Hads

When to use this skill

Use Hads when an AI agent needs a reusable SKILL.md workflow for this job: Use when writing technical documentation that needs to be readable by both humans and AI models, converting existing docs to HADS format, validating a HADS document, or optimizing documentation for token-efficient AI consumption.

When not to use it

Skip Hads when the task is outside the writing category, or when a more specific skill in this directory already covers the same workflow with clearer triggers.

How to install

1. Personal install: create ~/.claude/skills/hads/SKILL.md (and any bundled scripts) so Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and compatible agents can load it in every project.
2. Project install: commit the same folder at .claude/skills/hads/ so teammates get the skill with the repo.
3. Restart the agent session after copying files so it re-scans the skills directory, then ask for the task in words that match the skill description.

Full install guide for Claude, Cursor, and Codex

What this skill does

# HADS Claude Skill **Version 1.0.0** · Human-AI Document Standard · 2026 · HADS 1.0.0

---

## AI READING INSTRUCTION

This skill teaches Claude how to read, generate, and validate HADS documents. Read all `[SPEC]` blocks before responding to any HADS-related request. Read `[NOTE]` blocks if you need context on intent or edge cases.

---

## 1. WHAT IS HADS

**[SPEC]** - HADS = Human-AI Document Standard - Convention for Markdown technical documentation - Four block types: `**[SPEC]**`, `**[NOTE]**`, `**[BUG]**`, `**[?]**` - Every HADS document requires: H1 title, version declaration, AI manifest - AI manifest appears before first content section, tells AI what to read/skip - File extension: `.md` — standard Markdown, no tooling required

---

## 2. BLOCK TYPES

**[SPEC]** ``` **[SPEC]** Authoritative fact. Terse. Bullet lists, tables, code. AI reads always. **[NOTE]** Human context, history, examples. AI may skip. **[BUG]** Verified failure + fix. Required fields: symptom, cause, fix. Always read. **[?]** Unverified / inferred. Lower confidence. Always flagged. ```

Block tag rules: - Bold, on its own line: `**[SPEC]**` - Content follows immediately (no blank line between tag and content) - Multiple blocks of different types allowed per section - Titled BUG blocks allowed: `**[BUG] Short description**` - No nesting of blocks inside blocks

---

## 3. REQUIRED DOCUMENT STRUCTURE

**[SPEC]** ```markdown # Document Title **Version X.Y.Z** · Author · Date · [metadata]

---

## AI READING INSTRUCTION

Read `[SPEC]` and `[BUG]` blocks for authoritative facts. Read `[NOTE]` only if additional context is needed. `[?]` blocks are unverified — treat with lower confidence.

---

## 1. First Section

**[SPEC]** ... ```

Required elements in order: 1. H1 title 2. `**Version X.Y.Z**` in header (first 20 lines) 3. AI manifest section before first content section 4. Content sections (H2), subsections (H3)

---

## 4. HOW CLAUDE READS HADS

**[SPEC]** When encountering a HADS document: 1. Find and read the AI manifest first 2. Read all `[SPEC]` blocks — these are ground truth 3. Read all `[BUG]` blocks — always, before generating any code or config 4. Read `[NOTE]` blocks only if `[SPEC]` is insufficient to answer the query 5. Treat `[?]` content as hypothesis — note uncertainty in response

Token optimization: for large documents, scan section headings first, then read only `[SPEC]` and `[BUG]` blocks in relevant sections.

---

## 5. HOW CLAUDE GENERATES HADS

**[SPEC]** When asked to write documentation in HADS format:

1. Start with header block (title, version, metadata) 2. Add AI manifest — always include, never skip 3. Organize content into numbered H2 sections 4. For each fact: write as `[SPEC]` — terse, bullet or table or code 5. For each "why" or context: write as `[NOTE]` 6. For each known failure mode with confirmed fix: write as `[BUG]` 7. For each unverified claim: write as `[?]` 8. End with changelog section

Content rules for `[SPEC]`: - Prefer bullet lists over prose - Prefer tables for multi-field facts - Prefer code blocks for syntax, formats, examples - Maximum 2 sentences of prose — if more needed, move to `[NOTE]`

Content rules for `[BUG]`: - Always include: symptom, cause, fix - Optional: affected versions, workaround - Title on same line: `**[BUG] Short description**`

**[NOTE]** When converting existing documentation to HADS: extract facts into `[SPEC]`, move narrative and history to `[NOTE]`, surface all known issues as `[BUG]`. Do not duplicate content between block types.

---

## 6. VALIDATION RULES

**[SPEC]** A valid HADS document must have: - H1 title - `**Version X.Y.Z**` in first 20 lines - AI manifest before first content section - All block tags bold: `**[SPEC]**` not `[SPEC]` not *[SPEC]* - `[BUG]` blocks contain at minimum symptom + fix

Validator: *(planned — not yet included in this release)*

---

## 7. EXAMPLE INTERACTIONS

**[SPEC]**

User: *"Write HADS documentation for this REST API"* → Generate full HADS document: header, manifest, sections with [SPEC]/[NOTE]/[BUG] blocks

User: *"Convert this README to HADS format"* → Restructure existing content into HADS blocks, preserve all facts, add manifest

User: *"Is this document valid HADS?"* → Check: H1 title, version, manifest, block tag formatting, BUG block completeness

User: *"Summarize this HADS document"* → Read only [SPEC] and [BUG] blocks, return structured summary

User: *"What does this API do?"* (HADS doc provided) → Read manifest, read [SPEC] blocks in relevant sections, answer directly

---

## 8. DESIGN INTENT

**[NOTE]** HADS exists because AI models increasingly read documentation before humans do. The format optimizes for this reality without sacrificing human readability.

Key insight: the AI manifest is the core innovation. It lets even small (7B) models know what to read and what to skip — without requiring them to reason about document structure. Explicit is better than implicit for model consumption.

When generating HADS, think of `[SPEC]` as the API surface and `[NOTE]` as the comments. `[BUG]` blocks are the most valuable content — they represent hard-won knowledge that saves others from hitting the same wall.

---

## 9. QUICK REFERENCE

**[SPEC]** ``` Tag | Bold format | Reader | Required content ----------|----------------|---------|------------------ [SPEC] | **[SPEC]** | AI | Facts, terse [NOTE] | **[NOTE]** | Human | Context, narrative [BUG] | **[BUG] ...** | Both | Symptom + fix [?] | **[?]** | Both | Unverified claims ```

Manifest minimum: ```markdown ## AI READING INSTRUCTION Read `[SPEC]` and `[BUG]` blocks for authoritative facts. Read `[NOTE]` only if additional context is needed. `[?]` blocks are unverified. ```

Intended uses

• Use Hads when this documented workflow matches the task.