Write Docs

Create clear, consistent documentation for the Inkeep docs site following established patterns and structure.

Use when

• Any customer-facing feature, API, SDK, CLI, UI, config, or behavior change needs documenting

• Creating or updating pages in agents-docs/content/ , snippets, or public-facing READMEs or reference artifacts (like .env.example files)

• Restructuring or reorganizing docs (moves, renames, redirects)

Do NOT use when

• Writing code comments or inline documentation (not MDX docs)

• Working on internal-only changes with no customer-facing surface area

• Updating internal tooling docs (e.g. AGENTS.md , .agents/skills/ , .agents/rules/ , CONTRIBUTING.md , .github/workflows/ )

Philosophy

Every feature must be documented fully across all surfaces: how it's used, interacted with, depended on, or perceived by end-users. Documentation is the audited source of truth for the product.

• Every Surface Area Needs Documentation: Anything that an engineering change touches that involves a customer-facing change in any product surface area[s] need to be documented.

• Keep docs current: Documentation is a living artifact. When code changes, existing docs must be updated in the same change. Stale docs are misleading docs.

• Accuracy over speed: Incorrect documentation erodes trust faster than missing documentation. Cross-reference source code to verify that types, parameter names, and described behavior match the actual implementation.

• Consistency: Use the same terminology, structure, and formatting patterns across all docs. If we call it a "project" in one place, don't call it a "workspace" in another.

• For the right audience: Tailor voice, depth, and framing to who will read the page. A developer integrating an SDK needs different context than an admin configuring a project.

• Good information architecture: The right audiences find the right content.

• Clarity over assumption: Don't assume prior knowledge. Be explicit about prerequisites and context.

• Direct and practical: Get to the point. Documentation exists to help users accomplish goals, not to showcase everything we know.

• Progressive disclosure: Build up concepts before diving into details.

• Scoped and targeted: Each doc has a clear outcome. Provide the context needed—nothing more, nothing less.

• Right detail, right place: Avoid duplication. If something is explained elsewhere, link to it or reuse it in some way as appropriate.

Workflow

• Understand context - Fully map out the scope of what needs to be changed. Consider all procuct surface areas plausibly affected, and identify existing documentation or documentation sections that may need updating or new articles.

• Identify documentation type — Determine if this is reference, tutorial, integration, or overview content (see Step 1)

• Write frontmatter — Add required title and optional fields like sidebarTitle , description , keywords (see Step 2)

• Structure content — Use the appropriate pattern template for your doc type (see Step 3)

• Use components correctly — Apply <Steps> , <Tabs> , <Cards> , callouts as needed (see Step 4)

• Write code examples — Ensure examples are runnable with language tags and realistic values (see Step 5)

• Handle navigation — Update meta.json if needed; add redirects for moves/renames (see File Organization)

• Verify — Check against the verification checklist before completing

Step 0: Identify Relevant Surface Areas

Before writing anything, map out which surface areas the change touches. Review the engineering or product changes (staged files, PR diff, or task description) and ask:

• What changed? — Identify the modified packages, APIs, schemas, or UI components

• Who is affected? — Determine which user-facing surfaces consume or expose this change. For example (not exhaustive!):

• SDK/CLI users (types, builder APIs, commands)

• Dashboard users (UI forms, views, workflows)

• API consumers (endpoints, request/response shapes, streaming formats)

• Widget/chat users (runtime behavior, rendering)

• Self-hosting users (env vars, deployment config)

• What docs already exist? — Search agents-docs/content/ for pages that reference the affected feature; these may need updates

• What's new vs. changed? — New surface areas need new pages; changed behavior needs existing page updates

If a change touches multiple surface areas, create or update a doc for each. Don't bundle unrelated surfaces into one page unless it's a natural fit with the existing document or similar analogous docs.

