When I first started working on open source projects, I really struggled with documentation. But after a lot of trial and error, I learned a lot about writing clear and helpful docs. Working on several open source projects has also taught me just how essential good documentation is to the success of a project. So, I’d like to share with you some of the tips that have helped me improve (hoping that they will save you the same headaches I’ve experienced ):

1️⃣ Guide first Start with simple guides that focus on common use cases to help users get started quickly.

2️⃣ Show, don’t tell Use screenshots & screencasts early & often to visually demonstrate features.

3️⃣ More code than text Prioritize clear, working code examples over lengthy text explanations.

4️⃣ Use plausible data Craft realistic data in examples to help users better relate & apply them to their projects. I use faker.js for this.

5️⃣ Examples as stories Write examples in Storybook to ensure accuracy & consistency between code & visuals.

6️⃣ The reference follows the guide If an advanced user is looking for all possible options of a component, they can find them in the same place as the guide.

7️⃣ Pages can be scanned quickly Break content into short, digestible sections for quick navigation and easy reading.

8️⃣ Features have several names Use multiple terms for the same feature to improve searchability.

9️⃣ Document features multiple times Cover features in different contexts (guides, HowTos, references) to enhance discovery.

🔟 Overview sections Provide high-level summaries of feature groups to help users grasp concepts before diving into details.

1️⃣1️⃣ Beginner mode Offer a simplified view of the doc to avoid overwhelming new users.

1️⃣2️⃣ Eat your own dog food Regularly use your own doc to spot usability issues & improve user experience.

Here’s a doc example where I’ve tried to implement these best practices.

Feel free to share your tips for writing good documentation, so that we can collectively help other open source projects!–