Company
Date Published
Author
Sarah Schneider
Word count
1952
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

GitHub recently overhauled its documentation websites, unifying content from help.github.com and developer.github.com into a single platform at docs.github.com to enhance user experience and streamline the documentation process. This transformation involved developing a custom dynamic backend to replace the static site setup, allowing for improved versioning, internationalization, and auto-generation of API documentation. The project maintained existing Markdown and YAML conventions while transitioning to a Node.js site with Express, enabling dynamic content rendering and faster deployment times. The new system supports multiple products with a more organized content structure, facilitates better search functionality, and reduces manual tasks through automation, such as using GitHub Actions for GraphQL documentation updates. Redirects were carefully implemented to prevent 404 errors, ensuring users can find content seamlessly despite the structural changes. This comprehensive effort sets the stage for continued enhancements in GitHub's documentation experience.