by APIDocGen (LX AI)

OpenAPI documentation checklist

Stale API docs usually mean the contract and the narrative drifted. OpenAPI best-practice guidance stresses a single source of truth and putting descriptions in source control.

1. One contract, many renderers

Maintain OpenAPI (or an endpoint inventory that can become OpenAPI). Render with Swagger UI for try-it, Redoc for reading, or generate Markdown examples for READMEs.

2. Document errors, not only 200

Include 4xx/5xx shapes. Integrators fail on undocumented auth and validation errors first.

3. Add examples next to schemas

Examples cut Slack back-and-forth. APIDocGen focuses on curl / JS / Python snippets from your endpoint list.

4. Lint in CI

Broken $ref or missing operationId silently break generators. Redocly CLI / Spectral are common gates.

References

• Redoc CE docs
• OpenAPI best practices
• apiDoc (distinct tool)

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Generated 2026-09-16 · citations from public primary sources · no fabricated traffic metrics