DevRel Content

This skill helps you create technical content that developers actually read: blog posts, tutorials, documentation, and thought leadership pieces that build trust and drive adoption.

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Before You Start

Load your audience context first. Read .agents/developer-audience-context.md to understand:

• Who you're writing for (role, seniority, tech stack)
• Their pain points (what problems resonate)
• Verbatim language (how they describe things)
• Voice & tone (how formal/technical to be)

If the context file doesn't exist, run the developer-audience-context skill first.

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The DevRel Content Framework

Phase 1: Research & Validation

Before writing anything, validate the topic is worth writing about.

Research Type	What to Do
Search intent	Google your topic. What already ranks? What's missing?
Community signals	Search Reddit, HN, Stack Overflow. Are developers asking about this?
Competitor gaps	What have competitors written? What haven't they covered?
Internal data	Support tickets, Discord questions, GitHub issues about this topic
Keyword research	Use Ahrefs/SEMrush for search volume on technical terms

Red flags — Don't write if:

• You're the only one who cares about this topic
• 10 identical articles already exist
• The topic is too broad ("Introduction to JavaScript")
• The topic is too narrow (no search volume, no community interest)

Phase 2: Content Type Selection

Choose the right format for your goal:

Content Type	Best For	Structure
Tutorial	Teaching a specific skill	Step-by-step, code-heavy
Guide	Covering a topic comprehensively	Sections, reference material
Comparison	Helping with decisions	Table-based, pros/cons
Announcement	Launching features/products	News lead, what/why/how
Thought leadership	Building authority	Opinion, predictions, takes
Case study	Social proof	Problem → Solution → Results
Troubleshooting	Solving specific errors	Error → Cause → Fix

Phase 3: Outline Structure

Use this outline template:

# [Title that promises specific value]

## Hook (2-3 sentences)
- State the problem or opportunity
- Establish credibility ("We migrated 10,000 repos...")
- Promise what the reader will learn

## Context (optional)
- Brief background if needed
- Link to prerequisites

## The Meat
### Section 1: [First major concept]
- Explanation
- Code example
- Common pitfall

### Section 2: [Second major concept]
- Explanation
- Code example
- Real-world application

### Section 3: [Third major concept]
- Explanation
- Code example
- Advanced tip

## Putting It Together
- Complete example
- Working code

## What's Next
- Links to deeper content
- Call to action (try the product, join Discord, etc.)

---

Writing Code Examples

Code is the content. Get it right.

The Copy-Paste Test

Every code example must:

Requirement	Why It Matters
Run without modification	Developers will copy-paste. If it fails, you lose trust.
Include imports	Don't assume they know which libraries to import.
Show output	What should they see when it works?
Handle errors	Real code has error handling. Show it.
Use real values	No foo, bar, example.com unless necessary.

Code Example Structure

First, install the dependencies:

\`\`\`bash
npm install your-library axios
\`\`\`

Now create a file called `fetch-data.js`:

\`\`\`javascript
// fetch-data.js
import { Client } from 'your-library';
import axios from 'axios';

const client = new Client({
  apiKey: process.env.YOUR_API_KEY // Use environment variables
});

async function fetchUserData(userId) {
  try {
    const user = await client.users.get(userId);
    console.log(`Fetched user: ${user.name}`);
    return user;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(`Failed to fetch user: ${error.message}`);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Example usage
fetchUserData('user_123')
  .then(user => console.log(user))
  .catch(err => process.exit(1));
\`\`\`

Run it:

\`\`\`bash
YOUR_API_KEY=sk_test_xxx node fetch-data.js
\`\`\`

Expected output:

\`\`\`
Fetched user: Jane Developer
{ id: 'user_123', name: 'Jane Developer', email: '[email protected]' }
\`\`\`

Language-Specific Conventions

Language	Code Block	Package Install	Env Vars
JavaScript/Node	javascript or js	npm install	process.env.VAR
TypeScript	typescript or ts	npm install	process.env.VAR
Python	python or py	pip install	os.environ['VAR']
Go	go	go get	os.Getenv("VAR")
Rust	rust	cargo add	std::env::var("VAR")
Shell	bash or shell	N/A	$VAR

---

Technical Accuracy Checklist

Run through before publishing:

Check	How to Verify
Code runs	Copy-paste every snippet and run it
Versions match	Are you using the current library version?
Links work	Click every link
Commands work	Run every CLI command
Screenshots current	Do UI screenshots match the current product?
No deprecated APIs	Check if any APIs used are deprecated
Security review	No hardcoded secrets, SQL injection, etc.
Peer review	Have an engineer read it for accuracy

---

SEO for Developer Content

Developers use Google differently than consumers.

