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Quick Start Guide

Get from zero to deployed documentation in 5 minutes. This guide walks you through creating your WhatDoc account, connecting GitHub, and generating your first docs.
Prerequisites: A GitHub account and a repository you want to document (public or private).

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Step 1: Create Your Account

Head to whatdoc.xyz and sign up.
1

Visit the landing page

Navigate to whatdoc.xyz and click Sign Up.
2

Choose your sign-up method

Sign up with:
  • Email & Password - Traditional sign-up flow
  • Google OAuth - One-click sign-up with your Google account
// Example user object after signup
{
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "firstName": "Alex",
  "lastName": "Developer",
  "isPro": false,
  "generationCount": 0,
  "planTier": "free"
}
3

Verify and log in

After signup, you’ll be redirected to your dashboard at /dashboard.

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Step 2: Connect Your GitHub Account

Connect GitHub to access your repositories.
1

Navigate to Import

From your dashboard, click Deploy Docs or navigate to /import.
2

Authorize GitHub OAuth

Click Connect GitHub and choose your permissions:
Uncheck “Include private repositories” — WhatDoc will only see your public repos.
Your GitHub access token is stored securely in the database and only used to fetch repository metadata. WhatDoc never modifies your code.
3

Authorization callback

After authorizing, you’ll be redirected back to WhatDoc with your repos loaded:
// GET /api/auth/github/repos returns:
{
  "repos": [
    {
      "id": 123456,
      "name": "my-api",
      "fullName": "username/my-api",
      "private": false,
      "language": "JavaScript",
      "description": "A REST API for...",
      "url": "https://github.com/username/my-api",
      "updatedAt": "2026-03-01T10:30:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "username": "username"
}

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Step 3: Import a Repository

Select the repository you want to document.
1

Browse your repositories

You’ll see a list of all your repos with:
  • Language indicator (colored dot)
  • Visibility badge (lock icon for private repos)
  • Last updated timestamp
  • Search & filter options
2

Search or filter

Use the search bar to find a specific repo, or filter by:
  • All repos
  • Public only
  • Private only
3

Click Import

Click the Import button next to your chosen repository. You’ll be redirected to the configuration page.

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Step 4: Configure Your Documentation

Customize your documentation settings before generation.
1

Set your URL slug

Choose a URL slug for your docs:
whatdoc.xyz/p/my-awesome-api
              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
              your slug here
Slugs must be lowercase with only letters, numbers, and hyphens.
2

Choose your tech stack

Select your project type (optional, helps the AI understand your code):
  • MERN - MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js
  • Next.js - Next.js full-stack apps
  • Other - Everything else (auto-detected)
3

Pick a template

Choose from 14+ professional templates:
API-first dark layout — best for REST APIs
// Available template IDs (server/models/Project.js:15)
const templates = [
  'twilio', 'django', 'mdn', 'aerolatex',
  'fintech', 'devtools', 'minimalist', 'opensource',
  'wiki', 'componentlib', 'consumertech', 'deepspace',
  'web3', 'enterprise'
];
4

(Optional) Bring Your Own Key

For unthrottled generation, provide your own API key:
# Get free key from Google AI Studio
# https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
AIzaSy...
Your API key stays in your browser’s localStorage and is only sent directly to the AI provider — never stored on WhatDoc servers.
5

Deploy

Click Deploy Documentation to start the generation pipeline.

