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Templates

Templates accelerate documentation creation by providing proven structures. Use these as starting points and adapt to your needs.

How to Use Templates

Best Practices

  1. Customize for context - Adapt to your audience and product
  2. Maintain consistency - Use templates team-wide
  3. Evolve over time - Improve based on experience
  4. Don't over-template - Leave room for judgment

Template Categories

Procedural Templates

Tutorial Template

# [Tutorial Title]

Learn how to [accomplish specific goal].

## Before You Begin

Before starting this tutorial, ensure you have:

- [Prerequisite 1]
- [Prerequisite 2]
- [Prerequisite 3]

**Estimated time:** [X] minutes

## What You'll Build

[Brief description of the end result]

## Step 1: [Action]

[Explanation of what this step accomplishes]

1. [Detailed instruction]
2. [Detailed instruction]
3. [Detailed instruction]

**Expected result:** [What should happen]

## Step 2: [Action]

[Explanation of what this step accomplishes]

1. [Detailed instruction]
2. [Detailed instruction]

[Code sample if applicable]

**Expected result:** [What should happen]

## Step 3: [Action]

[Continue pattern...]

## Verify Your Work

To confirm everything is working:

1. [Verification step]
2. [Verification step]

You should see [expected output/behavior].

## Next Steps

Now that you've completed this tutorial:

- [Suggested next tutorial]
- [Related feature to explore]
- [Advanced topic]

## Troubleshooting

### [Common issue]

**Symptom:** [What user observes]

**Solution:** [How to fix]

### [Another common issue]

**Symptom:** [What user observes]

**Solution:** [How to fix]

How-To Guide Template

# How to [Accomplish Task]

[One-sentence description of what this guide helps users do.]

## Prerequisites

- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]

## Steps

### 1. [First action]

[Instruction with necessary detail]

### 2. [Second action]

[Instruction with necessary detail]

### 3. [Third action]

[Instruction with necessary detail]

## Result

After completing these steps, [expected outcome].

## Related Tasks

- [Related how-to 1]
- [Related how-to 2]

Reference Templates

API Endpoint Template

# [Endpoint Name]

[Brief description of what this endpoint does.]

## Endpoint

[METHOD] /path/to/endpoint

## Authentication

[Authentication requirements]

## Request

### Headers

| Header | Required | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| Authorization | Yes | Bearer token |
| Content-Type | Yes | application/json |

### Path Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Description |
|-----------|------|-------------|
| id | string | Resource identifier |

### Query Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|---------|-------------|
| limit | integer | No | 20 | Maximum results |

### Request Body

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| name | string | Yes | Resource name |
| description | string | No | Resource description |

### Example Request

[Code block with example]

## Response

### Success Response (200)

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| id | string | Resource identifier |
| name | string | Resource name |
| created_at | string | Creation timestamp |

### Example Response

[Code block with example]

### Error Responses

| Status | Code | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| 400 | invalid_request | Request validation failed |
| 401 | unauthorized | Authentication required |
| 404 | not_found | Resource not found |

## Code Examples

### cURL

[Example]

### Python

[Example]

### JavaScript

[Example]

Configuration Reference Template

# [Configuration Name]

[Brief description of what this configuration controls.]

## Configuration Options

### [option_name]

**Type:** [string/boolean/number/object]

**Default:** [default value]

**Required:** [Yes/No]

**Description:** [What this option does]

**Example:**

[Code block with example]

### [another_option]

**Type:** [type]

**Default:** [default value]

**Required:** [Yes/No]

**Description:** [What this option does]

**Possible values:**

| Value | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| value1 | What it does |
| value2 | What it does |

## Example Configuration

[Complete configuration example]

## Related Configuration

- [Related config 1]
- [Related config 2]

Conceptual Templates

Concept/Overview Template

# [Concept Name]

[Opening paragraph explaining what this concept is and why it matters.]

## Overview

[Expanded explanation of the concept, 2-3 paragraphs]

## Key Components

### [Component 1]

[Description of component and its role]

### [Component 2]

[Description of component and its role]

### [Component 3]

[Description of component and its role]

## How It Works

[Explanation of how the concept functions, can include diagram]

## Use Cases

- **[Use case 1]:** [Brief description]
- **[Use case 2]:** [Brief description]
- **[Use case 3]:** [Brief description]

## Best Practices

- [Best practice 1]
- [Best practice 2]
- [Best practice 3]

## Related Concepts

- [Related concept 1]
- [Related concept 2]

## Next Steps

- [Action or reading suggestion]
- [Action or reading suggestion]

Troubleshooting Guide Template

# Troubleshooting [Topic]

Solutions for common issues with [topic].

## Quick Fixes

Before diving into specific issues, try these common solutions:

1. [Common fix 1]
2. [Common fix 2]
3. [Common fix 3]

## Common Issues

### [Issue/Error Message]

**Symptoms:**
- [What user observes]
- [Additional symptoms]

**Cause:**
[Why this happens]

**Solution:**

1. [Step to resolve]
2. [Step to resolve]
3. [Step to resolve]

---

### [Another Issue]

**Symptoms:**
- [What user observes]

**Cause:**
[Why this happens]

**Solution:**

[Resolution steps]

---

## Getting More Help

If these solutions don't resolve your issue:

- [Support channel 1]
- [Support channel 2]
- [Community resource]

Project Templates

Release Notes Template

# [Product Name] [Version] Release Notes

**Release Date:** [Date]

## Highlights

[2-3 sentence summary of what's new in this release]

## New Features

### [Feature Name]

[Description of feature and user benefit]

### [Feature Name]

[Description of feature and user benefit]

## Improvements

- [Improvement 1]
- [Improvement 2]
- [Improvement 3]

## Bug Fixes

- Fixed issue where [description]
- Resolved problem with [description]
- Corrected [description]

## Breaking Changes

### [Change description]

**What changed:** [Explanation]

**Migration:** [How to update]

## Deprecations

- [Deprecated feature] - Will be removed in [version]

## Known Issues

- [Issue description] - Workaround: [workaround]

## Upgrade Instructions

[Steps to upgrade from previous version]

Getting Started Guide Template

# Getting Started with [Product]

Get up and running with [Product] in [X] minutes.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
- [Requirement 3]

## Step 1: [Installation/Setup]

[Installation instructions]

## Step 2: [Configuration]

[Configuration instructions]

## Step 3: [First Use]

[Instructions for first action]

## Verify Installation

[How to confirm everything is working]

## Next Steps

Now that you're set up:

- **[Learn the basics]** - [Brief description]
- **[Explore features]** - [Brief description]
- **[Advanced setup]** - [Brief description]

## Getting Help

- [Documentation link]
- [Support channel]
- [Community resource]

Using These Templates

Adapting Templates

  1. Copy the template structure
  2. Replace bracketed placeholders
  3. Add or remove sections as needed
  4. Maintain consistent style
  5. Review before publishing

Creating Team Templates

  • Start with these templates
  • Adapt for your product/context
  • Document your customizations
  • Store in accessible location
  • Train team on usage

Summary

Templates provide consistent starting points:

  • Save time on structure decisions
  • Ensure completeness
  • Maintain consistency
  • Improve quality

Adapt these templates to your needs and evolve them based on what works.