Step 1: Identify Documentation Type

Pattern When to use Focus Title style

Overview Conceptual explanation ("what is X?") Mental models, "why", terminology, key definitions, relationships Noun

Reference New SDK feature, API, or configuration options Exhaustive, scannable, precise specs Noun

Tutorial Step-by-step instructions to accomplish something Goal-oriented, sequential, minimal tangents Verb

Integration Connecting a third-party service Installation-focused, platform-aware Verb

Step 2: Write Frontmatter

Every .mdx file must have frontmatter with at least a title .

Required

title: Full Descriptive Title with Context

Optional (add when relevant)

title: Add Chat Button to Next.js sidebarTitle: Chat Button description: Integrate Inkeep's chat button into your Next.js application. icon: LuMessageSquare keywords: Next.js integration, chat button, React

When to add each field

Field Add when

sidebarTitle

Title is long/sentence-like, or breadcrumb provides context so sidebar can be short

description

Page is important for SEO or is a top-level entry point

keywords

Page targets common search intents ("authentication", "vercel", "docker")

icon

Landing/overview page or frequently linked in cards

Title rules

• Sentence case: capitalize first word + proper nouns (e.g., "Deploy to Vercel")

• Use breadcrumb context—don't repeat the section name in the title

• Include the action for how-to content: "Configure authentication" not "Authentication"

• Use verbs/phrases for task pages; nouns for references/concepts

SidebarTitle rules

• 1-3 words when possible

• Leverage parent context (don't repeat parent name)

• Action words for how-to content: "Install", "Configure", "Setup"

Examples

✅ Good: descriptive title + short sidebarTitle

title: Live Debugger, Traces, and OTEL Telemetry sidebarTitle: Traces

❌ Avoid: redundant title repeating breadcrumb

Breadcrumb already includes "TypeScript SDK"

title: TypeScript SDK Model Configuration

❌ Avoid: sidebarTitle repeating parent context

Parent folder: "Slack Integration"

title: Set up Inkeep in Slack sidebarTitle: Set up Inkeep in Slack # BAD

✅ Good: context-aware sidebarTitle

Parent folder: "Slack Integration"

title: Set up Inkeep in Slack sidebarTitle: Installation # Parent provides context

Step 3: Structure Content

These templates are examples. Mix and match as appropriate for your use case.

Reference Pattern (APIs, SDKs, Configuration)

Feature Name

Brief one-sentence description of what this feature does.

Quick Start (recommended)

Minimal working example (< 10 lines).

Parameters / Options (recommended)

Examples

Basic Usage

[code example]

Advanced Usage

[code example with options]

Related

• [Link to related feature]

Tutorial Pattern (How-to Guides)

How to [Accomplish Task]

Brief description of what you'll build/achieve.

Prerequisites

• Requirement 1
• Requirement 2

Steps

<Steps> <Step> ### Step Title

Explanation and code.

</Step> <Step> ### Next Step

More explanation.

</Step> </Steps>

What's Next

• [Link to next tutorial]
• [Link to reference docs]

Integration Pattern (Third-party Services)

[Service Name] Integration

Brief description of what this integration enables.

Prerequisites

• Service account
• API key from service

Installation

<Steps> <Step> Install the package bash pnpm add @inkeep/[package] </Step> <Step> Configure credentials [code] </Step> </Steps>

Configuration Options

Platform-Specific Notes

<Tabs> <Tab title="Next.js"> [Next.js specific instructions] </Tab> <Tab title="Node.js"> [Node.js specific instructions] </Tab> </Tabs>

Overview Pattern (Conceptual Docs)

[Concept Name]

Opening paragraph explaining what this is and why it matters.

Key Features

• Feature 1: Brief explanation
• Feature 2: Brief explanation

How It Works

Conceptual explanation, optionally with diagram.

