Deployment types guidance for writers

[shainaraskas]

Summary

Pulled long-lived bits from Edu's Deployment types and our docs presentation and my detailed degree of difference brainstorm and vlada's draft review checklist to create some more prescriptive guidance on documenting deployment types.

Let AI synthesize and then edited down a lot.

For reviewers

• Anything too "internal" to share here that should be removed?
• Anything unclear/duplicative?

Generative AI disclosure

1. Did you use a generative AI (GenAI) tool to assist in creating this contribution?

• Yes
• No

2. If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, please specify the tool(s) and model(s) used (e.g., Google Gemini, OpenAI ChatGPT-4, etc.).

Tool(s) and model(s) used: claude opus 4.6/4.7

[github-actions]

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[github-actions]

🔍 Preview links for changed docs

• contribute-docs/how-to/cumulative-docs/guidelines.md
• contribute-docs/how-to/deployment-types/about.md
• contribute-docs/how-to/deployment-types/index.md
• contribute-docs/how-to/deployment-types/strategies.md
• contribute-docs/how-to/index.md

[github-actions]

Elastic Docs Style Checker (Vale)

Summary: 1 warning, 1 suggestion found

⚠️ Warnings (1): Fix when the suggestion improves clarity or correctness.

File	Line	Rule	Message
contribute-docs/how-to/deployment-types/strategies.md	33	Elastic.DontUse	Don't use 'just'.

💡 Suggestions (1): Optional style improvements. Apply when helpful.

File	Line	Rule	Message
contribute-docs/how-to/deployment-types/about.md	56	Elastic.Semicolons	Use semicolons judiciously.

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The Vale linter checks documentation changes against the Elastic Docs style guide. To use Vale locally or report issues, refer to Elastic style guide for Vale.

[shainaraskas]

@yetanothertw longer term perhaps we can pull the checklist from here into an über checklist with all of the review stuff in it. just wanted to capture the patterns to watch for while they were still fresh.

[yetanothertw]

This is so so good and very much needed info! Thank you for documenting it 🙇‍♀️

I've left a few minor suggestions, nothing blocking.

[marciw]

👏 👏 👏 Very nicely done! Small comments, mostly optional.

Thank you for your service to contributors and writers everywhere