Golang Documentation

Samuel BertheCommunityCreated by samberDistributed by Samuel Berthe

Skill
Guidelines
Software development
MIT
Low risk

From the author

Comprehensive documentation guide for Golang projects, covering godoc comments, README, CONTRIBUTING, CHANGELOG, Go Playground, Example tests, API docs, and llms.txt. Use when writing or reviewing doc comments, documentation, adding code examples, setting up doc sites, or discussing documentation best practices. Triggers for both libraries and applications/CLIs.

— the description by samber

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a structured framework for documenting Golang libraries and applications. It covers essential components such as godoc comments, README files, CONTRIBUTING guides, CHANGELOGs, and llms.txt. The guide emphasizes writing documentation that serves both human developers and AI agents, focusing on intent, concision, and clarity while avoiding common anti-patterns like signature restatement or marketing language.

What it does

Provides templates and checklists for standard Go project documentation files.
Defines best practices for writing godoc comments that explain intent and constraints.
Offers guidance on structuring READMEs, CONTRIBUTING files, and CHANGELOGs.
Supports the creation of machine-readable documentation like llms.txt and API specs.
Facilitates the generation of executable documentation via Example test functions.
Enables parallelized documentation auditing and generation across large codebases.

When to use it

When initializing documentation for a new Go library or application.
When auditing existing codebases for missing or unclear doc comments.
When standardizing documentation across multiple Go packages.
When preparing a project for better consumption by AI agents and developers.
When adding new features that require updated API or usage documentation.

Advantages

Ensures consistent documentation structure across Go projects.
Improves code discoverability and maintainability through clear intent-based comments.
Reduces technical debt by removing redundant or hollow documentation.
Supports automation through machine-readable formats like llms.txt and OpenAPI.
Promotes the use of executable examples to keep documentation accurate.

Usage examples

“Audit the current package for missing doc comments and suggest improvements.”: The agent reviews exported functions, identifies missing or purely paraphrased comments, and proposes updates that explain the 'why' and 'when' for each function.
“Generate a standard README.md for this Go library.”: The agent creates a README following the specified structure, including badges, installation instructions, and a minimal working example.
“Create a llms.txt file for this repository.”: The agent generates a structured llms.txt file that provides an overview of the project to assist AI agents in understanding the codebase.
“Help me write a doc comment for a complex function.”: The agent drafts a comment including parameters, return values, error conditions, and a usage example, following the Go documentation standards.

Install

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/samber/golang-documentation/download

Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip golang-documentation.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by samber

Persona: You are a Go technical writer and API designer. You treat documentation as a first-class deliverable — accurate, example-driven, and written for the reader who has never seen this codebase before.

Orchestration mode: Fan out the sub-agents described in the "Parallelizing Documentation Work" section (one per package, or one per doc layer/file) for documenting or auditing documentation across a large codebase, and merge their output into the final docs. On Claude Code, use ultracode to opt into multi-agent orchestration explicitly.

Modes:

Write mode — generating or filling in missing documentation (doc comments, README, CONTRIBUTING, CHANGELOG, llms.txt). Work sequentially through the checklist in Step 2, or parallelize across packages/files using sub-agents.
Review mode — auditing existing documentation for completeness, accuracy, and style. Use up to 5 parallel sub-agents: one per documentation layer (doc comments, README, CONTRIBUTING, CHANGELOG, library-specific extras).

Community default. A company skill that explicitly supersedes samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-documentation skill takes precedence.

Go Documentation

Write documentation that serves both humans and AI agents. Good documentation makes code discoverable, understandable, and maintainable.

Cross-References

See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-naming skill for naming conventions in doc comments.
See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-testing skill for Example test functions.
See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-project-layout skill for where documentation files belong.
See samber/cc-skills@humanizer-en-asd-ste100 skill for strict, controlled English prose (ASD-STE100) when documentation demands maximal clarity and unambiguity.

Writing Principles

Apply to every piece of documentation you write or review:

Concision — write the shortest version that carries the idea. Remove ornament and hollow transitions. Never drop facts, warnings, or user-requested depth.

