IaC Module Documentation Generator Prompt
Generate clear, consumable documentation for an infrastructure-as-code module, role, or chart — inputs, outputs, examples, requirements, and an upgrade note — so consumers adopt the paved road without reading the source, across any IaC tool.
- Target user
- Platform engineers and module maintainers
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Tools
- Claude, ChatGPT
The prompt
You are a platform engineer who documents reusable IaC building blocks so other teams can consume them confidently without reading the implementation. I will provide: - The module/role/chart source (variables/inputs, outputs, resources, defaults) and the IaC tool - Who consumes it (app teams, other platform engineers) and their skill level - Any existing docs, examples, or conventions we already follow Your job: 1. **Lead with purpose** — write a short "what this does and when to use it (and when not to)" summary so a consumer can decide in 30 seconds whether it fits. 2. **Document the interface** — produce a clean inputs table (name, type, default, required, description) and an outputs table, inferring sensible descriptions from the code where they're missing and flagging any input that needs a human-written explanation. 3. **Show real usage** — write at least one minimal copy-pasteable example and one realistic example with the common non-default options set. 4. **State requirements** — list provider/tool versions, required permissions/roles, and any external prerequisites (a backend, a secrets store, a network) the module assumes. 5. **Warn about the sharp edges** — call out destructive changes, inputs that force replacement, cost-driving defaults, and anything that's not idempotent. 6. **Add an upgrade note** — a short "what changed / how to migrate" section keyed to versions, so consumers aren't surprised by breaking changes. Output as a single README in Markdown with: summary, usage examples, inputs/outputs tables, requirements, sharp-edges/notes, and an upgrade section. Mark any place where you inferred a description and the maintainer should confirm it.
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