Documentation Generation with Claude

Automatically generate comprehensive documentation for your codebase including API docs, README files, and inline comments

title: Documentation Generation with Claude description: Automatically generate comprehensive documentation for your codebase including API docs, README files, and inline comments

Good documentation is essential but time-consuming. Claude Code can generate comprehensive documentation from your codebase, saving hours of manual work while ensuring accuracy and consistency.

Types of Documentation

Claude can generate:

| Type | Description | Best For | |------|-------------|----------| | README files | Project overview and setup | Open source projects | | API documentation | Endpoint references | REST/GraphQL APIs | | JSDoc/TSDoc | Inline function docs | Libraries and SDKs | | Architecture docs | System design overview | Complex applications | | User guides | How-to instructions | End-user documentation |

Quick Start: Generate a README

The simplest documentation task:

Claude will analyze your codebase and create a complete README.

Generating API Documentation

REST API Documentation

Example Output:

Errors

| Code | Description | |------|-------------| | 400 | Invalid email or password format | | 409 | Email already registered |

Generate an OpenAPI 3.0 specification for all API routes. Include request/response schemas, authentication requirements, and example values.

Add comprehensive JSDoc comments to all exported functions in the utils directory. Include:

• Description
• @param tags with types and descriptions
• @returns tag with type and description
• @throws tag for error conditions
• @example with usage code

After:

Python Docstrings

Example Output:

Generating Architecture Documentation

System Overview

Database Schema Documentation

Generating User Documentation

Feature Documentation

Configuration Reference

Example Output:

Documentation Workflows

Workflow 1: New Project Setup

Workflow 2: Code Documentation Sprint

Workflow 3: Continuous Documentation

Set up a pre-commit hook:

Best Practices

1. Provide Context

2. Specify Audience

3. Maintain Consistency

4. Keep It Updated

Documentation Templates

README Template

API Endpoint Template

Generating Documentation Files

All-in-One Command

Limitations

Claude cannot:

• Access private APIs - Document only what's in the codebase
• Verify accuracy - Review generated docs for correctness
• Update diagrams - Cannot create visual diagrams (text descriptions only)
• Know runtime behavior - Documents static code, not runtime state

Next Steps

• Code Review - Review your documented code
• Test Generation - Generate tests with documentation
• Real-World Projects - See documentation in action