Developer Search Patterns

Pattern	Example Searches
Error messages	"TypeError: Cannot read property 'map' of undefined"
How to	"how to deploy next.js to vercel"
Comparison	"prisma vs typeorm 2024"
Best practices	"typescript project structure best practices"
Alternatives	"alternatives to firebase"
With	"react with typescript tutorial"

Technical SEO Checklist

Element	Best Practice
Title	Include primary keyword, framework names, year if relevant
Meta description	150 chars, include keyword, promise specific outcome
H1	Match or closely match title
H2s	Include secondary keywords, make scannable
Code blocks	Use proper syntax highlighting (helps featured snippets)
Internal links	Link to related docs, tutorials, API reference
External links	Link to official docs of tools mentioned
URL slug	Lowercase, hyphens, include keyword

Example Optimized Title

Bad	Good
"Using Our API"	"How to Authenticate with the YourProduct API (Node.js)"
"Database Guide"	"PostgreSQL Connection Pooling: Complete Guide with pgBouncer"
"Getting Started"	"Getting Started with YourProduct: Your First API Call in 5 Minutes"

---

Content Quality Signals

What separates great devrel content from mediocre:

Do This

• Show, don't tell — Code over prose
• Address the "why" — Not just how to do it, but when and why
• Acknowledge tradeoffs — Nothing is perfect; developers respect honesty
• Link to sources — Official docs, RFCs, related articles
• Include dates — "Updated March 2024" or version numbers
• Progressive disclosure — Start simple, add complexity
• Real examples — Production scenarios, not just hello world

Don't Do This

• Wall of text — Break up with code, headers, bullets
• Marketing speak — "Best-in-class," "seamless," "revolutionary"
• Assuming knowledge — Define acronyms, link to prerequisites
• Outdated content — Nothing worse than a 2019 tutorial with deprecated APIs
• Buried lede — Put the answer first, explanation second
• No code — Developers came for code, not prose

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Content Templates

Blog Post Template

# [Specific, keyword-rich title]

[2-3 sentence hook: problem + promise]

## The Problem

[1 paragraph explaining the pain point]

## The Solution

[Brief explanation of your approach]

### Step 1: [Action]

[Explanation]

\`\`\`language
// Code
\`\`\`

### Step 2: [Action]

[Explanation]

\`\`\`language
// Code
\`\`\`

### Step 3: [Action]

[Explanation]

\`\`\`language
// Code
\`\`\`

## Complete Example

\`\`\`language
// Full working code
\`\`\`

## Troubleshooting

### [Common Error 1]
[Solution]

### [Common Error 2]
[Solution]

## What's Next

- [Link to deeper dive]
- [Link to related tutorial]
- [CTA: Try it yourself]

Comparison Post Template

# [Tool A] vs [Tool B]: [Specific Use Case] ([Year])

[1 paragraph: Who this comparison is for and what you'll learn]

## Quick Comparison

| Feature | Tool A | Tool B |
|---------|--------|--------|
| [Feature 1] | | |
| [Feature 2] | | |
| [Feature 3] | | |

## When to Choose [Tool A]

- [Scenario 1]
- [Scenario 2]
- [Scenario 3]

## When to Choose [Tool B]

- [Scenario 1]
- [Scenario 2]
- [Scenario 3]

## Deep Dive: [Specific Aspect]

### Tool A Approach
[Explanation + code]

### Tool B Approach
[Explanation + code]

## Our Recommendation

[Specific guidance based on use case]

---

Measuring Content Success

Metrics to Track

Metric	What It Tells You
Page views	Reach (but vanity without context)
Time on page	Engagement (are they reading?)
Scroll depth	Did they read to the end?
Bounce rate	Did they find what they needed?
Search rankings	SEO performance
Backlinks	Authority and reference value
Social shares	Resonance (especially HN, Twitter, Reddit)
Conversion events	Sign-ups, installs, docs clicks

Content → Conversion Path

Track the journey:

1. Search/social → Blog post
2. Blog post → Docs / quickstart
3. Docs → Sign up / install
4. Sign up → Activation (first success)

---

Tools

Tool	Use Case
Octolens	Monitor where your content gets shared (HN, Reddit, Twitter). Track competitor content performance. Find content ideas from developer conversations.
Grammarly / Hemingway	Readability and grammar checking
Carbon / Ray.so	Beautiful code screenshots
Excalidraw	Technical diagrams
Loom	Quick video walkthroughs
Ahrefs / SEMrush	Keyword research and SEO tracking
Google Search Console	Track search performance

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Related Skills

• developer-audience-context — Foundation for knowing your readers
• technical-tutorials — Deep dive into step-by-step content
• developer-newsletter — Distributing content via email
• developer-seo — Technical SEO optimization
• hacker-news-strategy — Sharing content on HN effectively