Contributing to NemoClaw Documentation

This guide covers how to write, edit, and review documentation for NemoClaw. If you change code that affects user-facing behavior, update the relevant docs in the same PR.

Use the Agent Skills

If you use an AI coding agent (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, etc.), the repo includes skills that automate doc work. Use them before writing from scratch.

The skills live in .agents/skills/ and follow the style guide below automatically. To use one, ask your agent to run it. For example, ask it to “catch up the docs for everything merged since v0.2.0”.

When to Update Docs

Update documentation when your change:

• Adds, removes, or renames a CLI command or flag.
• Changes default behavior or configuration.
• Adds a new feature that users interact with.
• Fixes a bug that the docs describe incorrectly.
• Changes an API, protocol, or policy schema.

Building Docs Locally

Verify the docs are built correctly by building them and checking the output.

To build the docs, run:

make docs

To serve the docs locally and automatically rebuild on changes, run:

make docs-live

Writing Conventions

Format

• Docs use MyST Markdown, a Sphinx-compatible superset of CommonMark.
• Every page starts with YAML frontmatter (title, description, topics, tags, content type).
• Include the SPDX license header after frontmatter.

Frontmatter Template

---
title:
  page: "NemoClaw Page Title — Subtitle with Context"
  nav: "Short Nav Title"
description: "One-sentence summary of the page."
keywords: ["primary keyword", "secondary keyword phrase"]
topics: ["generative_ai", "ai_agents"]
tags: ["openclaw", "openshell", "relevant", "tags"]
content:
  type: concept | how_to | get_started | tutorial | reference
  difficulty: technical_beginner | technical_intermediate | technical_advanced
  audience: ["developer", "engineer"]
status: published
---

Page Structure

1. H1 heading matching the title.page value.
2. A one- or two-sentence introduction stating what the page covers.
3. Sections organized by task or concept, using H2 and H3. Start each section with an introductory sentence that orients the reader.
4. A “Next Steps” section at the bottom linking to related pages.

Style Guide

Write like you are explaining something to a colleague. Be direct, specific, and concise.

Voice and Tone

• Use active voice. “The CLI creates a gateway” not “A gateway is created by the CLI.”
• Use second person (“you”) when addressing the reader.
• Use present tense. “The command returns an error” not “The command will return an error.”
• State facts. Do not hedge with “simply,” “just,” “easily,” or “of course.”

Things to Avoid

These patterns are common in LLM-generated text and erode trust with technical readers. Remove them during review.

Formatting Rules

• End every sentence with a period.
• One sentence per line in the source file (makes diffs readable).
• Use code formatting for CLI commands, file paths, flags, parameter names, and values.
• Use code blocks with the console language for CLI examples. Prefix commands with $:

  $ nemoclaw onboard

• Use tables for structured comparisons. Keep tables simple (no nested formatting).
• Use blockquote admonitions (> **Note:**, > **Warning:**) for callouts, not bold text.
• Avoid nested admonitions.
• Do not number section titles. Write “Deploy a Gateway” not “Section 1: Deploy a Gateway” or “Step 3: Verify.”
• Do not use colons in titles. Write “Deploy and Manage Gateways” not “Gateways: Deploy and Manage.”
• Use colons only to introduce a list. Do not use colons as general-purpose punctuation between clauses.

Word List

Use these consistently:

Submitting Doc Changes

1. Create a branch following the project convention.
2. Make your changes.
3. Build locally with make docs and verify the output.
4. Open a PR with docs: as the conventional commit type.

docs: update quickstart for new onboard wizard

If your doc change accompanies a code change, include both in the same PR and use the code change’s commit type:

feat(cli): add policy-add command

Reviewing Doc PRs

When reviewing documentation:

• Check that the style guide rules above are followed.
• Watch for LLM-generated patterns (excessive bold, em dashes, filler).
• Verify code examples are accurate and runnable.
• Confirm cross-references and links are not broken.
• Build locally to check rendering.