Docs as Tests: A Strategy for Resilient Technical Documentation

Have you ever discovered that your documentation was wrong—only after a user reported it?

Keeping documentation accurate is a constant battle—especially when products change rapidly. Docs as Tests introduces a game-changing approach: treating documentation as part of the testing process. By automating documentation validation, you can make sure that every guide, API reference, and code snippet stays correct as your product evolves.

Manny Silva has spent over fifteen years working with companies like Apple, Google, and Skyflow to improve technical documentation. Frustrated by the struggle to keep docs in sync with fast-moving products, he pioneered the Docs as Tests strategy and built Doc Detective, an open-source tool for automated documentation validation. Now, he shares his expertise to help teams future-proof their documentation.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why documentation errors happen—and how to prevent them before users notice.
• How to automate the testing of UI docs, API references, and code examples.
• Practical strategies for integrating documentation testing into your development workflow.
• Best practices for keeping documentation and products in sync, even in fast-moving environments.

Who This Book Is For:

• Technical writers looking to keep documentation accurate despite frequent product updates.
• Developers and engineers who contribute to docs and want reliable ways to verify them.
• Product managers who understand the role of docs in adoption and user success.
• QA professionals interested in extending testing frameworks to documentation.

If you care about keeping your documentation accurate and reliable, this book will show you how.

Praise for This Book

“Docs as Tests brings documentation to life. Discover how tests can adapt to your specific documentation needs (start with a cupcake) before diving into advanced workflows (a whole wedding cake). This resource is easy to read and informative for both practitioners and students of modern technical writing.”
Carlos Evia, Professor and Chief Technology Officer; CLAHS, Virginia Tech

“If your docs aren’t tested, they’re one code change away from being wrong. This book is all about turning documentation from a static resource into a living, tested asset. If you’ve ever struggled with outdated docs, you need this.”
Jake Cahill, Senior Principal Technical Writer at Redpanda Data

“Docs as Tests transformed the way I approach writing, maintaining, and evangelizing documentation. With this approach, you can give your users confidence that your documentation reflects the current state of your products and APIs. This confidence builds the trust that's essential for adoption and success.”
Sarah Sanders, Technical Writer at Docker

“Docs as Tests weaves a rich tapestry of ideas around documentation as a source of truth, and testing as a source of confidence. Investing in more accurate docs builds user trust, and therefore makes your product more valuable. Every team will find something in this book that they can adopt to improve their docs.”
Lorna Mitchell, OpenAPI Initiative

“The techniques in this book help technical writers and developers create reliable, up-to-date documentation that evolves alongside production code. I learned a lot while reading this book, and I plan to prioritize test creation in my documentation projects.”
Anne Gentle, Consultant, Just Write Click

“Great products deserve great docs—but too often they’re built in isolation. Manny Silva lays out a clear, actionable path to bring them together. If you’re ready to close the gap, start with this book.”
—Adam Altman, Founder of Redocly