API Documentation: Best Practices
API documentation contains instructions on how to use an API (Application Programming Interface) — a tool that enables users to add functionality to a product or service. The value of API documentation is that no matter how great an API is, customers won’t understand how to use it without special instructions. Let’s figure out how to write helpful API documentation.
Choose Suitable API Documentation Tools
Pay attention to your needs while choosing an API Documentation tool; carefully analyze its features. Some teams need collaboration support as they find it difficult to work on the content together; other teams prefer simplicity, for example, a WYSIWYG editor to know for sure what their content looks like before publishing. Sometimes, it is vital to support the documentation maintenance process and make it quick and easy. Choose the tool that suits you best.
Define Your Audience
Not only developers read API documentation. Very often, other types of customers want to get acquainted with your product. For example, those who are choosing the best solution for their company but will not use it themselves. It means that API documentation should give comprehensive information on how to use an API and provide readers with information on the benefits of an API, which problems it solves, and how it can increase the efficiency of a team’s work.
Increase the Usability of API Documentation
API documentation contains not only pieces of text but also a lot of code samples. It is often hard to read API documentation as customers see a wall of signs. Make your code samples visible. Separate them from the text by means of syntax highlighting and using special boxes. That’s a simple thing, but it helps to increase the usability of API documentation.
Offer Customers Additional Resources
Great API documentation is far more than giving customers instructions on how to use an API. It requires additional resources that will help customers be successful with your API. These can be tutorials, getting started guides, FAQs, libraries, etc. All that contributes to API efficiency and better adoption.
Maintain and Update API Documentation Regularly
Outdated API documentation is one of the worst things customers can face. It confuses them. To keep your API documentation relevant, remove outdated information. For example, some features no longer exist — remove their descriptions. If new features are added, add the information about them as soon as possible.
Gather Feedback and Keep Track of Statistics
The majority of online documentation tools allow customers to upvote or downvote publications. That’s important because you’ll learn which publications are helpful and which are not. Keeping track of statistics will allow you to see how users interact with your documentation and find information gaps and things to improve.
Creating efficient and informative API documentation is a challenging task, but the results are worth it — usable documentation means a lot. That’s a good way to attract customers and build long-term relations with them. Just offer them clear instructions and examples, and you’ll see their positive reaction. One of my favorite tools for API documentation is ClickHelp. This post will tell you how to use it to get the most of it — Using ClickHelp for API Documentation.
