Organizing Content

Good documentation starts with clear organization. This guide will help you understand how to structure your product documentation effectively using sections and pages.

Understanding Content Structure

Your documentation can be organized in two ways:

• Individual standalone pages

• Pages grouped under sections

Sections

Sections are like folders that help you group related pages together. They're optional but can help you create a more organized documentation structure. For example:

• Getting Started

• Core Concepts

• API Reference

• Tutorials

• Troubleshooting

Pages

Pages are where your actual documentation content lives. They can either be:

• Part of a section (grouped with related content)

• Standalone (when they don't fit into a specific category)

Organization Strategies

Using Sections Effectively

Consider using sections when you have:

• Multiple related pages that form a larger topic

• Content that follows a specific learning path

• Different aspects of your product that need separation

For example:

Getting Started
├── Quick Start Guide
├── Installation
└── Basic Configuration

API Reference
├── Authentication
├── Endpoints
└── Error Codes

When to Use Standalone Pages

Some pages work better as standalone content:

• Product overview

• Changelog

• Support contact information

• Legal notices

Best Practices

1. Keep It Simple Don't create sections unless they're necessary. Overcomplicating your structure can make documentation harder to navigate.

2. Think About Your Users Organize content based on how users will search for information, not how your product is built internally.

3. Maintain Consistency Once you establish a structure, keep it consistent. Use similar organization patterns across sections.

4. Consider Growth Choose a structure that can scale as your documentation grows. Leave room for adding new content without reorganizing everything.