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alirezarezvani on GitHub

Runbook Generator

Free

Quickly generate operational runbooks for services.

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Free · Opens the source repo

What Runbook Generator does

The Runbook Generator is a powerful tool designed to streamline the creation of operational runbooks for various services. By simply providing a service name, users can generate a structured runbook skeleton that includes essential workflows such as deployment, incident response, maintenance, and rollback processes. This tool is particularly useful for teams looking to standardize their operational documentation and ensure consistency across different services.

The generator operates through a command-line interface, allowing users to create runbooks quickly and efficiently. It provides a templated structure that can be customized based on the specific environment or service requirements. This includes standard sections for starting, stopping, and checking the health of services, as well as placeholders for escalation procedures and incident handling. The inclusion of reference templates for deployment and incident playbooks further aids in the documentation process, making it easier for teams to onboard new services and maintain operational readiness.

Ideal for DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering teams, the Runbook Generator addresses common challenges faced when documenting on-call procedures. It helps ensure that all team members have access to consistent and comprehensive operational guidelines, reducing the risk of errors during critical incidents. Moreover, the tool encourages best practices by prompting users to include health checks and rollback commands, which are vital for maintaining service reliability.

In summary, the Runbook Generator is an essential asset for any engineering team aiming to enhance their operational documentation. By providing a straightforward way to create and customize runbooks, it supports teams in achieving better preparedness for incidents and smoother service deployments.

When to use it

Use this skill when you need to quickly establish a baseline runbook for a new service or standardize existing documentation across teams.

When not to use it

This is not suitable for teams that already have a comprehensive and consistent set of runbooks in place or for those who require highly specialized documentation beyond standard workflows.

What you can build with it

Standardizing Documentation

When teams have inconsistent runbooks, the Runbook Generator helps create a uniform structure for all services.

Onboarding New Services

Use the generator to quickly create a baseline runbook for new services, ensuring all necessary procedures are documented.

Incident Response Preparation

Generate runbooks that include incident handling and escalation procedures to improve response times during outages.

How to install Runbook Generator

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add alirezarezvani/claude-skills/runbook-generator --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs

Inside SKILL.md

Written by alirezarezvani

Runbook Generator

Tier: POWERFUL
Category: Engineering
Domain: DevOps / Site Reliability Engineering


Overview

Generate operational runbooks quickly from a service name, then customize for deployment, incident response, maintenance, and rollback workflows.

Core Capabilities

  • Runbook skeleton generation from a CLI
  • Standard sections for start/stop/health/rollback
  • Structured escalation and incident handling placeholders
  • Reference templates for deployment and incident playbooks

When to Use

  • A service has no runbook and needs a baseline immediately
  • Existing runbooks are inconsistent across teams
  • On-call onboarding requires standardized operations docs
  • You need repeatable runbook scaffolding for new services

Quick Start

# Print runbook to stdout
python3 scripts/runbook_generator.py payments-api

# Write runbook file
python3 scripts/runbook_generator.py payments-api --owner platform --output docs/runbooks/payments-api.md

Recommended Workflow

  1. Generate the initial skeleton with scripts/runbook_generator.py.
  2. Fill in service-specific commands and URLs.
  3. Add verification checks and rollback triggers.
  4. Dry-run in staging.
  5. Store runbook in version control near service code.

Reference Docs

  • references/runbook-templates.md

Common Pitfalls

  • Missing rollback triggers or rollback commands
  • Steps without expected output checks
  • Stale ownership/escalation contacts
  • Runbooks never tested outside of incidents

Best Practices

  1. Keep every command copy-pasteable.
  2. Include health checks after every critical step.
  3. Validate runbooks on a fixed review cadence.
  4. Update runbook content after incidents and postmortems.

Frequently asked questions about Runbook Generator

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