Markdown Formatting Skill
Apply consistent Markdown formatting to all outputs. Structure content for readability and professionalism.
When to Use
Activate when producing:
- PR descriptions and issue bodies
- Documentation and guides
- Notes and summaries
- Structured artifacts that will be saved or published (reports, READMEs, changelogs)
Not for conversational chat replies — normal responses don't need templates or strict formatting rules.
Core Principles
- Lead with the point - TL;DR or summary first, details after
- Use structure - Headings, lists, and whitespace aid scanning
- Be consistent - Same patterns across all outputs
- Respect context - PRs need checklists, docs need examples
Formatting Rules
Document Structure
# Title (standalone documents only)
Brief summary or TL;DR (1-2 sentences)
## Section Heading
Content organized by topic...
Headings
- Use
##for main sections (reserve#for document title) - Use
###sparingly for subsections - Never skip levels (no
##to####)
Lists
- Use
-for unordered lists (not*) - Use
1.for ordered/sequential steps - Nest with 2-space indent
- Keep list items parallel in structure
Code
- Inline: backticks for
commands,filenames,variables - Blocks: triple backticks with language identifier
- Always specify language:
typescript,bash, ```json
Emphasis
- Bold for key terms, warnings, important points
- Italics sparingly for emphasis or introducing terms
- Never combine bold and italics
Links
- Descriptive text:
[installation guide](url)not[click here](url) - Reference issues/PRs with
#123format
Templates
PR Description
## Summary
[One-line description of the change]
## Changes
- [Change 1]
- [Change 2]
## Test Plan
- [ ] [Test case 1]
- [ ] [Test case 2]
Issue Body
## Problem
[What is wrong or missing]
## Steps to Reproduce
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
## Expected
[What should happen]
## Actual
[What actually happens]
Example: Filled-in PR Description
## Summary
Add retry with exponential backoff to the `fetchUser` API client.
## Changes
- Wrap `fetchUser` in a retry helper (3 attempts, 200ms base delay)
- Surface a `RetryExhaustedError` after the final attempt
- Add unit tests covering success-after-retry and exhaustion paths
## Test Plan
- [x] `npm test` passes, including new `retry.test.ts` cases
- [x] Manual check: killed the mock server mid-request, saw retries in logs (#87)
Note the applied rules: ## headings, - list markers, backticks for code identifiers, #87 issue reference, and a one-line summary leading the document.
Anti-patterns
- Walls of text without structure
- Inconsistent list markers (
*,-,+mixed) - Code blocks without language identifiers
- Headings used as emphasis
- Trailing whitespace or excessive blank lines