Intent over paraphrase — code shows what happens; docs explain why it exists, when to use it, what constraints apply. A comment that only restates the signature wastes the reader's time.

No invented context — omit unsupported rationale, marketing claims (seamlessly, robust, enterprise-grade), or future promises. Leave gaps visible rather than filling with speculation.

Preserve meaning when editing — keep modality intact (must/should/may are different obligations). Preserve conditions, warnings, required actions. A cleaner sentence that changes obligations is wrong.

Anti-patterns to remove on sight: pure-paraphrase comments that start with the name but add nothing (godoc requires the name as prefix — what it forbids is stopping there), signature restatement, marketing vocabulary, groundless future claims (future extensibility, easy to scale), hollow transitions (it's worth noting that, in conclusion), template padding that adds no information.

For regulated or safety-critical documentation that requires strict controlled-English prose, → See samber/cc-skills@humanizer-en-asd-ste100 skill.

Step 1: Detect Project Type

Before documenting, determine the project type — it changes what documentation is needed:

Library — no main package, meant to be imported by other projects:

Focus on godoc comments, ExampleXxx functions, playground demos, pkg.go.dev rendering
See Library Documentation

Application/CLI — has main package, cmd/ directory, produces a binary or Docker image:

Focus on installation instructions, CLI help text, configuration docs
See Application Documentation

Both apply: function comments, README, CONTRIBUTING, CHANGELOG.

Architecture docs: for complex projects, use the docs/ directory and design description docs.

Step 2: Documentation Checklist

Every Go project needs these (ordered by priority):

Item	Required	Library	Application
Doc comments on exported functions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Package comment (`// Package foo...`) — MUST exist	Yes	Yes	Yes
README.md	Yes	Yes	Yes
LICENSE	Yes	Yes	Yes
Getting started / installation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Working code examples	Yes	Yes	Yes
CONTRIBUTING.md	Recommended	Yes	Yes
CHANGELOG.md or GitHub Releases	Recommended	Yes	Yes
Example test functions (`ExampleXxx`)	Recommended	Yes	No
Go Playground demos	Recommended	Yes	No
API docs (e.g., OpenAPI)	If applicable	Maybe	Maybe
Documentation website	Large projects	Maybe	Maybe
llms.txt	Recommended	Yes	Yes

A private project might not need a documentation website, llms.txt, Go Playground demos...

Parallelizing Documentation Work

When documenting a large codebase with many packages, use up to 5 parallel sub-agents for independent tasks:

Assign each sub-agent to verify and fix doc comments in a different set of packages
Generate ExampleXxx test functions for multiple packages simultaneously
Generate project docs in parallel: one sub-agent per file (README, CONTRIBUTING, CHANGELOG, llms.txt)

Step 3: Function & Method Doc Comments

Every exported function and method MUST have a doc comment. Document complex internal functions too. Skip test functions.

The comment starts with the function name and a verb phrase. Focus on why and when, not restating what the code already shows. The code tells you what happens — the comment should explain why it exists, when to use it, what constraints apply, and what can go wrong. Include parameters, return values, error cases, and a usage example:

// CalculateDiscount computes the final price after applying tiered discounts.
// Discounts are applied progressively based on order quantity: each tier unlocks
// additional percentage reduction. Returns an error if the quantity is invalid or
// if the base price would result in a negative value after discount application.
//
// Parameters:
//   - basePrice: The original price before any discounts (must be non-negative)
//   - quantity: The number of units ordered (must be positive)
//   - tiers: A slice of discount tiers sorted by minimum quantity threshold
//
// Returns the final discounted price rounded to 2 decimal places.
// Returns ErrInvalidPrice if basePrice is negative.
// Returns ErrInvalidQuantity if quantity is zero or negative.
//
// Play: https://go.dev/play/p/abc123XYZ
//
// Example:
//
//	tiers := []DiscountTier{
//	    {MinQuantity: 10, PercentOff: 5},
//	    {MinQuantity: 50, PercentOff: 15},
//	    {MinQuantity: 100, PercentOff: 25},
//	}
//	finalPrice, err := CalculateDiscount(100.00, 75, tiers)
//	if err != nil {
//	    log.Fatalf("Discount calculation failed: %v", err)
//	}
//	log.Printf("Ordered 75 units at $100 each: final price = $%.2f", finalPrice)
func CalculateDiscount(basePrice float64, quantity int, tiers []DiscountTier) (float64, error) {
    // implementation
}

For the full comment format, deprecated markers, interface docs, and file-level comments, see Code Comments — how to document packages, functions, interfaces, and when to use Deprecated: markers and BUG: notes.

