Agent Stylebooks

Pick the writing system before the model picks one for you.

Stop asking AI to “write better.” Give it an editorial system.

Portable Agent Skills based on established editorial systems.

npx skills add Neeeophytee/agent-stylebooks

Browse stylebooks · Installation · Examples · Provenance

Each stylebook defines what to lead with, how to order information, which distinctions must survive editing, what ambiguity is unacceptable, and how to check the result. These are community-maintained Agent Skills derived from publicly documented editorial guidance, not official vendor or agency products.

Which stylebook should I use?

Choose by the reader's task and the artifact—not by the organization named in the draft.

Recommended stylebook	I am writing...
$google-developer-docs	API or setup tutorial, how-to guide, onboarding instructions
$govuk	Public-service eligibility page, decision guide, application instructions
$gitlab-docs	Engineering or product docs, internal documentation, feature guide
$github-docs	Product workflow, step-by-step guide, troubleshooting article
$mdn-web-docs	Web API explanation, technical reference, learning article
$kubernetes-docs	Infrastructure procedure, operations runbook, deployment guide
$nhs-health-content	Health or patient content, explainer, care instructions
$cdc-clear-communication	Public-health message, safety advisory, awareness campaign
$sec-plain-english	Investor disclosure, business report, risk explanation
$w3c-technical-reports	Technical specification, standards document, requirements definition
$nasa-technical-writing	Engineering or test report, research report, findings summary
$microsoft-writing-style	Product help or UX copy, support article, interface guidance
$apple-interface-writing	Interface labels or alerts, microcopy, onboarding flow

Compare all 16 stylebooks →

Prompt vs stylebook

Generic prompt	Stylebook
Ad hoc	Reusable
“Make it clear”	Concrete editorial decisions
Source usually unknown	Provenance documented
Rewritten each session	Installed once
Easy to drift	Repeatable workflow
“Sound human”	Optimize for a specific reader and task

See the difference

These original examples illustrate the systems; they are not quotations or claimed outputs from the source organizations.

Generic technical prose

To successfully initiate configuration, authentication credentials must first be appropriately established.

$google-developer-docs

Before you configure the integration, set up your authentication credentials.

Generic error

An error occurred while processing your request. Please try again later.

$microsoft-writing-style

We couldn't save your changes. Check your connection and try again.

Generic risk statement

Unfavorable market conditions may adversely affect our results.

$sec-plain-english

If borrowing costs rise, our interest expense may increase and reduce our net income.

Install

The portable installer currently requires Node.js 22.20 or newer.

# List the catalog
npx skills add Neeeophytee/agent-stylebooks --list

# Install one stylebook
npx skills add Neeeophytee/agent-stylebooks --skill cdc-clear-communication

# Install all 16
npx skills add Neeeophytee/agent-stylebooks

Claude Code and Codex can also install the repository as a plugin. Manual, project-level, and agent-specific routes are in INSTALL.md.

Use

Use $google-developer-docs to turn these notes into a setup guide.
Use $govuk to rewrite this eligibility page around the user's decision.
Use $apple-interface-writing to tighten these labels and error messages.

Use one primary stylebook unless the task explicitly needs a hybrid. A product terminology guide still governs product names; the stylebook governs structure and prose. Every skill must preserve supplied facts, code behavior, legal meaning, and domain constraints.

Compatibility

Every stylebook uses the open SKILL.md format and remains an immediate child of skills/. That flat layout supports Codex, Claude Code, Kimi Code CLI, Cursor, Hermes Agent, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, and other compatible loaders.

Agent	Supported route
OpenAI Codex	Codex plugin or .agents/skills/
Claude Code	Claude plugin or .claude/skills/
Kimi Code CLI	Native Agent Skills directories or portable installer
Cursor	Portable installer or native project skills directory
Hermes Agent	skills.external_dirs or ~/.hermes/skills/
GitHub Copilot	.github/skills/, .agents/skills/, or .claude/skills/
Gemini CLI	.gemini/skills/ or portable installer
Other compatible agents	Any loader that implements the Agent Skills specification

Compatibility means the repository follows each documented discovery shape. It does not imply that the source organizations created or tested these stylebooks. See COMPATIBILITY.md for test evidence and INSTALL.md for the exact routes.

Provenance and limits

PROVENANCE.md records the authoritative source and reuse decision for every stylebook. Openly licensed and public-domain sources still use independently written rules. Restricted or unclear sources are reference-only interpretations.

The repository's original text and scripts are MIT licensed. Third-party guides retain their own terms. No source organization endorses this project. A stylebook does not provide legal, medical, regulatory, standards, or publication approval. See NOTICE.md.

Validate and contribute

python3 scripts/validate_repo.py

CI checks structure, names, frontmatter, manifests, provenance, links, duplicate inventory, and the byte integrity of the original 11 skills. Read CONTRIBUTING.md before proposing another editorial system or use the stylebook request form.