gh-tommy-ca-notion-skills-plugins-notion-skills/skills/knowledge-capture/reference/best-practices.md

Knowledge Capture - Best Practices

Guidelines for capturing knowledge effectively in Notion.

Timing

Capture Promptly

• Document while context is fresh
• Aim to capture within 24 hours of the conversation
• Create placeholder if you'll document later

Regular Maintenance

• Review quarterly for accuracy
• Update links if pages move
• Archive outdated documentation
• Mark superseded content clearly

Structure & Organization

Clear Hierarchy

• Use proper heading levels (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
• One main idea per section
• Logical flow from overview to details
• Include table of contents for long documents

Consistent Templates

• Use the same structure within document types
• Keep headers and sections predictable
• Use consistent formatting and styles

Content Quality

Be Specific

• Use concrete examples over vague descriptions
• Include actual code, commands, or workflows
• Name specific tools and versions
• Be clear about what's required vs. optional

Make It Actionable

• Include clear next steps
• Provide decision criteria if applicable
• List prerequisites upfront
• Specify who needs to do what

Prevent Orphaning

• Link to hub pages or indexes
• Add to relevant category pages
• Use tags for discovery
• Include "Related Documents" section

Linking & Discoverability

Strategic Linking

Example: How-To Guide on "Setting Up CI/CD"

Links to add:
- Source document (e.g., architecture decision)
- Related documents (deployment guide, monitoring)
- Hub page (DevOps/Infrastructure index)
- Team/person pages (who uses this)

Tagging Strategy

• Use consistent tag names across org
• Don't over-tag (3-5 tags per document)
• Use hierarchical tags: process/deployment, tool/github
• Example tags: how-to, urgent, team-core, deprecated

Searchable Content

• Use descriptive titles (not "Meeting Notes", use "Q4 Planning - Nov 9")
• Include keywords in description
• Put important terms in headings
• Use consistent terminology

Collaborative Documentation

Ownership & Updates

• Designate an owner for each document
• Include last-updated date
• Make update process clear (who can edit)
• Document version/change history if needed

Review Cycle

• Schedule reviews for time-sensitive docs (quarterly for most)
• Mark review dates in document
• Create task reminders for reviews
• Document what changed and why

Avoiding Duplication

• Search before creating new docs
• Link to existing docs instead of copying
• Mark outdated docs clearly
• Consolidate when possible

Different Formats

Short Documents (< 5 screens)

• Single Notion page
• No special structure needed
• Still add tags and links

Medium Documents (5-20 screens)

• Use databases for modular content
• Create table of contents
• Add navigation between sections

Long Documents (> 20 screens)

• Consider breaking into multiple pages
• Create parent pages with sub-pages
• Add clear navigation
• Link to each section from TOC

Maintenance Patterns

Quarterly Review Checklist

• Is this still accurate?
• Are links still valid?
• Should we archive or consolidate?
• Are examples still relevant?
• Do we need to update tools/versions?

Update Notification

• When updating significant docs: notify stakeholders
• Add summary of what changed
• Update linked documents if needed
• Note the update in a changelog if important

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Orphaned Documentation: Always link to hub pages
2. Outdated Examples: Date-stamp time-sensitive information
3. Vague Instructions: Include specific steps and expected output
4. No Context: Explain why this documentation exists
5. Over-Linking: 3-5 key links is usually enough
6. Inconsistent Format: Follow templates for similar doc types
7. Missing Ownership: Know who maintains what
8. Broken Links: Periodically check and fix internal links

Examples of Great Documentation

Look for these characteristics in well-documented knowledge:

✓ Clear purpose stated upfront ✓ Specific examples and code ✓ Step-by-step instructions when applicable ✓ Links to prerequisites and related docs ✓ Date or version information ✓ Clear ownership/maintainer ✓ Table of contents for long docs ✓ Searchable keywords in title and headings

Tools & Templates

See the templates/ directory for:

• How-To template
• Decision Record template
• FAQ template
• Meeting Summary template
• Learning Document template
• Process Documentation template