Automated Doc Updates

The /update-jamdesk skill for Claude Code watches your code changes and generates matching documentation updates. After you ship a user-facing feature, run the skill and it will figure out which doc pages need creating or editing.

Looking for general AI writing tips? This page covers the /update-jamdesk skill for automated documentation updates. For tool setup, see Claude Code. For broader guidance on using AI tools to write docs, see Writing with AI.

When to Use

Use when: You've made user-facing changes to APIs, CLI commands, UI, config options, or component behavior.

Skip when: Internal refactors, test-only changes, build/CI config, or performance work without behavior change—these don't need user-facing docs.

Prerequisites

Claude Code installed and configured
A Jamdesk documentation project with docs.json
Optional: Jamdesk CLI for verification (npm install -g jamdesk)

Quick Start

Create Config File

Create a .jamdesk-docs-path file in your code repository pointing to your docs:

.jamdesk-docs-path

docs_path: ../my-docs

The path can be relative (from the config file) or absolute.

Run the Skill

After implementing a feature, run:

/update-jamdesk

Claude will analyze your changes and ask clarifying questions before writing documentation.

Review and Commit

Review the generated documentation, then Claude will verify it with jamdesk validate and jamdesk broken-links before committing.

Config File Format

The .jamdesk-docs-path file tells Claude where your documentation lives.

Simple format - just the path:

../my-docs

Full format - with options:

.jamdesk-docs-path

# Path to documentation repository
docs_path: ../my-docs

# Optional: Branch for doc updates (default: main)
docs_branch: main

The config file is discovered by walking up from your current directory to the git root. Place it in your repository root for best results.

How It Works

When you run /update-jamdesk, Claude:

Locates your docs - Finds the .jamdesk-docs-path config file
Asks questions - Clarifies branch strategy, scope, and content
Analyzes existing docs - Searches for related content to update or extend
Writes documentation - Creates or updates pages following Jamdesk standards, with simple examples first
Reviews tone - Check the output for AI filler. Claude writes better with a CLAUDE.md that sets the voice (see Claude Code)
Verifies - Runs jamdesk validate and jamdesk broken-links
Commits - Stages changes and offers to commit/push/PR

Don't like the changes? Run git checkout . before committing to revert all edits.

Scenario	Action
New feature	Create new page
Behavior change	Update existing page
Small addition	Add section to existing page
Major capability	New standalone page
Deprecation/removal	Update existing + add migration notes

Example Session

User: I just added a webhook feature. Can you document it?

Claude: I'm using the update-jamdesk skill to update your documentation.

Found .jamdesk-docs-path: ../customer-docs

How should I handle changes to the docs repository?
1. Create a new feature branch (recommended)
2. Update directly on main
3. Use current branch

User: 1

Claude: Based on the webhook implementation, I plan to:
- Create: webhooks/overview.mdx
- Update: getting-started.mdx (add link)

Any changes to this plan?

User: Looks good

Claude: [Creates documentation...]

✓ jamdesk validate passed
✓ jamdesk broken-links passed

Commit these changes?

Preview Mode

Run with --preview to see what would change without making edits:

/update-jamdesk --preview

Preview mode lets you:

Check what documentation needs updating
Review proposed changes before committing
See the skill's analysis without side effects

Proactive Suggestions

After committing user-facing code changes, Claude may suggest:

Tip: These changes affect user-facing features.
Run /update-jamdesk to update your documentation.

This appears when:

You have a .jamdesk-docs-path config file, AND
Your commit includes files matching user-facing patterns (API, CLI, components)

Installing the Skill

Install the /update-jamdesk skill using the skills CLI:

npx skills add jamdesk/skills --skill update-jamdesk

This installs the skill to .claude/skills/update-jamdesk/ in your project.

Installs to your current project directory:

npx skills add jamdesk/skills --skill update-jamdesk

The skill is available when working in this project.

Listing Available Skills

See all Jamdesk skills:

npx skills add jamdesk/skills --list

Updating

Re-run the install command to get the latest version:

npx skills add jamdesk/skills --skill update-jamdesk

After installing or updating, restart Claude Code or start a new session for changes to take effect.

Troubleshooting

Make sure the skill file is at .claude/skills/update-jamdesk/SKILL.md and restart your Claude Code session.

Create .jamdesk-docs-path in your repository root with the path to your docs directory. The skill searches from your current directory up to the git root.

Install with npm install -g jamdesk. The skill will work without it but won't run automated validation.

What's Next?

MCP Server

Connect AI assistants directly to your docs

CLI Overview

Learn about the jamdesk CLI for local development