For tech writers who push commits, not just commas.

The year is 2025. If you're still writing documentation in Word and sending it as a PDF, we need to talk. Your docs should be versioned, reviewed, and deployed—just like the code they describe.

Enter: Docs-as-Code.
This isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the modern, maintainable, developer-friendly way to write, review, and publish technical documentation.

Let’s break it down. No fluff. No gatekeeping.

What Is Docs-as-Code?

Docs-as-Code is the philosophy and practice of writing documentation with the same tools and processes used in software development.

That means:

• Writing in plain text (usually Markdown or AsciiDoc)

• Storing docs in Git repositories

• Using pull requests for review

• Deploying docs with CI/CD pipelines

• Publishing docs via static site generators

It’s not about writing like a developer. It’s about working with them, on their turf—with tools that play well in code-based environments.

A Day in the Life of Docs-as-Code

1. Clone the repo.

2. Write or update docs in Markdown.

3. Open a pull request.

4. Teammates leave comments and suggestions.

5. Merge the PR once approved.

6. CI builds and deploys the updated docs site automatically.

And just like that—your documentation is part of the software lifecycle.

Why Should Writers Care?

Because Docs-as-Code offers what legacy tools don’t:

• ✅ Versioning: Every change is logged, reversible, and collaborative

• ✅ Peer Reviews: Get feedback from devs and PMs before publishing

• ✅ Consistency: Docs live with the code—always up to date

• ✅ Speed: CI/CD = changes go live in seconds

• ✅ Transparency: Everyone sees the same source of truth

Bonus: Your docs get treated with the same respect as the code itself. Imagine that.

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Once the PR is approved and merged, your CI/CD system takes care of publishing the docs. You sip coffee.

Popular Static Site Generators for Docs

When it comes to building fast, maintainable, and version-controlled documentation websites, static site generators (SSGs) are a technical writer’s best friend. No databases. No bloat. Just markdown, Git, and performance.

Here are some of the most popular SSGs that technical writers and engineering teams use to ship docs like pros:

• Docusaurus

  • Strengths: Built on React, supports versioning and i18n out of the box.

  • Why it rocks: Great for product documentation, especially APIs with changelogs and multiple versions.

  • Best For: Developer portals, technical product docs, React-based sites.

• MkDocs

  • Strengths: Lightning-fast, easy to configure, supports plugins and themes.

  • Why it rocks: Markdown-first approach and YAML configs make it super simple for teams to adopt.

  • Best For: Internal wikis, quickstart guides, project-level documentation.

• Hugo

  • Strengths: One of the fastest SSGs in the game. Highly flexible templating.

  • Why it rocks: Supports multilingual content, taxonomies, and heavy content structures without lag.

  • Best For: Content-heavy sites, large documentation hubs, high-traffic blogs.

• Docsy

  • Strengths: Built on Hugo and backed by Google. Comes with pre-built layouts and components tailored for docs.

  • Why it rocks: It’s opinionated — in a good way. Less setup, more writing.

  • Best For: Enterprise SaaS platforms, SDK documentation, and large technical content teams.

• TL;DR

Pick your SSG like you pick your caffeine:

• Need React and versioning? → Docusaurus.

• Need fast and simple? → MkDocs.

• Need scale and structure? → Hugo.

• Need enterprise-grade with polish? → Docsy.

Getting Started: Minimum Viable Docs Stack

If you want to dip your toes into Docs-as-Code without drowning in Git:

• Markdown files in a Git repo

• GitHub Pages for static hosting

• MkDocs for rendering

• GitHub Actions for CI/CD

This takes less than an hour to set up, even if Git still feels like black magic.

Where to Go From Here

Once you're comfortable with the basics, explore:

• Docs versioning (e.g. /v1, /v2)

• Component-based docs (reusable markdown snippets)

• Link checking and linting in CI

• Docs preview environments (Netlify previews per PR)

• Publishing internal + external docs from the same repo

TL;DR: If You Can Write, You Can Git

Docs-as-Code doesn’t mean you have to become a dev. It means:

• Your writing lives where the product lives

• Your changes are visible, reviewable, and deployable

• Your docs are treated like first-class citizens

And once you learn the ropes? You'll never want to go back to emailing Word docs again.