Documentation standards
The docs that keep a fork from turning feral
Two lightweight documentation patterns keep planning durable and implementation context recoverable while a project is still changing under real pressure.
How to use this library
These docs are intentionally small. The doc template is for durable plans, runbooks, guidelines, and architecture notes. The devlog standard is for active work where the useful context would otherwise die in Slack threads, half-memory, and commit messages.
Use the template before you build something non-trivial. Use the devlog while the work is still moving. When a devlog contains a lasting lesson, promote that lesson into a permanent doc and let the temporary log fade away instead of pretending it is architecture.
What does not belong here
- Do not use the doc template for tiny fixes, cosmetic edits, or obvious refactors.
- Do not create devlogs for every commit just because AI was involved.
- Do not leave important project rules buried in devlogs when they should live in durable docs.
- Do not treat these pages as substitutes for repo-level files like `AI.md` or `CLAUDE.md`.
Documentation superpower
Documentation System Template
A durable documentation template for feature plans, runbooks, guidelines, and other long-lived project context.
Documentation superpower
Devlog Standard
An operational devlog standard for capturing decisions, tradeoffs, and dead ends while active work is still unfolding.