Content rules

These rules are part of the agent guide. The plain-text check finds a break of them.

• Use shape: "store" for data at rest and shape: "decision" for a branch.
• Keep one main path, left to right. Put side parts in a column group.
• A quiet: true edge needs a beat that uses it.
• Keep an SVG to one or two steps: it loops with no controls. For tabs or pause, use the React player <Flow {...props} />.

Plain text

The reader does not know the code.

• A box label names the role in 1 to 4 plain words. Bad: "authRateLimiter". Good: "Rate limiter".
• A sub line holds a short plain detail. Bad: "redis.incr()". Good: "5 tries a minute".
• An edge label names the action or the data. Bad: "validateCredentials()". Good: "check password".
• No code names in labels or sentences. The code name goes in source and shows on hover. Bad: “loginHandler calls findUserByEmail”. Good: “The API finds the user by email”.
• A say line or a caption has 15 words or fewer, with the actor first. The check warns above 20 words. Bad: “A session is made after the password check”. Good: “The API makes a session”.
• A step label has 1 to 4 words. The check skips this rule. Bad: “How a user logs in”. Good: “Log in”.
• No filler words: seamless, robust, powerful, leverage, effortless. Bad: “seamless lookups”. Good: “cached lookups”.
• Data shows real values from the code. The check skips this rule. Bad: "an error response". Good: "401 bad_credentials".