WRITING.md

# How to write a Card Fit Lab guide

Read this + DATA-DIGEST.md before writing any guide. The voice rules in VOICE.md (repo root) apply to every word; this file adds the guide-specific mechanics.

File format

`data/guides/<slug>.md`:

``` --- title: Do toploaders fit in binders? description: 145-160 char meta description that answers or teases the answer. No em-dashes. date: 2026-07-05 category: binders related: /fits/binders-that-fit-toploaders, /binders, /guides/toploader-size-chart ---

(body markdown) ```

• `category`: one of sleeves, deck-boxes, binders, toploaders, games, storage.
• `related`: 2-4 internal hrefs. Mix of /fits pages, gear directory pages

(/sleeves, /deck-boxes, /binders, /toploaders), and sibling guides.

• `date` controls publication: future dates stay unpublished until the daily

rebuild passes them. Use the date you were assigned.

Structure (answer-first, always)

1. First paragraph answers the query. Someone who reads nothing else got

their answer. No throat-clearing, no "if you've ever wondered".

1. Then the why: the measurements, the mechanism, the gotcha.
2. One markdown table where numbers help (sizes, capacities, comparisons).

Tables are our signature; every measurement in them must come from DATA-DIGEST.md or be general knowledge that is actually true (a Magic card is 63x88mm; PSA asks for Card Saver 1; you cannot iron a crease out).

1. `## ` sections with question-shaped headings where natural (they match

how people search).

1. A short FAQ section (`## Quick answers`) with 2-4 one-paragraph Q&As

hitting adjacent long-tail phrasings.

1. End on a real thought, not a summary.

Length: 600-1100 words. Long enough to be the best answer, short enough to respect the reader. Do not pad.

Markdown subset

Our renderer supports: `##`, `###`, paragraphs, `-` lists, `1.` lists, tables, `> ` blockquotes, `bold`, `text`. Nothing else (no images, no code fences, no HTML, no nested lists).

Linking (do this a lot)

• Link the fit checker: `fit checker` once, naturally.
• Link gear directory pages and specific products:

`/sleeves`, `/deck-boxes/<id>`, etc. (ids in DATA-DIGEST.md).

• Link /fits answer pages where relevant, e.g.

`/fits/deck-boxes-that-fit-100-double-sleeved-cards`.

• Link 1-3 sibling guides from the TOPIC-MAP (they may not exist yet; only

link slugs marked [x] or in your own batch).

Truth rules (hard)

• Every millimeter, micron, pt, and capacity number comes from

DATA-DIGEST.md. If the digest doesn't have it, write around it or use a hedged range ("most standard sleeves land between X and Y" only if the digest supports it).

• General card-world facts are fine when they're settled (PSA prefers

semi-rigid holders; Yu-Gi-Oh cards are the small Japanese size; humidity should sit in the 45-55% band). If you are not sure a specific fact is true, cut it.

• No invented personal experience. The site voice is "we", a small

publication that measures things.

• Affiliate: do NOT write raw Amazon links in guides. Link internal product

pages instead; they carry the buttons.

Voice reminders (the ones writers break)

• NO em-dashes or en-dashes anywhere, including the description. Hyphens in

ranges are fine (35-55pt).

• Contractions always. Write to "you".
• No banned words/phrases from VOICE.md section 5 (delve, robust, seamless,

crucial, "when it comes to", "whether you're", "at the end of the day"...).

• Vary sentence length. Fragments allowed. One exclamation mark per page max.
• Have an opinion: say what we'd buy and who something is wrong for.
• Headings in sentence case, not Title Case.