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Step 5: Watch the Generation Process

Your docs are generated in real-time via Server-Sent Events (SSE).
1

Cloning repository

WhatDoc shallow-clones your repo to a temporary directory:
# Shallow clone with depth 1
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/username/repo /tmp/<projectId>
Status: scanning
2

Analyzing codebase

The engine walks your directory tree, filtering out:
  • Lockfiles (package-lock.json, yarn.lock, etc.)
  • Build artifacts (dist/, build/, .next/)
  • Test files (*.test.js, *.spec.ts)
  • Existing docs (README.md, CHANGELOG.md)
  • Source maps (*.map)
  • Minified files (*.min.js)
// Real-time log event
{
  "step": "analyzing",
  "message": "Aggregation complete — concatenated 47 files into context window."
}
Status: analyzing
3

AI generation

Your concatenated codebase is sent to the AI model:
// Real-time log event
{
  "step": "generating",
  "message": "Using Gemini 2.5 Flash"
}
{
  "step": "generating",
  "message": "Sending full codebase — 425,000 chars (47 files)"
}
Status: generating
4

Cleanup & deploy

Temporary files are removed, docs are saved to MongoDB, and your project goes live:
{
  "step": "cleanup",
  "message": "Temporary files removed"
}
Status: ready
Generation time: Typically 15-45 seconds depending on repo size and chosen AI model.

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Step 6: View & Edit Your Docs

Your documentation is now live!
1

Access your docs

Navigate to your custom URL:
https://yourproject.whatdoc.xyz
Or:
https://whatdoc.xyz/p/yourproject
2

Edit the content

From your dashboard, click Edit Docs to open the live editor:
  • Markdown editor - Edit raw markdown
  • Live preview - See changes in real-time
  • Auto-save - Changes are saved automatically
// PUT /api/project/:projectId
{
  "generatedDocs": "# Updated Documentation\n\n..."
}
3

Customize settings

Click the Settings gear icon to:
  • Change template
  • Update URL slug
  • Configure custom subdomain
  • Add custom domain (Pro)
  • Customize logo and branding

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Advanced Features

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Custom Subdomains

Every project automatically gets a custom subdomain: 
// Example Project document (server/models/Project.js)
{
  "slug": "my-api",
  "subdomain": "my-api",  // my-api.whatdoc.xyz
  "customDomain": null     // Pro feature
}

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Custom Domains (Pro)

Map your own domain to your documentation:
1

Add domain in settings

Navigate to project settings and enter your custom domain:
docs.myapp.com
2

Update DNS

Add a CNAME record pointing to WhatDoc:
CNAME  docs.myapp.com  cname.vercel-dns.com
3

SSL provisioning

WhatDoc automatically provisions SSL via Cloudflare and Vercel.

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Command Palette

Press Ctrl + Space (or Cmd + K on Mac) to open the command palette for quick navigation: 
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Search projects...              │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│ → my-api (twilio)              │
│   frontend-app (minimalist)     │
│   cli-tool (mdn)                │
└─────────────────────────────────┘

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Usage Limits

  • 2 projects included (5 with promotional access)
  • Free AI models only (Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite)
  • 200k token limit per generation
  • Standard templates
  • Custom subdomains

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Troubleshooting

Common causes:
  • Repository too large: Free tier caps at ~200k tokens. Use BYOK or split into multiple projects.
  • Private repo without access: Ensure you authorized private repo access during GitHub OAuth.
  • Invalid API key: If using BYOK, verify your key is valid and has credits.
  • Rate limit: Free tier has daily limits. Wait 24 hours or use BYOK.
Yes! Delete your project from the dashboard and re-import it. Future updates will add “Regenerate” directly.
Click the Cancel button during generation. The pipeline will abort and clean up temporary files.
WhatDoc filters out test files, existing docs, and minified bundles. If critical files are missing, check that they:
  • Have supported extensions (.js, .ts, .py, etc.)
  • Aren’t in blocked directories (node_modules/, dist/, __tests__/)
  • Aren’t in your .gitignore

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What’s Next?

Customize Your Docs

Learn how to customize templates, add logos, and configure branding.

API Reference

Integrate WhatDoc into your CI/CD pipeline with our REST API.

Templates Guide

Deep dive into all 14+ templates and when to use each.

GitHub

Star the project, report issues, or contribute.
Need help? Reach out to @herin7 or report issues on GitHub.

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