generating-api-docs_skill

Overview

This skill automates creation of comprehensive API documentation including OpenAPI specs, authentication guides, example requests, and SDK stubs. It streamlines turning API designs into clear, consumable docs and produces reference samples developers can use immediately. Use it to standardize docs across services and accelerate SDK generation.

How this skill works

The skill inspects your API design artifacts and extracts resource models, endpoints, HTTP methods, request/response schemas, and error cases. It generates an OpenAPI 3.0 specification, example payloads, authentication and authorization guides, and language-specific SDK samples or scaffolding. It can also produce implementation checkpoints like route definitions, controller outlines, and middleware recommendations to align docs with code.

When to use it

• Creating or updating public or internal API reference documentation
• Onboarding new services or standardizing documentation across teams
• Preparing SDKs and example clients for multiple languages
• Documenting authentication flows, error handling, and validation rules
• Generating OpenAPI specs for tooling, testing, and contract validation

Best practices

• Start from a clear API design or endpoint inventory to avoid guessing behavior
• Document schemas with examples for success and common error responses
• Include concrete authentication and authorization examples for each protected endpoint
• Keep examples minimal and focused — one canonical example per operation plus a few variants
• Regenerate docs as part of CI when API surface or schemas change to avoid drift

Example use cases

• Produce a complete OpenAPI 3.0 spec from design notes and resource models
• Generate example curl and HTTP client snippets plus SDK stubs for Python and JavaScript
• Create an auth guide describing API keys, OAuth2 flows, and token refresh examples
• Build error catalog and validation guidance for client teams and QA
• Scaffold route and controller outlines to sync documentation with developer implementation