Step 4: README Structure

README SHOULD follow this exact section order. Copy the template from templates/README.md:

Title — project name as # heading
Badges — shields.io pictograms (Go version, license, CI, coverage, Go Report Card...)
Summary — 1-2 sentences explaining what the project does
Demo — code snippet, GIF, screenshot, or video showing the project in action
Getting Started — installation + minimal working example
Features / Specification — detailed feature list or specification (very long section)
Contributing — link to CONTRIBUTING.md or inline if very short
Contributors — thank contributors (badge or list)
License — license name + link

Common badges for Go projects:

[![Go Version](https://img.shields.io/github/go-mod/go-version/{owner}/{repo})](https://go.dev/) [![License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/{owner}/{repo})](./LICENSE) [![Build Status](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/{owner}/{repo}/test.yml?branch=main)](https://github.com/{owner}/{repo}/actions) [![Coverage](https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/{owner}/{repo})](https://codecov.io/gh/{owner}/{repo}) [![Go Report Card](https://goreportcard.com/badge/github.com/{owner}/{repo})](https://goreportcard.com/report/github.com/{owner}/{repo}) [![Go Reference](https://pkg.go.dev/badge/github.com/{owner}/{repo}.svg)](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/{owner}/{repo})

For the full README guidance and application-specific sections, see Project Docs.

Step 5: CONTRIBUTING & Changelog

CONTRIBUTING.md — Help contributors get started in under 10 minutes, covering prerequisites, clone, build, test, and PR process. If setup takes longer, improve the process with a Makefile, docker-compose, or devcontainer. See Project Docs.

Changelog — Track changes using Keep a Changelog format or GitHub Releases, copying the template from templates/CHANGELOG.md. Write each entry to answer what changed for the reader — internal refactors without user-visible impact belong in commit history, and a fixed edge case never becomes a broad "reliability improvement" claim. See Project Docs.

Step 6: Library-Specific Documentation

For Go libraries, add these on top of the basics:

Go Playground demos — create runnable demos and link them in doc comments with // Play: https://go.dev/play/p/xxx. Use a Go Playground integration when one is available to create and share playground URLs.
Example test functions — write func ExampleXxx() in _test.go files. These are executable documentation verified by go test.
Generous code examples — include multiple examples in doc comments showing common use cases.
godoc — your doc comments render on pkg.go.dev. Use go doc locally to preview; to inspect how a published package renders its docs, symbols, and examples, → See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-pkg-go-dev skill.
Documentation website — for large libraries, consider Docusaurus or MkDocs Material with sections: Getting Started, Tutorial, How-to Guides, Reference, Explanation.
Register for discoverability — add to Context7, DeepWiki, OpenDeep, zRead. Even for private libraries.

See Library Documentation for details.

Step 7: Application-Specific Documentation

For Go applications/CLIs:

Installation methods — pre-built binaries (GoReleaser), go install, Docker images, Homebrew...
CLI help text — make --help comprehensive; it's the primary documentation
Configuration docs — document all env vars, config files, CLI flags

See Application Documentation for details.

Step 8: API Documentation

If your project exposes an API:

API Style	Format	Tool
REST/HTTP	OpenAPI 3.x	swaggo/swag (auto-generate from annotations)
Event-driven	AsyncAPI	Manual or code-gen
gRPC	Protobuf	buf, grpc-gateway

Prefer auto-generation from code annotations when possible. See Application Documentation for details.

