Technical Documentation with Markdown: Complete Style Guide

Why Markdown for Technical Documentation?

Markdown has become the industry standard for technical documentation because it's:

• Version Control Friendly: Plain text works perfectly with Git
• Developer-Friendly: Write docs in the same tools as code
• Portable: No vendor lock-in, works everywhere
• Fast to Write: No GUI overhead, just type
• Easy to Review: Clean diffs in pull requests
• Static Site Ready: Converts to beautiful websites (Docusaurus, MkDocs, VuePress)

Document Structure Standards

1. README.md Structure

Every project needs a great README. Here's the professional standard:

# Project Name

![Logo](logo.png)

[![Build Status](badge.svg)](link)
[![License](license.svg)](LICENSE)
[![Version](version.svg)](releases)

One sentence describing what this project does.

## Features

- ✅ Feature 1 with emoji for visual appeal
- ✅ Feature 2
- 🚀 Feature 3

## Installation

```bash
npm install project-name
# or
yarn add project-name
```

## Quick Start

```javascript
import { Something } from 'project-name';

const result = Something.doThing();
console.log(result);
```

## Documentation

See [full documentation](https://docs.example.com)

## API Reference

### `doThing(options)`

Description of what this function does.

**Parameters:**
- `options` (Object) - Configuration object
  - `option1` (string) - Description
  - `option2` (boolean, optional) - Description

**Returns:** Description of return value

**Example:**
```javascript
const result = doThing({ option1: 'value' });
```

## Contributing

See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md)

## License

MIT © [Your Name](https://github.com/yourusername)

## Support

- [Documentation](https://docs.example.com)
- [Issue Tracker](https://github.com/user/repo/issues)
- [Discord Community](https://discord.gg/example)

2. Heading Hierarchy Rules

Proper heading structure is critical for navigation and accessibility:

# Main Title (H1) - Only ONE per document

## Section (H2)

### Subsection (H3)

#### Detail (H4)

## Another Section (H2)

### Another Subsection (H3)

# Title

#### Skipped levels - BAD!

# Multiple H1s - BAD!

## Section

##### Jumped from H2 to H5 - BAD!

Rules:

• One H1 per document (the title)
• Don't skip heading levels (H2 → H4)
• Headings should describe content, not style ("Installation" not "Big Text")
• Keep headings concise (under 60 characters)

Code Block Best Practices

1. Always Specify Language

Language tags enable syntax highlighting and help readers understand context:

```
function hello() {
  console.log('Hello');
}
```

```javascript
function hello() {
  console.log('Hello');
}
```

2. Common Language Tags

```javascript    // JavaScript
```typescript    // TypeScript
```python        // Python
```bash          // Bash/shell commands
```json          // JSON data
```yaml          // YAML config
```sql           // SQL queries
```html          // HTML
```css           // CSS
```diff          // Git diffs
```plaintext     // Plain text (no highlighting)

3. Code Comments for Clarity

```javascript
// Good: Explain WHY, not WHAT
const maxRetries = 3; // API rate limit allows 3 retries per minute

// Show expected output
console.log(result); // Output: { success: true, data: [...] }

// Highlight important lines
const API_KEY = process.env.API_KEY; // ← Set this in .env file
```

API Documentation Pattern

Consistent API documentation format improves developer experience:

## `functionName(param1, param2, options?)`

Brief one-line description of what this function does.

### Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|------|------|----------|-------------|
| param1 | string | Yes | Description of param1 |
| param2 | number | Yes | Description of param2 |
| options | Object | No | Optional configuration object |
| options.timeout | number | No | Request timeout in ms (default: 5000) |
| options.retries | number | No | Number of retry attempts (default: 3) |

### Returns

`Promise<Result>` - Description of what's returned

**Result Object:**
```typescript
{
  success: boolean;
  data: any;
  error?: string;
}
```

### Throws

- `ValidationError` - When parameters are invalid
- `NetworkError` - When network request fails

### Example

```javascript
const result = await functionName('value', 42, {
  timeout: 10000,
  retries: 5
});

if (result.success) {
  console.log(result.data);
}
```

### Related

- [`relatedFunction()`](#relatedfunction) - Similar functionality
- [Configuration Guide](#config) - Setup instructions

Naming Conventions in Markdown

Different programming languages use different casing conventions. Document them correctly:

Tables in Technical Documentation

Tables are essential for parameters, configuration, and comparisons. Learn more in our Markdown Table Generator Guide.

Parameter Tables

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|-----------|------|---------|-------------|
| url | string | - | API endpoint URL |
| method | string | 'GET' | HTTP method |
| headers | Object | {} | Request headers |
| timeout | number | 5000 | Timeout in ms |

Configuration Tables

| Option | Type | Required | Description |
|--------|------|----------|-------------|
| apiKey | string | Yes | Your API key from dashboard |
| baseUrl | string | No | Override default API URL |
| debug | boolean | No | Enable debug logging |

Error Code Tables

| Code | Meaning | Solution |
|------|---------|----------|
| 400 | Bad Request | Check request parameters |
| 401 | Unauthorized | Verify API key |
| 429 | Rate Limited | Reduce request frequency |
| 500 | Server Error | Contact support |

Admonitions and Callouts

Use blockquotes for important information:

> **Note:** General information

> **Warning:** Important caution

> **Tip:** Helpful suggestion

> **Important:** Critical information

> **Deprecated:** Feature no longer recommended

Or use GitHub's new alert syntax (see our GitHub Markdown Guide):

> [!NOTE]
> Useful information

> [!WARNING]
> Critical warning

> [!TIP]
> Helpful advice

Linking Strategies

1. Internal Documentation Links

See [Installation Guide](../guides/installation.md)
See [API Reference](#api-reference)
See [Configuration](./config.md#database-options)

2. External Links

[Official Documentation](https://example.com/docs)
[GitHub Repository](https://github.com/user/repo)
[Stack Overflow Tag](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/yourtag)

3. Anchor Links (Table of Contents)

## Table of Contents

- [Installation](#installation)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [API Reference](#api-reference)
  - [Authentication](#authentication)
  - [Endpoints](#endpoints)

## Installation

...

## Quick Start

...

Command-Line Documentation

Format for CLI Commands

## `command-name [options] <required> [optional]`

Description of what the command does.

### Options

- `-h, --help` - Show help message
- `-v, --verbose` - Enable verbose output
- `-o, --output <file>` - Output file path

### Examples