Use Cases

When to use this:

• Use case 1
• Use case 2

Getting Started

<Cards> <Card title="Quick Start" href="/path/to/quickstart"> Get up and running in 5 minutes </Card> <Card title="API Reference" href="/path/to/reference"> Detailed API documentation </Card> </Cards>

Step 4: Use Components Correctly

Component Selection

What are you presenting? │ ├─ Multiple code variants (languages, frameworks)? │ └─ Use <Tabs> │ ├─ Sequential instructions? │ └─ Use <Steps> │ ├─ Navigation to other docs? │ └─ Use <Cards> │ ├─ Content that's helpful but not essential? │ └─ Use <Accordions> │ ├─ Important callout? │ ├─ Helpful tip → <Tip> │ ├─ Important note → <Note> │ └─ Critical warning → <Warning> │ └─ Regular content └─ Use plain markdown

Component Syntax Reference

Tabs (multi-language/multi-framework):

<Tabs> <Tab title="TypeScript">

const config = { apiKey: 'key' };

</Tab> <Tab title="JavaScript">

const config = { apiKey: 'key' };

</Tab> </Tabs>

Steps (sequential instructions):

<Steps> <Step> First step with explanation </Step> <Step> Second step </Step> </Steps>

Cards (navigation):

<Cards> <Card title="Feature Name" icon="IconName" href="/path"> Brief description </Card> </Cards>

Callouts (important information):

<Tip>Helpful best practice</Tip> <Note>Important information</Note> <Warning>Critical warning - user might break something</Warning>

Accordions (collapsible detail):

<Accordions> <Accordion title="Advanced Options"> Detailed content here </Accordion> </Accordions>

Additional Global Components

These are registered for all docs pages (no import needed):

Component Use for

<Image src="..." alt="..." />

Consistent image styling (full-width + rounded)

<Video src="..." title="..." />

YouTube or video embeds

<BigVideo src="..." />

Large MP4 player for /public/videos/ assets

<CodeGroup>

Tabbed code variants (use title="..." on fences)

<Snippet file="..." />

Reusable content from _snippets/

<AutoTypeTable path="..." name="..." />

TypeScript reference tables that stay in sync

<SkillRule id="..." skills="..." title="...">

Mark sections extractable as agent skills

<ComparisonTable competitor="..." sectionTitle="..." />

Competitor comparison tables

Step 5: Write Code Examples

Rules

• Always specify language: typescript not

• Make it runnable: Users will copy-paste. Test your examples.

• Include comments for non-obvious parts: But don't over-comment

• Show realistic values: apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' not apiKey: 'xxx'

Language Tags

Content Type Tag

TypeScript typescript

JavaScript javascript

Shell commands bash

.env content dotenv

Configuration yaml or json

MDX examples mdx

Code fence titles

Use title="..." when the filename or location matters:

export default defineConfig({ /* ... */ });

Common titles: inkeep.config.ts , .env , sandbox.ts , index.ts , package.json

Example quality

❌ Bad:

// This sets up the config const c = {k: 'x'}; // key doThing(c); // do it

✅ Good:

const config = { apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY', organizationDisplayName: 'Acme Inc', };

const client = createClient(config);

Mermaid diagrams

Use ```mermaid for flows that are clearer as visuals than prose:

graph LR A[CLI flags] --> B[Environment variables] B --> C[Config file values] C --> D[Built-in defaults]

Keep diagrams simple (5-10 nodes max).

Step 6: Tables and Structured Data

Parameter Tables

Always use this format for API parameters or configuration options:

When to Use Tables vs Lists

• Tables: Data comparing multiple items with shared attributes (type/required/default)

• Lists: Narrative or irregular items

Step 7: Links and Navigation

Internal Links

Use relative paths, omit .mdx :

See Project Management

External Links

Descriptive text, never "click here":

Check our cookbook templates

When to link

• Inline links: When reader needs a prerequisite immediately or you're referencing a concept defined elsewhere

• "Next steps" links: When reader is done with this page and should continue a journey (1-3 links, Cards work well)

Writing Style Rules

Do

• Be concise: Get to the point in the first sentence

• Use active voice: "Configure the agent" not "The agent can be configured"

• Be directive: "Run this command" not "You might want to run"

• Include examples: Every concept needs a code example

• Explain why: "Use connection pooling to avoid exhausting connections"

Don't

• Don't use "simply" or "just"

• Don't assume prior knowledge without stating prerequisites

• Don't write walls of text without code examples

• Don't use jargon without explanation on first use

Formatting conventions

• Paragraphs: 1-2 sentences typical before a visual break

• Steps: One action per step, imperative mood

• Contractions: Use "don't", "you'll", etc.

