Information architecture best practices for documentation in February 2026

Efficient documentation structure is crucial for helping developers quickly find the information they need, particularly as product complexity increases. Fern's documentation platform addresses this by implementing best practices in information architecture, such as frameworks like Diátaxis, task-based IA, and topic-based authoring, which organize content by user intent rather than product structure. Documentation architecture is categorized into three tiers based on product complexity: single-context sites for individual products, multi-context portfolios for multiple products under one brand, and deep-context platforms for products with sub-products, each requiring distinct navigation strategies. Fern's configuration-based approach, utilizing docs.yml files and folder structures, simplifies the management of these architectures by automatically generating URL patterns, navigation elements, and product switchers, allowing teams to adapt their documentation as their product portfolio evolves. This method ensures that navigation elements like version selectors and product switchers are used appropriately, reducing cognitive load and maintaining consistency across documentation. Companies like Square and Webflow utilize Fern to manage complex product documentation, demonstrating the platform's capability to scale and adapt without extensive engineering efforts.