```bash
# Basic usage
command-name file.txt

# With options
command-name --verbose -o output.txt file.txt

# Multiple files
command-name file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt
```

Version Control Best Practices

1. Changelog Format

# Changelog

All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.

## [2.0.0] - 2026-01-09

### Added
- New feature X
- Support for Y

### Changed
- Improved performance of Z
- Updated dependencies

### Deprecated
- Old API endpoint (use new endpoint instead)

### Removed
- Legacy feature A

### Fixed
- Bug in feature B
- Security vulnerability CVE-2026-1234

### Security
- Updated authentication system

## [1.0.0] - 2025-12-01

Initial release

2. Version Documentation

Always document version-specific features:

## `newFeature()`

> **Added in:** v2.0.0

Description of feature.

## `oldFeature()`

> **Deprecated in:** v2.0.0  
> **Use instead:** [`newFeature()`](#newfeature)

This feature will be removed in v3.0.0.

Accessibility Considerations

1. Alt Text for Images

<!-- Bad: No alt text -->
![](screenshot.png)

<!-- Good: Descriptive alt text -->
![Dashboard showing user analytics with three graphs: daily active users, conversion rate, and revenue trends](screenshot.png)

2. Descriptive Link Text

Click [here](link) for docs.
Read more [here](link).

See the [API documentation](link).
Read the [installation guide](link).

Documentation Maintenance

Keep Docs in Sync with Code

• Update docs in the same PR as code changes
• Use automated tests to catch outdated examples
• Set up CI to check for broken links
• Review docs during code review

Use Documentation Linters

# markdownlint - Markdown style checker
npm install -g markdownlint-cli
markdownlint docs/**/*.md

# markdown-link-check - Find broken links
npm install -g markdown-link-check
markdown-link-check docs/README.md

# write-good - Prose linter
npm install -g write-good
write-good docs/**/*.md

Tools and Generators

• Markdown Formatter - Write and preview documentation
• Markdown Table Generator - Create parameter tables
• Slugify Tool - Generate URL-friendly slugs
• Case Converters - Format code identifiers correctly
• Markdown to HTML - Export docs as HTML
• GitHub Markdown Guide - GitHub-specific syntax

Static Site Generators for Docs

Convert markdown docs to beautiful websites:

1. Docusaurus (React-based)

npx create-docusaurus@latest my-docs classic
cd my-docs
npm start

Best for: Large documentation sites, React projects (Meta, Facebook, Jest use it)

2. MkDocs (Python-based)

pip install mkdocs
mkdocs new my-docs
cd my-docs
mkdocs serve

Best for: Python projects, simple docs, Material theme

3. VuePress (Vue-based)

npm create vuepress-site my-docs
cd my-docs
npm install
npm run dev

Best for: Vue projects, Vue ecosystem documentation

4. GitBook

Best for: Non-technical teams, beautiful UI, hosted solution

SEO for Documentation

• Descriptive Titles: Front matter with page titles
• Meta Descriptions: Add descriptions to front matter
• Clean URLs: Use slugified file names
• Internal Linking: Link related documentation pages
• Canonical URLs: Prevent duplicate content
• Sitemap: Generate sitemap.xml for docs site

Documentation Templates

API Endpoint Template

## GET /api/users/:id

Retrieves a single user by ID.

### Authentication
Requires API key in `Authorization` header.

### URL Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|------|------|-------------|
| id | string | User ID |

### Query Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|------|------|----------|-------------|
| include | string | No | Related data to include (profile, posts) |

### Request Headers
```
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json
```

### Response (200 OK)
```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "123",
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com"
  }
}
```

### Error Responses
| Code | Description |
|------|-------------|
| 401 | Invalid or missing API key |
| 404 | User not found |
| 500 | Server error |

### Example
```javascript
const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/api/users/123', {
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'
  }
});
const data = await response.json();
```

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should documentation be?

As long as necessary, as short as possible. Each page should cover one topic thoroughly. Break large guides into multiple pages with a table of contents.

Should I use emoji in technical docs?

Sparingly. Use emoji for visual hierarchy (✅ ❌ ⚠️ 💡) but avoid overdoing it. Professional docs should prioritize clarity over personality.

How do I handle code that spans multiple languages?

Use tabs or accordion sections (HTML details/summary tags) to show the same example in multiple languages. Or create separate guides per language.

Should documentation live in the repo or separate site?

Both! Keep README.md and basic docs in the repo. Use a static site generator (Docusaurus, MkDocs) for comprehensive documentation hosted separately. Link between them.