# Guides (/guides)

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Related: [What is the agent?](/agent.md), [Assistant](/assistant.md), [Automations overview](/automations.md), [Mintlify CLI](/cli.md), [Components overview](/components.md), [Editor overview](/editor.md)

The guides in this section contain advice for creating documentation that helps your users succeed. Whether you're starting from scratch or improving existing docs, these guides help you plan, write, and maintain your documentation.

Above all else, consider your users' needs and goals. Document what helps them use your product and get back to their tasks.

## Topics [#topics]

### AI tools [#ai-tools]

Use AI-powered tools to accelerate your documentation workflow.

* [Build an in-app assistant](/guides/assistant-embed): Tutorial that teaches how to add an AI chat bot in a React app to help users find answers from your documentation.
* [Configure automerge](/guides/configure-automerge): Add the Mintlify GitHub App to a ruleset bypass list to enable automatic merging for automations.
* [Use automations](/guides/use-automations): Choose the right automation trigger, write effective instructions, and get consistent results from automated content maintenance.
* [Claude Code](/guides/claude-code), [Codex](/guides/codex), [Cursor](/guides/cursor), [Devin Desktop](/guides/devin-desktop): Guides for using AI coding assistants to maintain documentation.
* [GEO](/guides/geo): Best practices for optimizing your documentation for AI search and answer engines.

### API documentation [#api-documentation]

Create API documentation that lets users test and learn how to use your API, and is easy to maintain.

* [Migrate from MDX to OAS](/guides/migrating-from-mdx): Move your API documentation from individual MDX pages to autogenerated pages from an OpenAPI specification.

### Best practices [#best-practices]

Make your documentation best in class.

* [Accessibility](/guides/accessibility): Make your docs accessible to as many users as possible.
* [Content types](/guides/content-types): Choose the right format for tutorials, how-tos, references, and explanations.
* [Content templates](/guides/content-templates): Copy and modify templates for each content type.
* [Custom page layouts](/guides/custom-layouts): Use page modes and components to build landing pages and other custom layouts.
* [Improve your docs](/guides/improving-docs): Use data and feedback to continuously improve your documentation.
* [Internationalization](/guides/internationalization): Set up multi-language documentation to reach global audiences.
* [Linking](/guides/linking): Create internal links, reference API endpoints, and maintain link integrity across your documentation.
* [Maintenance](/guides/maintenance): Keep your documentation accurate and up-to-date.
* [Media](/guides/media): Add images, videos, and other media effectively while managing maintenance burden.
* [Organize navigation](/guides/navigation): Design information architecture that works for your users.
* [SEO](/guides/seo): Optimize your docs for search engines.
* [Style and tone](/guides/style-and-tone): Write with a consistent voice.
* [Understand your audience](/guides/understand-your-audience): Research and serve your users' needs and goals.

### Git workflows [#git-workflows]

Understand Git to get the most out of Mintlify and a docs-as-code approach to documentation.

* [Git concepts](/guides/git-concepts): Learn the fundamentals of Git for documentation.
* [Branches](/guides/branches): Use branches to manage documentation changes.

### Use cases [#use-cases]

Learn how Mintlify supports different use cases and find a solution that works for you.

* [Create developer documentation](/guides/developer-documentation): Help your users get the most from your product or API with developer documentation that answers questions and gets people back to their main tasks.
* [Create a knowledge base](/guides/knowledge-base): Set up an internal knowledge base to consolidate information for your team, improve search, and reduce maintenance burden.
* [Create a help center](/guides/help-center): Build a self-service help center that enables users to self-serve answers, reduces ticket volume, and improves customer satisfaction.
* [Create a custom frontend](/guides/custom-frontend): Use the Mintlify Astro integration to render your documentation with a fully custom frontend.

