As the sole technical writer at Mintlify, I'm always looking for ways to improve myworkflows and empower other people on my team to contribute to the docs. I alsowant to take a vacation without blocking docs ships for a week and a half.This blog post is adapted from my tips for the team while I'm out of office.Use Claude Code as a technical writing assistantI've been using Claude Code as my writing assistant since it launched. ClaudeCode can read your codebase, analyze Git branches, search existingdocumentation, and maintain context about your project's specific style andrequirements. I've come to prefer Claude Code over other AI tools for a fewreasons.

• I like running Claude in the terminal and it fits in well with how I like to work.

• I can easily configure and share CLAUDE.md files for projects so that my teamhas shared guidelines.

• And I've found that it generates better content than most other tools.

I'll warn you now though, it's not quite as easy as typing “write this” and receivingperfectly polished docs. For someone who might not consider themselves a writerthough, but is an expert on the code they just shipped, Claude can help plan anddraft documentation, making them feel confident about their writing. For technicalwriters, Claude Code can help you get information about recent ships or in progresswork when SMEs are unavailable to discuss details.You are smarter than ClaudeIf you remember only one thing from this post, remember this: don't publishsomething just because Claude suggested it.Always verify any docs changes with your own expertise or by getting someonewho is an expert to review.Setting up Claude CodeThe setup is straightforward:Make sure Claude Code is properly installed by asking it a question, having it tellyou a joke, or whatever you want. If it responds, we're good to go.Create a CLAUDE.md file for guardrailsThe game changer is creating a CLAUDE.md file that trains Claude as yourtechnical writing partner. This configuration file gives context, sets qualitystandards, and defines how Claude interacts with you.Think of it like onboarding a new team member or setting explicit guardrails for anon-deterministic word generator. Your pick.Here's what has worked for me in CLAUDE.md files:Be specific about the relationship: I tell Claude that it is an incredibly accomplishedtechnical writer and we're colleagues working together, not that it's my assistant.This seems to improve the quality of pushback I get when brainstorming andreduces sycophantic behavior.Set explicit rules and constraints: Set hard boundaries about what Claude can andcannot do without permission. This helps prevent incorrect assumptions. I tellClaude that breaking any rule is failure.Define writing standards: Your team probably has opinions about tone, formatting,and style. Put those in the  file or a link to where Claude can read them.Require verification: Make Claude test links, verify code examples, and citesources properly.Example CLAUDE.md fileCheck out the CLAUDE.md file from the Mintlify docs project.Organize your workspaceIf you're working across multiple related repositories (like docs/, backend/, andfrontend/), organize them under a common parent directory. This allows ClaudeCode to efficiently search between projects and better assess the relationshipsbetween code and documentation.Final tips on using Claude Code for writing documentationDon't

1. Don't trust Claude's technical knowledge. Claude can write very convincingexplanations for APIs that don't exist. Always verify technical claims against theactual code.

1. Don't ignore your existing style. Claude might suggest perfectly gooddocumentation that doesn't match how you already write docs. Consistencybeats theoretical perfection.

1. Don't skip planning. The planning step is important for you and for Claude. Itgives you a chance to confirm what the tool is going to do and it helps ClaudeCode work more efficiently by getting you to verify what it's going to attemptbefore it does it. Don't jump straight into asking it to write documentation. It'llprobably get messy.Do

1. Always get human review. No matter how good Claude's output looks, haveanother person review it. This catches technical errors and ensures it actuallymakes sense to someone who didn't write it.

1. Start small. Big documentation rewrites usually fail. Work on one section at atime, test each code example, verify each link.

1. Push back when something feels wrong. If you think Claude is wrong, Claudeis probably wrong (see the note above that you are smarter than Claude). Ask itto explain its reasoning or suggest alternatives.The bottom lineI'm not trying to replace human expertise with AI. I have no doubt that I will begladly welcomed back from vacation, not replaced by Claude while I'm away.Claude Code can help expedite some mechanical aspects of writing like searching;it can help plan content updates; and it can generate content. But all of this requireshuman oversight.The teams I've talked to who are successfully using these tools aren't just trying towrite faster, they're trying to be more thoughtful and identify how their contentaddresses user needs rather than just trying to keep up with the pace of releases.For non writers who are creating documentation, tools like Claude Code can giveyou confidence and get over that initial hurdle of “but I'm not a writer.” Even beforeLLMs took off, I've always believed anyone can write. It's hard and can beintimidating, but it's achievable. Claude Code and similar tools are one way to getthere.At least until your writer is back.-What's your experience with AI tools for technical writing? What workflows have‍you found most effective? I'm always curious to hear how other teams are‍approaching novel technology -