content-author

ProfPowell's avatarfrom ProfPowell

Write quality content for HTML documents. Use when writing text content, prose, descriptions, or any human-readable content in HTML files. Ensures spelling and style quality.

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[Technical Writing]

When & Why to Use This Skill

The Content Author skill is a specialized tool designed to enhance the quality, readability, and SEO performance of text within HTML documents. It automates the enforcement of professional writing standards, including advanced spell-checking via cspell, active voice transitions, and the elimination of vague 'weasel words.' By integrating Flesch-Kincaid readability scoring, it ensures content is perfectly tailored to either general or technical audiences. Additionally, it optimizes web accessibility and search engine visibility by enforcing descriptive link text and proper semantic HTML hierarchies.

Use Cases

  • Case 1: Optimizing technical documentation by adjusting the reading level to a Grade 12 threshold for developers while maintaining clear, active-voice instructions.
  • Case 2: Improving website SEO and accessibility by auditing HTML files to replace non-descriptive links like 'click here' with keyword-rich, descriptive anchor text.
  • Case 3: Maintaining brand consistency in large-scale web projects by using custom dictionaries to prevent spelling errors in technical terms and product-specific nomenclature.
  • Case 4: Enhancing web page semantics and machine readability by correctly implementing <abbr>, <time>, and <code> tags according to modern HTML5 standards.
  • Case 5: Automating content quality assurance during the CI/CD process to ensure all prose meets specific style guidelines before deployment.
namecontent-author
descriptionWrite quality content for HTML documents. Use when writing text content, prose, descriptions, or any human-readable content in HTML files. Ensures spelling and style quality.
allowed-toolsRead, Write, Edit

Content Author Skill

This skill ensures all written content meets quality standards for spelling, grammar, and style.

Spelling Awareness

This project uses cspell for spell checking with a custom dictionary.

Known Project Terms

These terms are in project-words.txt and won't trigger spell errors:

Technical:

  • XHTML, WCAG, htmlhint, pa11y, cspell, textlint, linkinator

Custom Elements:

  • product-card, icon-element, user-avatar, status-badge, data-table, nav-menu

HTML Terms:

  • doctype, tbody, thead, fieldset, hgroup, blockquote

Check project-words.txt for the full list.

Adding New Terms

When using a new product name or technical term:

  1. Use slash command: /add-word TermName
  2. Or edit directly: Add to project-words.txt (one word per line)

Style Guidelines

Avoid Passive Voice

<!-- Passive (avoid) -->
The form was submitted by the user.
Errors were found in the document.

<!-- Active (prefer) -->
The user submitted the form.
The validator found errors in the document.

Avoid Weasel Words

Remove vague qualifiers:

Avoid Use Instead
various (be specific)
many (give number)
very (remove or be specific)
somewhat (remove)
fairly (remove)
quite (remove)

Link Text

Use descriptive link text:

<!-- Bad -->
<a href="/docs">Click here</a>
<a href="/pricing">Learn more</a>
<a href="/features">Read more</a>

<!-- Good -->
<a href="/docs">Read the documentation</a>
<a href="/pricing">View pricing plans</a>
<a href="/features">Explore all features</a>

Headings

Follow logical hierarchy:

<h1>Page Title</h1>           <!-- One per page -->
  <h2>Major Section</h2>
    <h3>Subsection</h3>
      <h4>Detail</h4>
  <h2>Another Section</h2>

Reading Level Guidelines

This project enforces reading level thresholds using Flesch-Kincaid scoring.

Grade Level Thresholds

Content Type Max Grade Level Audience
General 8 General public
Technical 12 Technical audience

Marking Content Style

For technical documentation, add one of these:

<!-- In <head> -->
<meta name="content-style" content="technical"/>

<!-- Or on html/body -->
<html lang="en" data-content-style="technical">
<body data-content-style="technical">

Available content styles:

  • technical - Technical documentation, API references (threshold: grade 12)
  • Default (no attribute) - General content (threshold: grade 8)

Writing for Readability

Use shorter sentences:

<!-- Hard to read (grade 12+) -->
The implementation of the aforementioned functionality requires
consideration of various architectural constraints that may
impact the overall system performance.

<!-- Easier to read (grade 8) -->
This feature needs careful planning. We must consider how it
affects system speed.

Use simpler words:

Complex Word Simpler Alternative
utilize use
implement build, create
functionality feature
subsequently then, later
facilitate help, enable
approximately about
demonstrate show
modification change

Break up long paragraphs: Aim for 3-4 sentences per paragraph.

Use lists: Convert complex sentences into bullet points when possible.

Checking Reading Level

# Check readability
npm run lint:readability

# Check all content quality
npm run lint:content

Content Checklist

Before finalizing content:

  • Spelling checked (run npm run lint:spelling)
  • No weasel words or vague language
  • Links have descriptive text
  • Headings follow hierarchy
  • Alt text provided for images
  • Proper capitalization for product names
  • Reading level within threshold (run npm run lint:readability)

Running Quality Checks

# Check spelling
npm run lint:spelling

# Check grammar/style (advisory)
npm run lint:grammar

# Check reading level
npm run lint:readability

# Run all content checks
npm run lint:content

Special Content

Code Examples

Wrap code in appropriate elements:

<code>const x = 1</code>           <!-- Inline code -->
<pre><code>                        <!-- Code block -->
function example() {
  return true;
}
</code></pre>
<kbd>Ctrl+S</kbd>                  <!-- Keyboard input -->
<samp>Output text</samp>           <!-- Sample output -->

Abbreviations

Define abbreviations on first use:

<abbr title="HyperText Markup Language">HTML</abbr>
<abbr title="Web Content Accessibility Guidelines">WCAG</abbr>

Dates and Times

Use semantic time element:

<time datetime="2024-01-15">January 15, 2024</time>
<time datetime="14:30">2:30 PM</time>
  • xhtml-author - Write valid XHTML-strict HTML5 markup
  • fake-content - Generate realistic fake content for HTML prototypes
  • accessibility-checker - Ensure WCAG2AA accessibility compliance
  • markdown-author - Write quality markdown content