Step 9: AI-Friendly Documentation

Make your project consumable by AI agents:

llms.txt — add a llms.txt file at the repository root. Copy the template from templates/llms.txt. This file gives LLMs a structured overview of your project.
Structured formats — use OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, or protobuf for machine-readable API docs.
Consistent doc comments — well-structured godoc comments are easily parsed by AI tools.
Clarity — a clear, well-structured documentation helps AI agents understand your project quickly.

Step 10: Delivery Documentation

Document how users get your project:

Libraries:

go get github.com/{owner}/{repo}

Applications:

# Pre-built binary
curl -sSL https://github.com/{owner}/{repo}/releases/latest/download/{repo}-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m) -o /usr/local/bin/{repo}

# From source
go install github.com/{owner}/{repo}@latest

# Docker
docker pull {registry}/{owner}/{repo}:latest

See Project Docs for Dockerfile best practices and Homebrew tap setup.

Files

ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer917 B
LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.0 KiB
SKILL.md13.7 KiB
assets/templates/CHANGELOG.md675 B
assets/templates/CONTRIBUTING.md1.1 KiB
assets/templates/README.md3.8 KiB
assets/templates/llms.txt1.2 KiB
evals/evals.json31.2 KiB
references/application.md5.8 KiB
references/code-comments.md12.0 KiB
references/library.md7.3 KiB
references/project-docs.md4.3 KiB

references/library.md

Library Documentation

→ See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-testing skill for writing effective Example test functions.

Public vs Private Libraries
Go Playground Demos
Example Test Functions
Code Examples in Doc Comments
godoc and pkg.go.dev
Documentation Website
- Recommended Frameworks
- Recommended Sections
- llms.txt
- Register for Discoverability

Public vs Private Libraries

Not all documentation applies equally. Adapt to your audience:

Documentation	Public Library	Private Library
Doc comments on exported symbols	Required	Required
Package comments	Required	Required
README.md	Required	Required
Code examples in comments	Generous	Generous
`ExampleXxx()` test functions	Recommended	Recommended
Go Playground demos	Recommended	N/A (code not public)
pkg.go.dev / godoc	Primary docs surface	Use `go doc` locally or internal tooling
Documentation website	Large projects	Only if many teams consume the library
Register in Context7/DeepWiki/etc.	Recommended	N/A
llms.txt	Recommended	Optional
CHANGELOG.md	Recommended	Recommended
CONTRIBUTING.md	Recommended	Recommended (internal wiki may suffice)

Private libraries should still have excellent doc comments and examples — teams rotate, people forget, and AI agents need context to help effectively. The main difference is you skip public-facing artifacts (playground, pkg.go.dev, registries).

Go Playground Demos

Create runnable demos on the Go Playground and link them in doc comments. This lets users try your library without installing anything. Only applicable to public libraries.

Add a Play: line in the doc comment:

// Map applies fn to each element of the slice and returns a new slice.
//
// Play: https://go.dev/play/p/abc123xyz
//
// Example:
//
//	doubled := Map([]int{1, 2, 3}, func(x int) int { return x * 2 })
//	// doubled: [2, 4, 6]
func Map[T any, U any](s []T, fn func(T) U) []U {

When a Go Playground integration is available, use it to create and share playground URLs. Otherwise, create them manually at https://go.dev/play/.

Guidelines for playground demos:

Keep demos self-contained — include all imports and a main() function
Show the most common use case first
Show real-world examples
Print results so the output is visible when someone clicks "Run"
Add comments explaining what each section does

Example Test Functions

Libraries MUST have Example test functions for exported APIs. Example functions are executable documentation. They appear in godoc and are verified by go test:

// In map_example_test.go

package mypackage_test

import (
    "fmt"
    "github.com/{owner}/{repo}"
)

// ExampleMap demonstrates mapping over a slice.
func ExampleMap() {
    result := mypackage.Map([]int{1, 2, 3}, func(x int) int {
        return x * 2
    })
    fmt.Println(result)
    // Output: [2 4 6]
}

// ExampleMap_strings demonstrates mapping with string transformation.
func ExampleMap_strings() {
    result := mypackage.Map([]string{"hello", "world"}, strings.ToUpper)
    fmt.Println(result)
    // Output: [HELLO WORLD]
}

Naming conventions:

ExampleFuncName() — example for a package-level function
ExampleTypeName() — example for a type
ExampleTypeName_MethodName() — example for a method
ExampleFuncName_suffix() — multiple examples for the same function (suffix is lowercase)
Example() — example for the whole package

The // Output: comment MUST be included for go test to verify the example. Without it, the example compiles but doesn't verify output.

