How do you sync docs and app content for better support?

[ashfordAI]

Discussion Type

Product Feedback

Discussion Content

I’m trying to connect user docs and in-app content so users get answers faster.
Curious how others handle this—do you sync data manually, use APIs, or something else?

[mecodeatlas]

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @ashfordAI!

We're happy you're here. You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting your question in the applicable category, the Discussions category is solely related to conversations around the GitHub product Discussions. This question should be in the Programming Help category. I've gone ahead and moved it for you. Good luck!

[eggduzao]

This is a great and very practical question - syncing documentation with in-app content may seem like "just a tiny detail", but silently determines whether users actually understand your software or just copy-paste their way in (or not!).

I've been maintaining open-source bioinformatics tools for about two decades, and what I learned early is that docs and apps drift apart the moment humans have to sync them manually. So, whatever architecture you choose, aim for a single source of truth.

Here's how I usually structure it:

---

1. Keep docs and app text in the same repository (or build pipeline)

If you're developing an app (desktop or web) and docs (say, MkDocs, Sphinx, Docusaurus, or ReadTheDocs), it helps immensely if both pull from a shared directory or structured YAML/Markdown source.

For example:

/docs/content/

• featureA.md
• featureB.md

/app/locales/en/

• featureA.json
• featureB.json

A small Python script (or any language you prefer) can parse featureA.md, extract key snippets (examples, definitions, tooltips), and export them into your app's resource files. The moment you push updates, your CI pipeline rebuilds both the docs site and the app localization strings.

---

2. Use metadata and shortcodes, not duplication

When you find yourself pasting the same explanations in docs and tooltips, abstract them.

You can define blocks like:

# snippets.yaml
featureA:
  short: "Normalizes data between samples."
  long: "This feature normalizes input data across conditions to remove bias..."

Then use your static site generator (or even a Jinja filter) to embed these dynamically:

{{ snippet.featureA.long }}

Your app can import the same YAML at build time, so both environments share the same copy.

---

3. Connect via lightweight APIs if content is user-dependent

If the app needs to display documentation that changes frequently or varies by user role, then yes - an API approach makes sense.

For example, your docs could be stored in a headless CMS (like Strapi, Contentful, or even a GitHub repo served through an API). Your app queries /docs?topic=featureA&lang=en, retrieves the latest version, and caches it locally.

It's slightly more complex, but this allows for real-time updates without redeploying the app.

---

4. Automate version alignment

In research tools (especially bioinformatics), version mismatch is deadly.

Embed version tags in your docs and in your app's "About" or "Help" sections:

Docs build: v1.8.3 (commit 7a9d3f)
App build:  v1.8.3

Your CI/CD can verify these match before deployment, preventing outdated docs from shipping with new code.

---

5. Human-readability still matters

No matter how clever the pipeline, you'll need human-readable Markdown or RST somewhere. Avoid hiding everything behind code templates.

For open-source users and contributors, being able to open docs/ and see plain text is essential - it communicates transparency and invites collaboration.

---

6. A practical hybrid I use today

For one of my genomics tools:

• Markdown docs live in /docs/ with structured front-matter.
• A Python script exports help snippets and CLI descriptions into JSON.
• The app imports those JSONs for tooltips and "learn more" links.
• CI/CD (GitHub Actions) rebuilds docs automatically whenever main changes, ensuring both app and docs reflect the same metadata.

---

It's a small thing, but it builds enormous trust with users - they can feel when docs and software evolve together.

If you can design your workflow so that the text explaining a feature lives once, and everything else reuses it, you'll save yourself hundreds of small inconsistencies later.
Whether that's via YAML, a CMS API, or a shared directory - choose what fits your stack, but never let the two drift apart.

[ashfordAI]

Thanks, this is super helpful.