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Introduction

Documentation is important even in API and API Design.

Therefore, writing clear and comprehensive documentation is as critical as the API development process itself.

How many of you have experienced bad documentation for the API you want to use in your project? Do you remember how frustrating it was?

If you have experienced it before, you can agree with me that bad API documentation hurts the developer experience of your API. That is why you need to plan out your API documentation correctly.

This issue delves into the importance of API documentation tools, how they improve developer onboarding, and a comparison of popular tools such as Swagger (OpenAPI), DapperDox, Postman, and ReDoc.

Why API Documentation Matters

API documentation provides a reference point for developers on how to use the API effectively. Good documentation includes:

• Endpoint definitions (methods, URLs, request/response formats)

• Authentication requirements

• Error codes and responses

• Example requests and responses

• Code samples in different languages

Without accurate and accessible documentation, even the most powerful API can become difficult to use. It’s the bridge between your backend logic and the developers consuming your services.

Next, if you’re looking at choosing and integrating a documentation tool into your API workflow. You need to understand what makes a good documentation tool and how each of these tools is different in its unique way.

What makes a Good Documentation Tool?

An ideal API documentation tool should:

• Support auto-generation from code or API definitions (e.g., OpenAPI specs).

• Offer a searchable, user-friendly interface.

• Allow interactive testing (try-it-out functionality).

• Be customizable and themeable.

• Enable version control and change tracking.

• Provide support for multi-language code samples.

Looking at these features, you see that I am only interested in the idea features that truly matter in a documentation tool and not the features of individual tools, because I want you to pick any tool of your choice, knowing exactly what you want in it.

Popular API Documentation Tools

Now that we know what we truly want in a documentation tool, let’s explore some of the popular ones and share some of their features to help you choose a tool that will streamline your API development and management workflow.

Please note that I am not affiliated with any of these tools.

• Swagger

• DapperDox

• ReDoc

• Postman

Swagger UI (OpenAPI)

Swagger is one of the most widely adopted API documentation ecosystems and the de facto standard for OpenAPI documentation. Let’s look at some of the key features of Swagger:

• Reads from an OpenAPI (formerly Swagger) spec in YAML/JSON

• Auto-generates interactive API documentation

• Try-it-out feature for real-time testing

• Broad community support and tooling ecosystem

Swagger, as a documentation tool, cannot solve all the problems. However, it is best for REST APIs, quick and interactive documentation.

Below is a simple example of how documentations are generated with Swagger:

paths:
  /users:
    get:
      summary: Retrieve users
      responses:
        '200':
          description: A list of users

Swagger will turn the code snippet above into an interactive, clickable interface. Swagger and Postman are my personal favourites, and I have used them in countless backend projects.

DapperDox

DapperDox goes beyond rendering OpenAPI documentation by integrating documentation portals and Markdown pages for narratives. Below are some of the key features of DapperDox:

• Combines OpenAPI specs with user guides and tutorials

• Extensible layout with Markdown integration

• API versioning and changelogs

• Offers a static site output for hosting

I haven’t personally used this tool before, but from research, it is best for enterprise-grade documentation portals with extra narrative content.

ReDoc

ReDoc is another OpenAPI-powered tool focused on simplicity and beautiful, responsive documentation. Let’s explore some of the key features of ReDoc.

• Fully customizable with CSS and branding

• Supports deep linking and markdown

• Performance-optimized for large APIs

• Minimalist, clean UI ideal for production docs

ReDoc is a great open-source tool that is best for public-facing APIs where branding and UX matter.

Postman

Postman is a popular API platform known primarily for API testing, but it also offers a feature-rich documentation system that integrates tightly with collections. If you’ve been building APIs, you should already know Postman and some of the key features as listed below:

• Auto-generates docs from Postman collections

• Interactive documentation with embedded testing

• Supports Markdown descriptions

• Collaboration features and versioning

• Public or private sharing of docs

Postman is a suite of API testing and management tools best for teams who want seamless documentation generation without writing OpenAPI manually.

How to Choose the Right Tool

Choosing the right documentation tool to streamline your API development can be difficult because of the numerous tools available. However, here are factors to consider:

API documentation tools are no longer optional; they are fundamental to delivering an exceptional developer experience. Whether you’re a solo backend engineer or a large API-first team, if you can choose the right documentation tool, it will help your API speak clearly and confidently to the world.

Just to add:

If you want to go deeper into Documentation Engineering, I have created a complete roadmap course that is focused on engineers like you and walks you through how to become a great documentation engineer.

Check it out here.

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