API Design Guidelines
Docs + Word8 pages
Free
- Type
- Document
- Price
- Free
- Pages
- 7 · US Letter
- Style
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Updated
- November 6, 2026
Every page (7)
Overview
Style debates waste review time, and new code drifts from old code when the rules live in people's heads. This template records the team's JavaScript rules in one document, grouped by topic and marked as must, should or may. It covers tooling, types, modules, async code, error handling and tests, with a short example for each rule and the enforcement that backs it.
The sample is for Gorsefield Software, a fictional web team whose rules include strict types everywhere, a 40-line guideline for functions and 80 percent coverage on new code. Replace the rules, examples and owners with your own, delete any rule your language or tooling does not need, and name the person who approves changes.
Useful for
- A new engineer reading the rules before the first pull request
- A tech lead deciding which rules the linter should enforce
- A reviewer pointing a colleague to a rule instead of arguing
What's included
- Tooling page with the formatter, linter and CI gates
- Architecture diagram of types from boundary to storage
- Modules tips cards with three rules to try in a pull request
- Async article on awaits, timeouts, races and background jobs
- Risk heat map and register for error-handling problems
- Testing checklist with owners and due dates
How to use it
- 1
Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.
- 2
Pick your language and framework, then delete the rules that do not apply to your stack.
- 3
Mark each rule must, should or may, and note which ones your linter or CI already enforces.
- 4
Replace the sample code with a real before-and-after example from your own repository.
- 5
Name a rule owner and a place to propose changes, then delete this guide page and share the guide.
What you need
Requirements
- A Google account with access to Google Drive
Works with
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Word (download the .docx)
Questions
Is this JavaScript style guide template free to use?
Yes. Make a copy without paying anything, then keep only the rules your language and tooling need in your own version.
Are the company, people and figures real?
No. Gorsefield Software, its engineers, the rule owners and the coverage figures are fictional sample data. Replace them with your own standards before adoption.
Should a style guide repeat what the formatter enforces?
Only briefly. Say which tool enforces the rule, so readers know the check exists, and spend the page on design, naming and correctness decisions.
- #javascript-style-guide
- #coding-standards
- #typescript-rules
- #linting-rules
- #engineering-guidelines
- #google-docs-template
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