What CLI Tools Are You Using to Automate API Documentation?

[lucdev01234-png]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

💬 Feature/Topic Area

ARC (Actions Runner Controller)

Discussion Details

We're trying to improve how we manage API documentation across our repositories and are looking for a reliable CLI tool for API documentation.

Our goal is to make API documentation part of our Git-based development workflow instead of treating it as a separate manual task.

Ideally, we'd like a workflow that can:

Generate documentation from OpenAPI specifications
Validate API definitions automatically
Keep documentation synchronized with API changes
Run documentation checks from the command line
Integrate with GitHub Actions
Work well with pull requests and code reviews

We're considering a workflow where an API specification is updated in a repository, then a CLI tool validates it and generates or updates the documentation automatically as part of the CI pipeline.

For teams using GitHub:

Which CLI tool do you use for API documentation?
Do you generate API docs automatically from OpenAPI?
Have you integrated documentation generation into GitHub Actions?
How do you keep API documentation synchronized with your codebase?

I'd be interested to hear what workflows and tools other developers are using.

[github-actions[bot]]

💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users.

Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩

• Your input will be carefully reviewed and cataloged by members of our product teams. 
  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual responses.
  • Rest assured, your feedback will help chart our course for product improvements.
• Other users may engage with your post, sharing their own perspectives or experiences. 
• GitHub staff may reach out for further clarification or insight. 
  • We may 'Answer' your discussion if there is a current solution, workaround, or roadmap/changelog post related to the feedback.

Where to look to see what's shipping 👀

• Read the Changelog for real-time updates on the latest GitHub features, enhancements, and calls for feedback.
• Explore our Product Roadmap, which details upcoming major releases and initiatives.

What you can do in the meantime 💻

• Upvote and comment on other user feedback Discussions that resonate with you.
• Add more information at any point! Useful details include: use cases, relevant labels, desired outcomes, and any accompanying screenshots.

As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities.

Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐

[v-ember]

Hey there! 👋

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @lucdev01234-png ! You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting in the applicable category. The Actions category is a place for our community to discuss and provide feedback on GitHub Actions, the CI/CD platform that allows you to automate your build, test, and deployment pipeline.

I've gone ahead and moved this to the correct category for you. Good luck!

[Mehrab-Javadzadeh]

Here's a workflow that's been effective:

• Check the OpenAPI spec on every pull request.
• Generate documentation automatically during CI, rather than editing it manually.
• Stop the process if the spec is invalid or the docs are outdated.
• Review changes to the OpenAPI file and the implementation together in the same PR.
  For tools, Redocly CLI and Swagger CLI are both good options. They work well with GitHub Actions, letting you validate specs before merging.
  The biggest win for us was ditching manually updated API docs. Once the OpenAPI spec was the single source of truth, keeping docs in sync became much easier because they were generated directly from the spec.

[prashantkoirala465]

We've been moving toward this kind of workflow as well, and I think treating API documentation like code is the right approach.

For OpenAPI-based projects, some tools I've seen used often are:

• Swagger CLI / Swagger Editor tools for validation
• Redocly CLI for linting and generating documentation
• Spectral for enforcing OpenAPI style rules
• OpenAPI Generator when client/server code generation is needed

The important part for me isn't just generating docs, but making sure bad API changes are caught during PRs.

A workflow that works well is usually:

1. Keep the OpenAPI spec in the repository.
2. Run validation/lint checks in GitHub Actions on every PR.
3. Generate the documentation automatically after changes are approved.
4. Make API changes go through the same review process as application code.

One thing I'd be interested in hearing from others is how they handle ownership. In some teams, the OpenAPI file is the source of truth. In others, the code annotations are the source of truth and the spec is generated from code.

Both approaches have tradeoffs, especially when APIs become large and multiple teams are contributing.

Would also be curious if anyone has found a good way to detect breaking API changes automatically before merging.

[lucdev01234-png]

I'd recommend trying Apidog for this workflow. It brings API design, documentation, testing, and CLI automation together, which can simplify keeping docs synchronized with API changes.