Bad docs frustrate developers. They’re too long, too vague, or too outdated to be useful. Over the years, I’ve refined a set of practices for writing developer documentation that’s actually helpful—and in this post, I’ll walk through them.
🧭 Start With Structure
Great docs start with a clear outline. I break mine into:
- Overview — What this thing is and why you’d use it.
- Quickstart — The fastest path to “hello world.”
- Examples — Realistic, working code that devs can modify.
- Reference — Parameters, return values, error codes, etc.
📚 “Don’t bury the lede—put the most common use case at the top.”
✍️ Write Like a Dev, for Devs
I keep language plain and direct. No sales copy. Just practical explanations and edge case warnings.
✅ Do this:
> `POST /api/v1/messages` requires an auth token.
❌ Not this:
> This powerful endpoint enables seamless real-time communications.🛠️ Tools of the Trade
- Markdown — Still my default for simplicity and portability.
- Docs-as-code — I store docs in version control, often right alongside source code.
- Autogenerated reference — If it can be pulled from code comments (like with TypeDoc or YARD), it should be.
🔁 Keep It Alive
I treat docs like code:
- Version them with the software.
- Link directly to changelogs.
- Set up doc CI checks if needed.
✅ TL;DR
Good documentation:
- Makes things easier, not harder.
- Speaks your audience’s language.
- Lives with your code—not in a forgotten PDF.
Want help building documentation your team won’t ignore? Let’s talk.