• Person: Address reader as "you"; use "we" when speaking as Inkeep

• Bullets: Capital letter start, no trailing period unless full sentence, bold lead keywords for scannability

• UI references: Bold labels (Save ), use → between hierarchy levels

File Organization

Directory structure

• agents-docs/content/ — main docs pages (.mdx )

• agents-docs/_snippets/ — reusable snippet content (.mdx )

• agents-docs/public/images/ — screenshots/diagrams

• agents-docs/public/videos/ — MP4 demos

• agents-docs/public/gifs/ — short UI walkthroughs

File Renames, Moves, and Redirects

When you rename or move a file, add a redirect to agents-docs/redirects.json :

{ "source": "/old-path/old-page", "destination": "/new-path/new-page", "permanent": true }

Also update any internal links referencing the old path.

Navigation (meta.json)

Edit the nearest parent meta.json when you:

• Add a page and need it in the sidebar

• Control ordering or group pages

• Set a folder-level icon

Common patterns:

• Explicit list: ["project-management", "agent-settings", ...]

• Group markers: "(observability)"

• Remainder marker: "..." to include remaining pages

• Section headers: "---TUTORIALS---" (visual separators)

Where should a new page go?

Is it about shipping/hosting/running infra? ├─ Yes → deployment/ │ Is it a code-first SDK/API usage guide? ├─ Yes → typescript-sdk/ │ Is it a Visual Builder UI workflow? ├─ Yes → visual-builder/ │ Is it about embedding chat / chat UI components? ├─ Yes → talk-to-your-agents/(chat-components)/ │ Is it connecting external data sources? └─ Yes → connect-your-data/

Top-level buckets: get-started/ , tutorials/ , typescript-sdk/ , visual-builder/ , talk-to-your-agents/ , connect-your-data/ , deployment/ , api-reference/ , community/ , comparisons/

When to create a new folder

Create a folder when:

• Adding 3+ pages that should be navigated together

• You need folder-level ordering (meta.json )

• You want a folder-level icon/title in sidebar

Use parentheses folders like (docker) to group pages without changing the URL.

Images and Media

When to use screenshots

Screenshots earn their place when the reader needs spatial context — where to find something in a UI, what a result looks like, or what state to expect. Not every step needs an image.

Situation Screenshot? Why

User must locate a button, menu, or setting in the UI Yes Spatial context is the fastest way to orient

Step produces a visible result the user should verify Yes "You should see this" builds confidence

Before/after comparison for a configuration change Yes Visual diff is clearer than description

Step is a CLI command or code-only action No Code blocks are sufficient

UI is self-explanatory (single prominent button, obvious form) No Screenshot adds noise, not signal

Content changes frequently (dashboard metrics, timestamps) Avoid Screenshots go stale fast — describe the pattern instead

Rule of thumb: If you can describe the action in one sentence without the reader getting lost, skip the screenshot.

Screenshot quality standards

• Viewport: Capture at 1280x720 with 2x device scale for retina clarity

• Format: PNG for UI screenshots; keep under 200KB (crop tightly)

• Crop: Show only the relevant panel or section — never a full browser window with empty space

• Sensitive data: Mask API keys, emails, and user-specific data before capture. Use realistic but clearly fake values (e.g., sk-test-... , user@example.com )

• Browser chrome: Exclude browser toolbars, tabs, and OS chrome — capture the page content only

• Consistent state: Use a clean, predictable UI state (default theme, no notification badges, standard viewport)

Screenshot composition

• Text before image: Always describe what the screenshot shows before displaying it. The reader should know what to look for.

