Documentation Cleaner

Documentation Cleaner

Consolidate redundant documentation while preserving 100% of valuable content.

When to Use

• You need to merge overlapping docs that currently span several files or exceed 500 lines.
• Multiple materials cover the same topic and reviewers are confused about the canonical source.
• Documentation editors request a value-preserving consolidation before publishing or sharing the guidance.

When NOT to Use

• The docs are short, focused, and already reference each other intentionally.
• You are performing unrelated documentation like simple typo fixes or formatting tweaks.
• The goal is to keep historical drafts or archives rather than remove redundancy.

Core Principle

Critical evaluation before deletion. Never blindly delete. Analyze each section's unique value before proposing removal. The goal is reduction without information loss.

Workflow

Phase 1: Discovery

1. Identify all documentation files covering the topic
2. Count total lines across files
3. Map content overlap between documents

Phase 2: Value Analysis

For each document, create a section-by-section analysis table:

Value categories:

• Keep: Unique, essential, frequently referenced
• Condense: Valuable but verbose
• Delete: Duplicate, one-time, self-evident, outdated

See references/​value_analysis_template.md for detailed criteria.

Phase 3: Consolidation Plan

Propose target structure:

Before: 726 lines (3 files, high redundancy)
After:  ~100 lines (1 file + reference in CLAUDE.md)
Reduction: 86%
Value preserved: 100%

Phase 4: Execution

1. Create consolidated document with all valuable content
2. Delete redundant source files
3. Update references (CLAUDE.md, README, imports)
4. Verify no broken links

Value Preservation Checklist

Before finalizing, confirm preservation of:

• Essential procedures (setup, configuration)
• Key constraints and gotchas
• Troubleshooting guides
• Technical debt / roadmap items
• External links and references
• Debug tips and code snippets

Anti-Patterns

Output Artifacts

A successful cleanup produces:

1. Consolidated document - Single source of truth
2. Value analysis - Section-by-section justification
3. Before/​after metrics - Lines reduced, value preserved
4. Updated references - CLAUDE.md or README with pointer to new location