API documentation / Explanation
Use OpenAPI without losing the user journey
Let a contract supply reference structure while guides explain tasks.
What OpenAPI contributes
An OpenAPI description records API operations, parameters, data structures, and authentication in a machine-readable format. Rendering tools can turn that description into reference documentation. Use guidance for the specification version your project actually supports.
What still needs an author
A generated reference may list every field without explaining why a reader should call an operation. Add onboarding, task order, domain concepts, safe examples, and troubleshooting. Explain any behavior the schema cannot adequately express.
A practical review loop
Agree on the supported contract with engineering. Validate and lint the description. Render the reference and inspect it as a reader. Execute representative requests against the supported environment. Publish the contract and guide changes together.
Acceptance check
Can a new developer make one successful request, interpret the response, and recover from a common failure? If not, add the missing journey instead of assuming that a longer reference solves the problem.
Sources & further reading
Original guidance and examples by TechWriter, informed by these resources.