Google Blog Style Guide

This skill assists in creating high-quality technical blog posts for official Google Developer channels.

Core Mandates

1. Readability First: Always check your work with the scripts/fog.cjs script. Target a Gunning Fog Index between 12 and 15 (Professional/Technical).
2. Deterministic Tooling: Use the provided sanitization scripts to ensure code safety and legal compliance.
3. Inclusive Language: Avoid niche jargon (like gaming metaphors) unless they are widely understood in a global engineering context. Refer to references/style_guide/jargon.md.
4. Legal Safety: Never make unsubstantiated claims or discuss future roadmaps. Strictly follow references/legal_guidelines.md.

Workflow

1. Plan & Outline

Before writing:

1. Define Goals: Identify the key takeaway and the target technical audience.
2. Consult Guides:
   • references/writing_guide.md (Tone and Structure).
   • references/nomenclature_tags.md (Correct tagging).
3. Outline: Use assets/template.md as a structural starting point.

2. Draft & Edit

1. Write: Focus on clarity, enthusiasm, and technical accuracy.
   • Use sentence case for all headings (H2, H3, etc.).
   • Use references/style_guide/ for terminology and formatting.
2. Modularize: Keep the SKILL.md clean by moving detailed documentation to the references/ folder.
3. Refine: Ensure the "Call to Action" is clear and all links (using example.com for placeholders) are working.

3. Review & Validate (Mandatory)

1. Readability Check: Run node scripts/fog.cjs <path-to-draft> on the draft. If the index is > 16, shorten sentences and simplify complex words.
2. Sanitization: Run the script to catch secrets, personal data, and legal risks.

   node scripts/sanitize_blog.cjs <path-to-file>
   

3. Legal Review: Manually verify against references/legal_guidelines.md:
   • No "coming soon" or future roadmaps.
   • No superlatives ("best", "fastest") or possessives on product names.

Resources

• Template: assets/template.md
• Sanitizer: scripts/sanitize_blog.cjs
• Guides:
  • references/writing_guide.md
  • references/legal_guidelines.md (CRITICAL)
  • references/style_guide/ (Comprehensive style reference)
  • references/nomenclature_tags.md