## Where to start [#where-to-start]

<CardGroup cols="2">
  <Card title="New to documentation?" icon="<svg xmlns=&#x22;http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#x22; viewBox=&#x22;0 0 24 24&#x22; fill=&#x22;none&#x22;><path d=&#x22;M8 10.1667L12.1232 6.04344C13.2481 4.91858 13.8105 4.35614 14.4312 3.90314C15.7047 2.9737 17.1818 2.36187 18.7395 2.11858C19.4988 2 20.2942 2 21.885 2C21.9681 2 22 2.03812 22 2.11504C22 3.70584 22 4.50125 21.8814 5.26046C21.6381 6.81818 21.0263 8.29527 20.0969 9.56878C19.6439 10.1895 19.0814 10.7519 17.9566 11.8768L13.8333 16&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linecap=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-linejoin=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M10.341 8.09838C8.63808 8.09838 6.49778 7.73765 4.9043 8.39769C3.73671 8.88132 2.87754 10.0012 2 10.8787L5.30597 12.2955C6.18208 12.671 5.64651 13.7766 5.50147 14.5018C5.33985 15.3099 5.34886 15.3397 5.93158 15.9224L8.07758 18.0684C8.6603 18.6511 8.69008 18.6602 9.49816 18.4985C10.2234 18.3535 11.329 17.8179 11.7044 18.694L13.1213 22C13.9988 21.1225 15.1187 20.2633 15.6023 19.0957C16.2624 17.5022 15.9016 15.3619 15.9016 13.659&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linejoin=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M12 20L11 21&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linecap=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-linejoin=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M4 12L3 13&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linecap=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-linejoin=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M15 4.07996C16.2 4.25996 17.46 4.73996 18.1614 5.45996C19.0576 6.25211 19.68 7.31996 19.92 8.99996&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linecap=&#x22;square&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M17.94 6.06006L16.5 7.50006&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linecap=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/></svg>" href="/guides/content-types">
    Learn about content types to understand how to structure your docs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Improving existing docs?" icon="<svg xmlns=&#x22;http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#x22; viewBox=&#x22;0 0 24 24&#x22; fill=&#x22;none&#x22;><path d=&#x22;M7 15.2461L9.87381 11.5319C10.1242 11.2082 10.2495 11.0464 10.3862 10.9354C10.7975 10.6017 11.3471 10.5135 11.8368 10.7026C11.9997 10.7654 12.1664 10.8804 12.5 11.1103C12.8336 11.3402 13.0003 11.4552 13.1632 11.518C13.6529 11.7071 14.2025 11.6189 14.6138 11.2852C14.7505 11.1742 14.8757 11.0124 15.1262 10.6887L15.9061 9.68068C16.8833 8.41772 17.3719 7.78624 18.0414 7.7479C18.7109 7.70956 19.264 8.28139 20.3701 9.42505L21 10.0764&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linecap=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-linejoin=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M21 21H10C6.70017 21 5.05025 21 4.02513 19.9749C3 18.9497 3 17.2998 3 14V3&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linecap=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/></svg>" href="/guides/improving-docs">
    Learn how to use metrics and feedback to make your docs better.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Working with a team?" icon="<svg xmlns=&#x22;http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#x22; viewBox=&#x22;0 0 24 24&#x22; fill=&#x22;none&#x22;><path d=&#x22;M7 20C8.10457 20 9 19.1046 9 18C9 16.8954 8.10457 16 7 16C5.89543 16 5 16.8954 5 18C5 19.1046 5.89543 20 7 20Z&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M7 8C8.10457 8 9 7.10457 9 6C9 4.89543 8.10457 4 7 4C5.89543 4 5 4.89543 5 6C5 7.10457 5.89543 8 7 8Z&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M17 14C18.1046 14 19 13.1046 19 12C19 10.8954 18.1046 10 17 10C15.8954 10 15 10.8954 15 12C15 13.1046 15.8954 14 17 14Z&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/><path d=&#x22;M7.02116 8.2793V15.4073M14.4113 12.0047L10.0193 12.0048C8.92158 12.0048 6.86182 11.1254 7.01818 8.78001&#x22; stroke=&#x22;currentColor&#x22; stroke-linecap=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-linejoin=&#x22;round&#x22; stroke-width=&#x22;1.5&#x22;/></svg>" href="/guides/git-concepts">
    Learn Git workflows for collaborative documentation.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
