Generating Documentation / Documentation Builder

Documentation Builder

The Documentation Builder generates a structured documentation site from your project's knowledge base. It synthesizes all ingested sources (screens, URLs, files) into a navigable doc tree with pages and sections organized from introductory to advanced topics.

Before You Start

Before generating documentation, ensure you have:

  1. Created a project — See Creating your first project
  2. Added sources — See Adding Sources and Crawling Your App
  3. Processed sources — Wait for all sources to finish processing. Check Monitoring Processing Status to confirm completion.

Accessing the Documentation Builder

  1. Navigate to your project in the Zero Docs dashboard
  2. In the left sidebar, expand your project tree
  3. Click Documentation → Build

The Documentation Builder interface displays:

Documentation

Version Selector
[v1 ▼]

Generate Docs

Action Buttons
[Generate Docs] [Delete Docs] [View Public Docs]

Builder Direction Input
[Give direction to builder...                      ]
[Save]

Doc Tree Container
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Loading doc tree...                             │
│                                                 │
│ No documentation generated yet. Click "Generate │
│ Docs" to get started.                           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Generating Your Documentation

Step 1: Select a Version

Use the version dropdown at the top of the page to select which version you want to generate documentation for. Each version can have its own documentation based on its unique sources.

If you need to create a new version, see Creating Versions.

Step 2: (Optional) Provide Custom Direction

You can guide the documentation generator by entering custom instructions in the "Give direction to builder..." text area. This is optional but can help tailor the output to your needs.

Examples of custom direction:

  • "Focus on developer onboarding and API integration"
  • "Emphasize troubleshooting and common error codes"
  • "Include detailed billing and pricing explanations"

After entering your direction, click Save to store your preferences.

Step 3: Generate Documentation

Click the Generate Docs button. The system will:

  1. Analyze all processed sources for the selected version
  2. Build a hierarchical doc tree structure (pages and sections)
  3. Synthesize content for each page from relevant observations
  4. Preserve formatted content like tables, code blocks, and diagrams
  5. Create internal navigation links between related topics

Note: Documentation generation may take several minutes depending on the volume of sources. The doc tree container will update with a loading indicator.

Step 4: Review the Doc Tree

Once generation completes, the doc tree will appear in the container, showing all generated pages and sections in a navigable structure. You can:

  • Expand/collapse pages to view sections
  • Click on any section to preview or edit content
  • Review the organizational flow from introductory to advanced topics

Managing Generated Documentation

Viewing Public Documentation

Click View Public Docs to open your live documentation site in a new tab. This is the public-facing version that users and customers can access.

The URL format is: https://app.zerodocs.io/docs/{account}/{project}/{version}

Deleting Documentation

To remove all generated documentation for the selected version:

  1. Click Delete Docs
  2. Confirm the deletion in the prompt

Warning: This action is irreversible. You will need to regenerate documentation from scratch.

Regenerating Documentation

To update documentation after adding new sources or making changes:

  1. Ensure new sources are fully processed
  2. (Optional) Update your custom direction
  3. Click Generate Docs again

The system will rebuild the entire doc tree based on the current state of your knowledge base.

Processing Status

The Documentation Builder displays a Processing Status panel that shows recent source captures and processing activity:

Processing Status                         [×]
14:21:38 Captured: ...versions/new - 2 sect...

This helps you monitor whether all sources are ready for documentation generation. If sources are still processing, wait until completion before generating docs to ensure all content is included.

Troubleshooting

"Loading doc tree..." never completes

  • Check that your sources have finished processing under Managing Sources
  • Refresh the page and try again
  • If the issue persists, check for service status notifications at the top of the page

Generated documentation is incomplete

  • Verify all expected sources appear in the version's source list
  • Ensure sources processed successfully (no error states)
  • Try providing more specific custom direction to guide the builder

Documentation generation fails

  • Check your account's current plan limits under Usage
  • Review any flagged sources under Flagged Sources that may be blocking generation
  • Contact support if errors persist

Next Steps

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