Individual skill
read-the-damn-docs
Use when implementing, integrating, upgrading, debugging, or answering anything involving third-party APIs, libraries, frameworks, CLIs, cloud services, model/provider SDKs, fast-moving product behavior, user requests for latest/current/official behavior, unfamiliar repo docs/specs, errors that may indicate API drift, or high-stakes auth, security, billing, data, migration, deployment, compliance, or privacy behavior. Forces Codex to web-search for current official docs and read primary docs before assuming from memory.
templates/tasks/.agents/skills/read-the-damn-docs/SKILL.md
Source commit 3ec46d2df6a396c23a8e910c0ac3c2f13f574958
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- Yes
- Scanner rules are current
- Yes
- Repository scan complete
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- Skill scan complete
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- Observed behavior
- Network or broad shell
- Last checked
- Nov 8, 2026
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- Repository stars (not skill ratings)
- 7,645
- Repository last updated
- Nov 8, 2026
- License
- MIT
Observed agent integration: No specific integration evidence. Standard SKILL.md installation does not imply verified compatibility.
- agents Repository topic
- ai Repository topic
- react Repository topic
- agent-native Repository topic
- typescript Repository topic
- agent-framework Repository topic
- agentic-ai Repository topic
- ai-agents Repository topic
- framework Repository topic
- generative-ui Repository topic
- legal Derived category
- data Derived category
- devops Derived category
- security Derived category
- testing Derived category
- docs Derived category
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# Read The Damn Docs
Do not guess where authoritative docs can answer the question. The most common
right move is to web-search for the current official docs, open the relevant
pages, and read them before coding. For APIs, versions, provider behavior,
config, limits, lifecycle hooks, or security-sensitive flows, ground the answer
in what the docs actually say.
## Docs-First Triggers
Read docs before proceeding when any of these are true:
- The user asks for "latest", "current", "official", "supported", "best
practice", "recommended", "today", "now", or "look it up".