This Claude skill automates the scaffolding of structured technical documents such as RFCs, ADRs, and blog posts using industry best practices. It streamlines the documentation process by providing standardized frameworks, allowing users to focus on content while ensuring consistency, professional formatting, and adherence to technical standards.

When should I use template?

template is useful in the following scenarios: • Rapidly generating RFC (Request for Comments) drafts to propose technical changes and gather stakeholder feedback. • Creating Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) to document the rationale behind significant design choices for long-term project maintenance. • Structuring technical blog posts or articles with clear outlines and professional sections to improve readability and SEO. • Developing and managing custom organizational templates to ensure all internal documentation follows a unified corporate style guide.

name	template
description	Scaffold structured documents (RFC, ADR, Blog) using industry best practices. Produces draft for refinement with /wordsmith:edit.

Template Skill

Scaffold structured documents using industry best practices. Produces a draft; use /wordsmith:edit to refine.

When This Skill Activates

You're working on:

Writing an RFC or design document
Creating an Architecture Decision Record (ADR)
Structuring a blog post or technical article
Applying or creating custom templates

Workflow Selection

Announce which template you're using:

Request Pattern	Action	Reference
"RFC", "request for comments", "design doc", "proposal"	Apply RFC template	`references/templates/rfc.md`
"ADR", "architecture decision", "decision record"	Apply ADR template	`references/templates/adr.md`
"blog", "blog post", "article", "technical post"	Apply Blog template	`references/templates/blog.md`
"[custom name]" template	Apply user template	`~/.claude/wordsmith/templates.jsonl`
"list templates", "show my templates"	List all templates	See Template Management below
"create custom template", "save as template"	Create user template	See Template Management below
"delete template [name]"	Remove user template	See Template Management below

Usage

Detect template type from user request
Announce: "I'm using the template skill for [type] document"
Ask for required inputs (topic, context, audience)
Check for custom template in ~/.claude/wordsmith/templates.jsonl first
Fall back to built-in templates if no custom match
Generate scaffolded document with guidance
Prompt: "Draft ready. Use /wordsmith:edit to refine prose, or continue iterating."

Post-Scaffold Actions

After generating draft:

Offer to save modifications as custom template
Suggest /wordsmith:edit for prose refinement
Highlight any sections needing user input

Template Management

User templates stored at: ~/.claude/wordsmith/templates.jsonl

List Templates

Goal: Show all available templates (built-in + user) so user can choose.

Built-in templates: rfc, adr, blog

Create Template

Goal: Persist user's template definition for reuse.

Required information:

Template name (must be unique)
Sections with guidance (at minimum)
Base template if extending existing

Constraints:

Validate name uniqueness before saving
Confirm with user before overwriting existing

JSONL Schema:

{
  "ts": "ISO-8601",
  "name": "template-name",
  "base": "rfc|adr|blog|null",
  "description": "One-line description",
  "sections": [{"name": "...", "required": true, "guidance": "..."}],
  "header_fields": ["field1", "field2"],
  "quality_checks": ["Check 1", "Check 2"],
  "source": "user"
}

Delete Template

Goal: Remove user template from storage.