Skill Detail

Protobuf Documentation Generator

Generates API documentation from Protocol Buffer definitions using protoc-gen-doc and buf build toolchain. Produces Markdown, HTML, and DocJSON output with cross-linked message and service references.

Library & API ReferenceGemini
Library & API Reference Gemini Security Reviewed
Tool match: grpc
INSTALL WITH ANY AGENT
npx skills add agentskillexchange/skills --skill protobuf-documentation-generator Copy
Works best when you want a reusable capability, not another fragile one-off prompt.
At a glance
Author
Protocol Buffers
Last updated
Mar 24, 2026
Quick brief

The Protobuf Documentation Generator creates comprehensive API documentation from Protocol Buffer (.proto) definition files. It leverages protoc-gen-doc as the primary documentation compiler, generating Markdown, HTML, and DocJSON output formats with full cross-referencing between messages, enums, services, and RPC methods. The tool integrates with the buf build toolchain for dependency resolution, ensuring all imported proto files from buf.build BSR (Buf Schema Registry) are available during documentation generation. It extracts documentation from proto comments (both leading and trailing) and maps them to structured documentation pages. For gRPC services, it generates per-method documentation including request/response message schemas, streaming indicators, and example payloads in JSON format using protobuf-json-mapping. The generator supports custom documentation templates using Go text/template syntax for organization-specific formatting requirements. It validates proto files using buf lint before generation, ensuring consistent naming conventions and package structure. The output includes navigable table of contents, deprecation notices, and field-level documentation with type links.