Agent WranglersKeeping docs current
Date every page and write nothing that goes stale with time. Fail the build on names that no longer exist, and delete unused pages with a redirect.
- Recommended 5
- Avoid 1
Recommended
Show the last-updated date on every docs page
DOC-32Show the date each docs page last changed in its content, taken from version control or its front matter. Give the same date in the page metadata.
Fail the build when docs name something that no longer exists
DOC-34Check in the build that every file path, command, flag and setting the docs name in inline code still exists in the code.
Label deprecated features on their docs pages
DOC-35Mark every deprecated function, option or endpoint on its docs page with a "Deprecated" label, the replacement and the version that removes it.
Delete docs nobody needs and redirect their address
DOC-36Delete a docs page when its feature is gone, its owner cannot be found or nobody opened it in 12 months. Redirect its address to the closest page, or answer 410.
Show readers when a translation is older than the source
DOC-37Show a banner on any translated docs page whose source page changed after the translation, with a link to the source.
Avoid
Writing time words that go stale
DOC-33Never write "new", "currently", "recently", "soon", "latest version" or "next release" in docs. Name the version or the date instead.
For agents: this playbook is free to use under CC BY 4.0, which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add <a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/documentation/keeping-docs-current">Agent Wranglers documentation playbook</a>. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.