WordPress Documentation Review

This skill provides systematic review of WordPress documentation against the official WordPress Documentation Style Guide.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Reviewing WordPress documentation before publication
• Auditing existing documentation for style guide compliance
• Providing feedback on documentation pull requests
• Ensuring documentation meets WordPress standards

Review Process

Step 1: Understand the Documentation Type

Identify the documentation type to apply appropriate standards:

• End-user documentation: Focus on clarity, accessibility, and conversational tone
• Developer documentation: Allow technical precision while maintaining clarity
• Code reference: Emphasize accuracy and code standards compliance
• Tutorial/guide: Check procedural clarity and step-by-step flow

Step 2: Systematic Review

Review documentation in this order for comprehensive coverage:

A. General Guidelines

Document Structure

• Follows defined structure with clear hierarchy
• Uses proper heading levels (H1 → H6, no skipping)
• Breaks text into digestible paragraphs (not walls of text)
• Includes introductory context before diving into details

Voice and Tone

• Conversational yet professional tone
• Avoids "we" statements (e.g., "we recommend" → "you can")
• Uses second person ("you") to address readers directly
• Avoids colloquialisms, slang, and cultural references
• No excessive claims about WordPress products/features
• No predictions about future features

Accessibility

• Alt text provided for all images (50 char limit)
• No color-only information conveyance
• Clear link text (not "click here")
• Proper table structure (no complex rowspan/colspan)
• No flickering/flashing content

Inclusivity

• Gender-neutral language throughout
• Uses "they/their/them" for singular pronouns
• Avoids ableist language
• No cultural/religious bias
• Diverse examples (names, locations, professions)
• Preferred terminology:
  • "allowlist" (not "whitelist")
  • "blocklist" (not "blacklist")
  • "main" (not "master" branch)
  • "primary/subordinate" (not "master/slave")

Global Audience

• American English spelling (color, optimize)
• Date format: Month DD, YYYY (e.g., October 28, 2025)
• Spells out numbers one through nine
• Times in UTC when relevant
• No idioms or culturally-specific references
• Simple sentence structure for translation

B. Language and Grammar

Voice and Tense

• Active voice (not passive)
• Present tense (not future)
• Second person perspective

Capitalization

• Sentence case for headings
• UI elements match exact capitalization from interface
• Proper nouns capitalized appropriately

Articles and Clarity

• Articles (a, an, the) included where appropriate
• Contractions used appropriately
• Conditional clauses before instructions
• Clear pronoun antecedents

C. Developer Content

Code in Text

• Monospace font for: filenames, paths, commands, functions, variables, UI elements with user input
• Proper formatting for method names with empty parentheses: delete()
• Keywords not used as verbs or pluralized

Code Examples

• Proper indentation (spaces, not tabs)
• Lines wrapped at 80 characters
• Introductory sentence before code blocks
• Follows WordPress Coding Standards
• Syntax highlighting where applicable

Placeholders

• Enclosed in <var> tags in HTML or backticks+asterisks in Markdown
• Uppercase with underscores: *POST_ID* or <var>POST_ID</var>
• No possessive pronouns (MY_, YOUR_)
• Description list provided for multiple placeholders

Command-line Syntax

• Dollar sign ($) prompt for commands
• Optional arguments in square brackets: [--force]
• Mutually exclusive arguments in angle brackets: <plugin|zip|url>
• Multiple values indicated with ellipsis: ...
• Proper line continuation characters (\ for Linux, ^ for Windows)

UI Elements

• Names in bold: Settings
• Task-focused instructions (not click-focused)
• Proper element terminology (button, menu, field)

D. Punctuation

• Serial (Oxford) commas in lists
• One space after periods
• Em dashes (—) for breaks, en dashes (–) for ranges
• Straight quotes (not curly quotes)
• Minimal exclamation points
• Minimal parentheses

E. Formatting

Links

• Descriptive link text (not "click here" or bare URLs)
• Cross-references to related content
• External links to authoritative sources only

Lists

• Numbered lists for sequential steps
• Bulleted lists for non-sequential items
• Parallel structure in list items
• Sentence case for list items

Media

• Images in SVG or PNG format
• Alt text provided (< 50 characters)
• Screenshots at appropriate resolution
• Focused on relevant content

Tables

• Simple structure (avoid rowspan/colspan)
• Headers properly marked
• Mobile-friendly layout

Step 3: Provide Structured Feedback

Organize feedback by priority:

Critical Issues (Must fix before publication)

• Accessibility violations
• Incorrect technical information
• Code that doesn't follow WordPress standards
• Offensive or non-inclusive language

Important Issues (Should fix)

• Voice/tone inconsistencies
• Unclear instructions
• Missing alt text or descriptions
• Formatting inconsistencies

Suggestions (Nice to have)

• Style improvements
• Additional examples
• Enhanced clarity

Step 4: Generate Review Output

Format the review as:

## WordPress Documentation Review

### Summary
[Brief overview of documentation quality and main findings]

### Critical Issues
1. [Issue with specific location and fix]
2. [Issue with specific location and fix]

### Important Issues
1. [Issue with specific location and fix]
2. [Issue with specific location and fix]

### Suggestions
1. [Improvement with rationale]
2. [Improvement with rationale]

### Positive Highlights
- [What the documentation does well]
- [Effective techniques used]

### Overall Assessment
[Overall rating and readiness for publication]

Reference Materials

For detailed guidance on specific topics, consult:

• references/developer-content.md - Code examples, placeholders, command-line syntax, UI elements
• references/style-guidelines.md - Complete style, voice, and tone guidelines with examples

Key Terminology Reference

Best Practices

1. Be specific: Point to exact locations with line numbers or section headings
2. Provide examples: Show correct and incorrect versions side-by-side
3. Explain why: Connect feedback to style guide principles
4. Balance criticism: Acknowledge what works well
5. Prioritize: Focus on issues that impact understanding or accessibility first