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Ask HN: What user-facing documentation tools for a startup?

6 points by a-user-you-like ↗ HN
We need to add documentation to our new SaaS app, which is a rails app. What documentation tools have you all used in the past for customer facing documentation? Preferably ones that a non-technical user can use.

9 comments

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rmbryan 

    Zendesk: Zendesk is a customer service platform that includes a knowledge base feature. The knowledge base allows you to create and organize articles, tutorials, and other content to help users find answers to their questions.

    Help Scout: Help Scout is a customer support platform that includes a knowledge base feature. The knowledge base allows you to create and organize articles, tutorials, and other content to help users find answers to their questions.

    DocuSign: DocuSign is a document management platform that includes a document library feature. The document library allows you to upload and organize documents, such as user guides and tutorials, for easy access by customers.

    Confluence: Confluence is a team collaboration platform that includes a knowledge base feature. The knowledge base allows you to create and organize articles, tutorials, and other content to help users find answers to their questions.

    Google Docs: Google Docs is a cloud-based document management platform that includes collaboration features. You can create and share user guides and tutorials with customers, and allow them to comment and ask questions directly within the document.
precompute
There's Docusaurus and MkDocs. Docusaurus has a React Frontend, and MkDocs is python-based.

IMO MkDocs Material is very easy to set up and customize. Use Docusaurus if you need a lot of customization. Both of these have built-in search and output static websites.

MkDocs Material is sponsorware, though. If you need the "blog" feature you'll need to cough up $15. Docusaurus is from Meta and is fully free.

https://squidfunk.github.io/mkdocs-material/

https://docusaurus.io/

quickthrower2
I agree MkDocs is good looking and easy to setup/extend. Some features need payment though like you said. The mobile view is a bit weird UX wise but I am sure there is some config I can adjust to fix it (it has multi level stateful hamburger menu that can leave you lost)
japhyr
If you're just getting started with documentation, this is a great resource: https://diataxis.fr

The structure described there helps people avoid creating docs that mix the different use cases we all have for seeking out documentation.

joshxyz
my preference are nextra and mdbook a5 the moment. for api, it is redoc.
abricot
Have a look at bookstack