API Documentation Best Practices

Build an API documentation framework for [API/Product]. Include: 1) Documentation architecture — getting started guide, authentication, quick start tutorial, endpoint reference, code examples, SDKs, changelog, migration guides. 2) Getting started — 5-minute quickstart flow: sign up → get API key → make first request → see result. Include copy-paste code snippets in 3+ languages. 3) Authentication section — all auth methods supported (API key, OAuth 2.0, JWT), setup instructions, security best practices, token refresh handling. 4) Endpoint reference — standardized format for each endpoint: HTTP method, URL, description, parameters (path, query, body), request example, response example (success + error), rate limits, permissions required. 5) Code examples — provide examples in Python, JavaScript, cURL, Ruby, Go for common use cases, not just endpoint calls but real workflows. 6) Error handling — standardized error response format, error code reference with descriptions and resolution steps, retry guidance. 7) Interactive features — API playground/sandbox, 'Try it' buttons, Postman collection, OpenAPI spec download. 8) Guides and tutorials — workflow tutorials for top 5 use cases, webhook setup guide, pagination handling, batch operations. 9) Maintenance — versioning strategy, deprecation policy, changelog format, migration guide template, developer communication for breaking changes.