| name | doc-validator |
| description | Validate markdown documentation against meta-agentic best practices. Use when validating skills, commands, checking broken links, validating frontmatter, auditing documentation structure, or running compliance checks. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Grep, Glob, Bash |
Documentation Validator
Validate markdown documentation for compliance with meta-agentic best practices including progressive disclosure, lazy loading references, and proper structure.
Quick Start
# Validate a skill directory
/validate-docs ~/.claude/skills/my-skill/
# Validate with auto-fix
/validate-docs --fix ~/.claude/skills/
# Dry run (show what would be fixed)
/validate-docs --fix --dry-run ~/.claude/skills/
# Use the Python script directly
python scripts/validate_docs.py ~/.claude/skills/my-skill/
What It Validates
Structure Checks
- SKILL.md exists in skill directories
- File sizes under 500 lines (progressive disclosure)
- Directory organization follows conventions
- File naming (lowercase, hyphens)
Link Checks
- Internal links resolve to existing files
- @file references in commands point to valid paths
- Orphaned files (not referenced from main docs)
- No circular references
Content Checks
- YAML frontmatter present and valid
- Required fields:
name,description - Description contains trigger keywords
- Formatting: tabs, whitespace, newlines
Auto-Fix Behavior
| Category | Auto-Fix? | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Safe formatting | Yes | Tabs→spaces, trailing whitespace, final newline |
| YAML syntax | Yes | Quote special characters |
| Missing structure | With notice | Add frontmatter, generate name from folder |
| Content decisions | Report only | Broken links, file structure, descriptions |
For detailed auto-fix rules, see auto-fix.md.
Output Format
Validating: ~/.claude/skills/my-skill/
~/.claude/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md
[ERROR] Line 1: Missing YAML frontmatter
[WARNING] Line 45: Broken link: [examples](examples.md)
[INFO] Line 12: Tab character found
→ Auto-fixed: Tab → spaces
SUMMARY
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Files checked: 2
Errors: 1 (require manual fix)
Warnings: 1 (recommended fix)
Info: 1 (optional polish)
Auto-fixed: 1 issues
Severity Levels
| Level | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ERROR | Critical issue preventing proper function | Must fix |
| WARNING | Recommended improvement | Should fix |
| INFO | Optional polish | Nice to fix |
Invocation Modes
Single File
/validate-docs path/to/file.md
Skill Directory
/validate-docs ~/.claude/skills/my-skill/
Batch (All User Skills)
/validate-docs --all ~/.claude/skills/
Reference Documentation
| Guide | Purpose |
|---|---|
| checks.md | Complete list of validation checks |
| auto-fix.md | Auto-fix behaviors and safety classification |
| examples.md | Example validation outputs |
| sources.md | External documentation links |
Integration
With Python Script
# Basic validation
python scripts/validate_docs.py path/
# With auto-fix
python scripts/validate_docs.py --fix path/
# JSON output for tooling
python scripts/validate_docs.py --format json path/
# Strict mode (exit 1 on any issue)
python scripts/validate_docs.py --strict path/
With Agent
For comprehensive validation with intelligent auto-fix:
Use the doc-validator agent to validate ~/.claude/skills/
Patterns Validated
This validator checks compliance with patterns from: