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Backlink Hive Documentation Standard

Purpose

This document defines the mandatory standards for all documentation within the Backlink Hive project. Compliance with this standard ensures consistency, traceability, and audit-readiness for ISO and other regulatory reviews.

1. Document Header Requirements

Every document MUST begin with the following structure:

# [Document Title]

| Property       | Value                                    |
|----------------|------------------------------------------|
| **Document ID**    | BL-[CATEGORY]-[NUMBER]               |
| **Version**        | [MAJOR].[MINOR]                      |
| **Status**         | Draft / Review / Approved / Deprecated |
| **Classification** | Internal / Public / Confidential     |

Document ID Format

  • BL-GOV-### - Governance documents (roles, policies, investors)
  • BL-PLAN-### - Planning documents (roadmaps, strategies)
  • BL-TECH-### - Technical specifications
  • BL-LORE-### - Lore and persona documentation
  • BL-PROTO-### - Protocols and procedures
  • BL-REF-### - Reference materials and APIs

Version Numbering

  • MAJOR: Increment for breaking changes or complete rewrites
  • MINOR: Increment for content additions or modifications

Status Definitions

Status Description
Draft Work in progress, not for external use
Review Complete, pending stakeholder approval
Approved Authorized for production use
Deprecated Superseded by newer document, retained for reference

2. Document Structure

2.1 Required Sections

Every document MUST include:

  1. Title - Clear, descriptive name
  2. Metadata Table - As specified above
  3. Purpose - Brief statement of document intent (1-2 sentences)
  4. Content Sections - Organized with appropriate headings
  5. Document Footer - Standardized metadata block (see Section 4)

2.2 Optional Sections

Include as applicable:

  • Scope - What the document covers and doesn't cover
  • Definitions - Key terms used in the document
  • References - Links to related documents
  • Appendices - Supporting materials

3. Date and Time Format

All dates MUST use ISO 8601 format:

Format Example Usage
YYYY-MM-DD 2026-01-15 Document dates
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ 2026-01-15T02:11:40Z Timestamps with time
YYYY-Qn 2026-Q1 Quarterly references

Forbidden Formats:

  • ~~December 25, 2025~~
  • ~~Jan 11 2026~~
  • ~~25/12/2025~~
  • ~~12-25-2025~~

Every document MUST end with the following footer block:

---

## Document Control

| Property            | Value                                      |
|---------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| **Document ID**     | BL-XXX-###                                 |
| **Version**         | X.X                                        |
| **Effective Date**  | YYYY-MM-DD                                 |
| **Last Modified**   | YYYY-MM-DD                                 |
| **Author**          | [Name or System]                           |
| **Approver**        | [Name or "Pending"]                        |
| **Next Review**     | YYYY-MM-DD                                 |

### Revision History

| Version | Date       | Author    | Changes                      |
|---------|------------|-----------|------------------------------|
| 1.0     | YYYY-MM-DD | [Author]  | Initial release              |

5. Style Guidelines

5.1 Language

  • Use clear, concise English
  • Avoid jargon unless defined
  • Write in present tense for active states
  • Use active voice

5.2 Formatting

  • Use Markdown for all documentation
  • Use tables for structured data
  • Use code blocks for technical content
  • Use admonitions for warnings/notes (MkDocs Material)
  • Use relative links within documentation
  • Include document ID when referencing other docs
  • Avoid bare URLs in prose

6. File Naming Convention

Files MUST follow this pattern:

[DOCUMENT_TYPE]_[DESCRIPTION].md

Examples:

  • ROADMAP_Q1_2026.md
  • PROTOCOL_EMERGENCY_RESPONSE.md
  • SPEC_STRIPE_INTEGRATION.md

Forbidden:

  • ~~Mixed case inconsistency~~
  • ~~Spaces in filenames~~
  • ~~Special characters~~

7. Compliance Enforcement

7.1 New Documents

All new documents MUST be created using this standard template before merge.

7.2 Existing Documents

Existing documents will be migrated to this standard on a rolling basis.

7.3 Audit Trail

Document changes are tracked via Git commit history and the Revision History table.

Document Control

Property Value
Document ID BL-GOV-001
Version 1.0
Effective Date 2026-01-15
Last Modified 2026-01-15
Author Backlink Hive System
Approver Oracle_Human
Next Review 2026-04-15

Revision History

Version Date Author Changes
1.0 2026-01-15 Backlink Hive System Initial release