How is API Documented?

APIs are ubiquitous. Developers use API enormously. In the API economy, developer experience matters a lot. As far as developer experience is concerned, API documentation plays a crucial role in determining the efficacy of API.

What is API Documentation?

The API documentation provides technical information about an API. The documentation contains advice on how to utilize and integrate an API properly. Additionally, it contains API changes and new standards. API documentation describes the services that an API helps make available to users. API documentation is critical for maintaining and developing applications that make use of APIs.

Documentation of API

Adopting Spec-Driven Development

Spec-driven documentation is similar to that of test-driven development. In test-driven documentation, test cases for each feature should be written, and codes that pass those tests should also be written. While in SSD, you create a document or at least parts of the document parallel to API building.

For API documentation, the following are the essential steps to be taken:

No matter how many opportunities API gives to developers, they all are not necessary unless developers understand how to use and integrate APIs.

Well-written and structured API documentation explains the efficacy of APIs and also encourages developers to adopt them and recommend them to peers. The developer community expects clarity, content, and specifications in the API documentation. The following are some critical things to consider while creating documentation for an API.

Start your presentation with opportunities and make your developers eager to adopt your API. With the help of compelling evidence, story or statistics, tell developers how your API can enrich the product. Technicalities must be conveyed with vivid clarity.
Show your audience where to start, as most of the audience can be beginners. The overwhelming start might discourage them from acquiring your API. Getting started section is obligatory.
Create instructions for the most common queries that developers might face while reading your pitch.
The use of conversational tools is essential as the developer community is informal and dislikes the professional language.
Make it easy to learn as API documents are a learning source. Enrich your documentation by adding FAQs and tutorial blogs.
Incorporate must-have sections into your documentations. In 2019, SmartBear, developer of Swagger, showed the majority of developers prefer those API whose documentation includes a must-have section in their layout.
Use industry-standard layout while organizing the documentation of an API. Most document generators make mistakes by using random layouts in the documentation. Due to this flaw, most of the APIs look the same. Some of the features of most functional layouts are dynamic layout, sticky contents, three-column layout.
Enable debugging mode in the documentation of an API. It automatically takes the request and explains the potential issues.
Never abandon old documents as the developer community does not like the random updates of API documentation. After an update, developers are expected to reestablish the API process.
Medium API documentation abides by almost all of the rules listed above. It provides short and extensive content. Spotify API documentation, Twilio API documentation, and Mailchimp API documentation are all examples of professional and widely followed API documentation.

Other useful articles: