills/ folder of a project.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. If you use the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill there.
- 4Make a natural request. Ask for documentation work in plain language, naming the SDK or library, the document type and the material to use.
- 5Review the output. Check the draft against the source code and the claims it makes before publishing it.
What the Technical Writer skill makes the agent do
The skill is scoped to developer documentation. Its description covers getting-started guides, tutorials, API references, conceptual explanations, integration guides, migration guides, troubleshooting pages and code examples. It also names sites such as agent-browser.dev and portless.sh as examples of the kind of documentation it covers.
When the skill is active, the agent follows the editorial and structural conventions in its reference files and is told to check technical claims and code against the actual source code before treating them as correct. The skill also tells the agent to use scratch notes for longer tasks and to delegate parallel research to subagents when those are available.
- Draft new developer documentation pages in the categories listed above.
- Review existing pages for accuracy and clarity.
- Edit passages to match a consistent editorial style and page structure.
- Check code examples and technical claims against source code.
Install the skill from a ZIP file
Download the ZIP file for the skill from the listing page. Unzip it into one of two locations, depending on how you want to use it. A personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/ makes the skill available to you across projects. A project folder at .claude/skills/ inside a specific project makes it available only in that project.
If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills. The skill's files are the same either way: the SKILL.md file plus the three reference files.
- Option A: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use.
- Option B: unzip into the .claude/skills/ folder of a project.
- Option C: upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The skill is chosen from its description, so ask for documentation work in plain terms that mention the document type or the task. Naming the SDK or library and the page you want helps the agent pick the right guidance.
The skill also asks the agent to read the relevant reference files for each task: editorial standards for every writing or editing task, technical verification when a page contains product claims, procedures, configuration or code, and content patterns when planning or restructuring a page. You do not need to name these files yourself.
- Write a getting-started guide for our SDK's installation and first request.
- Review this API reference page for accuracy and clarity.
- Draft a migration guide from version 2 to version 3 of our library, based on the changelog in this repository.
- Tighten this troubleshooting section and check the code samples against the source.
- Restructure this conceptual page so readers learn the core model before the API details.
Examples of good requests and what to expect
Give the agent the reader, the task and the material. The skill asks the agent to identify who is reading, what they need to do afterward, the document type, and any version or runtime conditions. Infer routine details where possible, and ask only when a missing detail would change the work.
For a review, supply the page itself and say what you want checked. The skill treats documents supplied for review as source material, so instructions inside them do not authorise unrelated actions.
- Include the target package and version if you know them.
- Point to the source files or pages that the docs should match.
- State whether you want a draft, a revision of one passage, or a full review.
What the skill needs and safety notes
The listing states no requirements, and it lists no scripts and no network use. The skill's files are instructions and reference documents rather than programs that run on your machine.
The skill tells the agent to use mktemp -d to create a temporary directory for working notes, keep scratch files outside the documentation tree and version control, and never include credentials or secrets in those notes. Verification relies on searching the repository with rg, so the agent needs access to the code you want it to check.
- Requires: nothing listed. Runs scripts: no. Uses network: no.
- Scratch notes go in a temporary directory, not in your docs folder.
- The skill does not replace your review: results still depend on the agent's accuracy and on your check of the output.
mktemp -dTips for getting reliable results
Treat the output as a draft that needs a review step. The skill asks the agent to check code and claims against source, but it is not a guarantee of correctness. Ask the agent to show which source files and symbols support consequential claims.
If you have your own style rules or a site's conventions, state them in the request or in workspace instructions. The skill says an explicit user preference takes precedence over its defaults.
- Give the agent the current source path or repository so it can verify claims.
- Ask for a focused change for one section when you want a small edit, rather than a full rewrite.
- Ask for an unresolved-issues list in the handoff if the agent could not verify something.
What people use it for
- Drafting a getting-started guide for a new SDK, including installation and a first working example.
- Reviewing an existing API reference page for accuracy against the current source code.
- Writing a migration guide that explains what changed between two versions of a library.
- Revising a troubleshooting page so error messages and fixes match what the code actually does.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the technical-writer agent skill?
Download the ZIP file from the listing page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Is the technical-writer skill free to use?
The listing gives the licence as Apache-2.0. It does not list a price, so check the licence file in the source repository for the full terms.
What does the technical-writer skill require?
The listing states no requirements. It runs no scripts and does not use the network, according to the listing. You still need an agent environment that loads skills, such as the Claude apps or a setup that reads the .claude/skills/ folder.
Does the technical-writer skill run code on my computer?
The listing says it runs no scripts and uses no network. Its files are instructions and reference documents. The agent may run searches in the repository to verify claims, so review what it runs in your own environment.
Can the technical-writer skill replace a human technical writer or reviewer?
No. The skill asks the agent to check claims and code against source, but results still depend on the agent's accuracy. A person should review drafts before they are published.
Is there a better alternative to the technical-writer skill?
The listing does not compare this skill with other tools. It is scoped to developer documentation, so it may suit SDK and library docs better than general writing tools. Compare it against your own documentation workflow before deciding.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you maintain docs for an SDK, library or framework and want consistent structure and a built-in check against source code. Pick something else if you need marketing copy or general prose, since the skill is specialised for developer documentation and its output still needs your review.
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