Originally published at https://ninadpathak.com/articles/what-is-technical-documentation-and-what-should-it-include/.
Technical documentation is the material that helps someone understand, use, integrate with, or safely operate a system. It works when a reader can take the next step without guessing.
Think of it as a route through a product. A tutorial gets someone moving, reference answers an exact question, explanation gives a decision context, and troubleshooting helps when the route breaks.
What technical documentation should include
Start with the reader task, not a list of page types. A developer evaluating a product needs different information from someone sending a first API request or investigating an error.
