Content boundaries
Classify a page by its primary reader goal, then its subject and author voice. A blog route, a code block, or a technical subject does not determine the writing workflow. Creation and refresh share the same evidence rules; a refresh preserves useful existing structure.
Choose the reader goal
| Goal | Guide form | Completion evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Learn a skill by doing | Tutorial | A reader can follow setup and reach the promised result |
| Complete a known task | How-to or troubleshooting guide | Steps solve the stated problem within supported conditions |
| Understand a concept | Informative explanation | Definitions and mechanisms answer the question accurately |
| Look up behavior | Reference | Names, options, defaults, versions, and limits match the supported interface |
| Choose between approaches | Comparison or decision guide | Comparable evidence supports criteria and trade-offs |
| Assess an original finding | Research article | Inputs and method support the stated result and scope |
An informative technical guide often explains mechanisms rather than prescribing steps. It needs accurate concepts and useful examples, rather than a forced numbered procedure. Do not add an installation section to a definition page just to fit a template.
Comparisons
Choose criteria from the reader's decision. Compare the same task, version, plan, and relevant conditions. Inspect official sources for each option. Represent useful competitor strengths fairly. Keep documented capabilities separate from observed behavior. Read current terms when price or availability affects the recommendation. If evidence is incomplete, narrow the conclusion instead of treating missing evidence as a missing feature. State the comparison date and consequential limits.
Research
Require original inputs, provenance, sampling, dates, calculation method, and reproducible results for original research claims. Check units, denominators, exclusions, uncertainty, and causal language. External findings need attribution and their study's limitations. Synthetic illustrations must be labeled and cannot establish measured findings. If the original dataset is missing, report the evidence gap rather than replacing it with invented observations.
Personal writing
A journal, opinion, policy statement, or engineering case study has a different primary contract. Its author's experience, argument, chronology, and uncertainty carry the piece. Use technical verification for its factual sections only when that work is requested. Preserve the surrounding personal narrative rather than converting it into a generic tutorial.
For prose-only editing, use the user's chosen editor or edit directly within scope. No sibling skill is required. For new personal writing, work from supplied notes and author intent; ask for missing experiences instead of inventing them. Historical experiences stay historical. Put current corrections beside them without rewriting what the author once observed.
Subject boundaries
The core evidence workflow also helps nontechnical informative writing. Its source authorities and domain review requirements can differ substantially. This skill's default expertise is developer documentation, rather than every possible research domain. Use applicable domain guidance when the subject requires it.