• One concept per screenshot: Don't try to show two unrelated things in one image. If a step involves two parts of the UI, use two screenshots.

• Max 3-4 annotations: If you need callouts (arrows, circles, numbered markers), keep them minimal. Over-annotated screenshots are harder to parse than un-annotated ones.

• Never two screenshots consecutively: Put explanatory text between images. Back-to-back screenshots without context are a wall of images.

• Caption via alt text, not <figcaption> : The <Image> component handles display; write meaningful alt text.

Image file conventions

• Storage: agents-docs/public/images/ — use kebab-case filenames

• Naming: {feature}-{what-it-shows}.png (e.g., traces-live-debugger.png , project-settings-api-keys.png )

• Alt text: Describe what's shown with key details, not what it "is." Under 125 characters when possible.

• Good: "Project settings page with API keys section highlighted"

• Avoid: "Image of the settings page" or "Screenshot"

Image component

<Image src="/images/live-traces.png" alt="Live traces interface showing real-time agent execution" />

The <Image> component renders full-width with rounded corners and click-to-zoom. No extra styling needed.

Videos

<Video src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..." title="What the user will learn" />

Use video (<BigVideo> for MP4, <Video> for YouTube) when the interaction involves multi-step flows where timing and transitions matter — e.g., drag-and-drop, real-time streaming responses, or complex UI sequences that screenshots can't convey.

Icons

Icons resolve as Lu... (Lucide), Tb... (react-icons/tb), or brand/... (custom in brand-icons.tsx ).

• Section icon (folder meta.json ): When whole section needs nav identity

• Page icon (frontmatter): For landing/overview pages or frequently linked cards

To add a brand icon: export a component in agents-docs/src/components/brand-icons.tsx , reference as icon: "brand/<ExportName>"

Snippets

Use <Snippet> when content must stay identical across pages:

<Snippet file="pull-prereq.mdx" />

Paths resolve relative to agents-docs/_snippets/ . Use this to prevent duplication and divergence.

Source-derived docs

Use AutoTypeTable for TypeScript types that change:

<AutoTypeTable path="./content/typescript-sdk/types.ts" name="NestedInkeepConfig" />

This keeps reference tables accurate as code evolves.

SkillRule — extracting skills from docs

Use <SkillRule> when a page is mostly narrative but contains a checklist, table, or decision framework valuable for AI agents. Avoid extracting purely narrative or marketing sections.

Why: Skills should be high-signal and procedural. Extract only the parts that help an agent make correct decisions or produce correct code.

Examples

✅ Good: extract a checklist from a longer narrative

<SkillRule id="setup" skills="typescript-sdk" title="Setup checklist">

Before you begin

1. Install dependencies
2. Configure inkeep.config.ts

</SkillRule>

❌ Avoid: wrapping the whole page in SkillRule

<!-- Don't do this - too much content, not high-signal --> <SkillRule id="overview" skills="typescript-sdk" title="SDK Overview"> [entire page content...] </SkillRule>

API Reference (OpenAPI-driven)

Recognize by full: true and _openapi: frontmatter. Edit only to adjust presentation; change endpoints/schemas at the OpenAPI source.

Verification Checklist

Before completing any documentation, verify:

Frontmatter

• Has title (descriptive, sentence case)

• Has sidebarTitle if title is long or redundant in nav

• Description added if page is important for SEO

Content

• Opens with what this page covers (not "In this guide...")

• Code examples are complete and runnable

• All code blocks have language specified

• Prerequisites listed (if applicable)

• Links to related docs included

Structure

• Appropriate pattern used (reference/tutorial/integration/overview)

• Components used correctly (Tabs for variants, Steps for sequences)

• Tables used for parameters/options

• Headings are scannable and descriptive

Quality

• No "click here" links

• No assumed knowledge without prerequisites

• Active voice throughout

• Examples show realistic values

Navigation (if applicable)

• meta.json updated to include new page

• Redirects added for any moves/renames