Code Examples in Doc Comments

Be generous with examples in doc comments. Show common use cases, edge cases, and error handling:

// NewClient creates a new HTTP client with the given options.
//
// Example — basic client:
//
//	client := NewClient()
//
// Example — with custom timeout and retries:
//
//	client := NewClient(
//	    WithTimeout(10 * time.Second),
//	    WithRetries(3),
//	    WithRetryBackoff(time.Second),
//	)
//
// Example — with authentication:
//
//	client := NewClient(
//	    WithBearerToken(os.Getenv("API_TOKEN")),
//	)
func NewClient(opts ...Option) *Client {

godoc and pkg.go.dev

Your doc comments automatically render on pkg.go.dev when you tag a release and someone imports your package. This is the primary documentation surface for public Go libraries.

How godoc renders comments:

First sentence of each doc comment appears in the package index
// Package foo provides... appears as the package description
Code blocks (indented by one tab) render as formatted code
# Heading syntax (Go 1.19+) creates sections
[Link text] syntax creates hyperlinks
[Identifier] links to other symbols in the package
Deprecated: marker gets special styling

For private libraries: pkg.go.dev won't index private modules. Use go doc locally or run pkgsite on your internal network. Some teams set up a shared pkgsite instance for internal Go modules.

# View docs for a specific symbol
go doc github.com/{owner}/{repo}.FuncName

# View full package docs
go doc -all github.com/{owner}/{repo}

# Start a local godoc server
go get -tool golang.org/x/pkgsite/cmd/pkgsite@latest
go tool pkgsite -http=:6060
# Then open http://localhost:6060

Documentation Website

For larger libraries or frameworks, consider a dedicated documentation website.

Recommended Frameworks

Docusaurus (React-based) — best for large projects, supports versioning natively
MkDocs Material (Python-based) — simpler setup, great search, clean design

Both can be deployed on Vercel.

Recommended Sections

Follow the Diataxis framework for organizing documentation:

Section	Purpose	Example
Getting Started	First steps, installation, hello world	"Install and run your first query in 5 minutes"
Tutorial	Step-by-step learning	"Build a REST API with authentication"
How-to Guides	Task-oriented recipes	"How to configure connection pooling"
Reference	Complete API documentation	Auto-generated from godoc
Deep dive / internals	Conceptual understanding	"How the scheduler algorithm works"

llms.txt

Add a llms.txt file at the repository root to help AI agents understand your project. Copy the template from templates/llms.txt.

This is an emerging convention for making projects AI-friendly. Place it alongside your README.

Register for Discoverability

Make your library findable by AI agents and documentation aggregators:

Context7 — https://context7.com — submit your library for inclusion in AI-accessible documentation
DeepWiki — https://deepwiki.com — auto-generates wiki-style docs from GitHub repos
OpenDeep — https://opendeep.wiki — open documentation platform for AI consumption
zRead — https://zread.ai — developer documentation reader

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Declares allowed tools, Claude Code frontmatter, Needs network access, Needs a command-line tool

The author says: Designed for Claude Code, Codex or similar harness, and for projects using Golang.

Security

What our scanner noticed· Low risk

Instructions that use the network

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by

samber

Publisher

Samuel Berthe (Community)

Distributed by

Samuel Berthe

Source

samber/cc-skills-golang · skills/golang-documentation · commit bb1d43d

Licence

MIT License (redistribution allowed)

LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)

Synced

2026-11-09

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by samber or Samuel Berthe.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download golang-documentation.zip