Apply the Diataxis framework: identify which of the four documentation kinds you're writing (tutorial/how-to/reference/explanation), keep them separate, and organize the whole docs set around the reader's journey rather than the system's structure.
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---
name: diataxis-documentation
description: "Apply the Diataxis framework: identify which of the four documentation kinds you're writing (tutorial/how-to/reference/explanation), keep them separate, and organize the whole docs set around the reader's journey rather than the system's structure."
---
# Diataxis Documentation
## The four kinds (don't mix them)
| Kind | Serves | Oriented to |
|---|---|---|
| **Tutorial** | learning | the newcomer, hand-held |
| **How-to guide** | a task | the practitioner with a goal |
| **Reference** | information | the one who needs facts |
| **Explanation** | understanding | the one asking 'why' |
Most bad docs blur all four. Separating them is the biggest single improvement.
## Organize by the reader
Map audiences + journeys (newcomer / integrator / operator); structure around what they're doing, **not** your module tree.
