> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getskillmd.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Generation modes

> Pick the mode that matches your source for the sharpest skill.

skillmd runs a dedicated strategy for each kind of source. Picking the right mode is the
single biggest lever on quality — it decides which sections lead, what gets emphasized,
and how the content is organized.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Design" icon="palette">
    Product sites, marketing pages, and design systems.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API" icon="code">
    REST and GraphQL references, endpoint docs, and SDK methods.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Library" icon="cube">
    SDKs, frameworks, and packages with an install-and-use flow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Generic" icon="file-lines">
    Any other documentation or knowledge base.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Choosing a mode

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Design">
    **Best for** landing pages, brand sites, and design systems.

    Leads with visual language — tone, layout, color and type tokens, and component
    patterns — so an agent can build UI that looks on-brand.

    <Note>Good signal: the source is mostly visual or marketing-driven.</Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="API">
    **Best for** API references and endpoint documentation.

    Leads with authentication, base URLs, endpoints, request/response shapes, and error
    handling — the structure an agent needs to make correct calls.

    <Note>Good signal: the source describes endpoints, methods, or schemas.</Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Library">
    **Best for** SDKs, frameworks, and packages.

    Leads with installation, core APIs, configuration, and idiomatic usage so an agent
    can adopt the library the way its authors intend.

    <Note>Good signal: there's an install step and a public API surface.</Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Generic">
    **Best for** anything that doesn't fit the others.

    A balanced structure — overview, concepts, reference, examples — that works for
    knowledge bases, guides, and mixed documentation.

    <Note>Good signal: general docs, or you're not sure which mode fits.</Note>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Not sure which to pick?

skillmd suggests a mode automatically when you paste a URL. Start with the suggestion,
and switch modes and re-generate if the result leans the wrong way — it's fast and
non-destructive.

<Card title="See how generation works" icon="gears" href="/docs/how-it-works">
  The full pipeline from URL to finished skill.
</Card>