v1-docs-freshness

Docs Freshness

Bring project documentation back in sync with the code that just changed.

Workflow

1. Establish Scope

Determine the base branch and current change set:

git branch --show-current
git diff --stat
git diff --name-only
git log --oneline -10

If the user gave a PR, ticket, or release range, inspect that scope instead of assuming the current branch.

Classify the change:

• New user-facing capability
• Changed behavior
• Removed capability
• New skill, command, script, hook, or config surface
• Infrastructure, install, test, or contributor workflow change
• Docs-only change

2. Find Docs

Discover documentation files before editing:

rg --files -g "*.md" -g "!node_modules/**" -g "!.git/**" | sort

Always include entry-point docs when they exist: README.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, CONTRIBUTING.md, ARCHITECTURE.md, CHANGELOG.md, and docs/**/*.md.

3. Audit Each Doc

Cross-check each relevant doc against the changed files.

Use this classification:

• Auto-update: factual corrections clearly required by the diff, such as tables, counts, command names, paths, install steps, or project tree entries.
• Ask first: positioning, removals, security descriptions, architecture rationale, large rewrites, or anything where the diff does not prove the right wording.
• Leave alone: docs that remain accurate or intentionally historical.

Do not ask about facts that are directly visible in the repo. Read first, then ask only for product judgment or narrative choices.

4. Apply Safe Updates

Make factual updates directly. Keep edits narrow and preserve the existing voice.

Examples:

• Add a new skill to the skills table.
• Update a command count after adding or removing command files.
• Fix install instructions when a script path changed.
• Add discoverability links for new docs.

Do not silently remove whole sections. Do not rewrite the README positioning unless the user explicitly asks.

5. Handle Changelogs Carefully

If CHANGELOG.md changed, treat it as source material, not scratch space.

Rules:

• Read the whole relevant entry first.
• Polish wording only inside existing entries.
• Never delete, reorder, or regenerate entries.
• If an entry appears factually wrong, ask before changing it.
• Use targeted edits. Never overwrite CHANGELOG.md.

6. Cross-Doc Pass

Before finishing, check for contradictions:

• README feature list vs. CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md
• Architecture docs vs. actual folders and scripts
• Skill lists vs. .agents/skills
• Cursor command lists vs. cursor/commands
• Setup docs vs. install.sh

Also check discoverability. Important docs should be reachable from README.md, CLAUDE.md, or a docs index.

7. TODO and Version Pass

If TODOS.md exists, compare open items against the diff. Mark items complete only when the branch clearly completed them.

If a VERSION file exists, never bump it without asking. Recommend "skip" for docs-only work unless the docs are part of a release.

8. Verify

Run cheap checks:

git diff --check
git diff --name-only

Report:

• Docs modified
• Important docs checked but left unchanged
• Questions or deferred decisions
• Any verification command that failed

Do not commit unless the user explicitly asked for a commit.