Table of Contents
Quick Answer
Use AI to generate JSDoc/TSDoc inline, OpenAPI specs from your routes, and READMEs from your package.json plus directory tree. Cursor and Claude Code are best for repo-scale docs; Copilot is best for inline comments.
- TSDoc generation is near-perfect for typed code
- Never publish AI-generated docs without reading them once
- Auto-regenerate docs on CI to prevent drift
What You'll Need
- TypeScript/JavaScript project (docs workflows adapt to Python, Go, Rust)
- An AI IDE or CLI
typedocorjsdocfor generated output- Optional: Fumadocs, Mintlify, or Docusaurus for publishing
Steps
- Generate JSDoc for a function. In Copilot: type
/**above a function and press Tab. In Cursor:Add TSDoc to all exports in this file. - Include examples. Prompt:
Add an @example block showing typical usage. - Generate README from scratch. Attach
package.json, top-level folders, and prompt:Write a README with install, usage, API, and contributing sections. - Generate OpenAPI from Express/Fastify routes. Prompt:
Read these route handlers and produce an OpenAPI 3.1 spec. - Run doc CI. Add
typedoc --out docsto your build step. - Publish with Fumadocs. Self-hosted, free, MDX-powered.
- Keep docs fresh. Run
scripts/update-docs.tsvia Husky pre-push: if source changed without doc changes, fail.
Common Mistakes
- Letting AI invent function behavior. Always verify
@returnsand@throwsmatch the code. - Generic examples. AI loves
foo/bar/baz. Ask for real examples from your domain. - Outdated code blocks. Snippets in docs rot fast — test them in CI.
- No ownership. Someone on the team must own docs or they die.
Top Tools
| Tool | Best For |
|---|---|
| Mintlify Writer | Inline JSDoc/TSDoc |
| GitHub Copilot | Comment autocompletion |
| Cursor | Repo-wide README generation |
| TypeDoc | Publishing TS API reference |
| Fumadocs | Self-hosted docs site |
Conclusion
Docs are the cheapest quality multiplier in software. With AI, the excuse "I don't have time to document" is gone. Set up TypeDoc + Copilot today; publish with Fumadocs. Misar Blog has templates for API docs in five frameworks.