Getting started
This guide walks you through dev-doc from the very beginning: creating your account, importing your first project, following the analysis, and reading, improving and sharing the result. Allow about ten minutes of your time — the analysis itself runs in the background.
.zip file.Step 1 — Create your account and sign in
Open dev-doc and choose Sign In. You can continue with Google or GitHub in one click, or register with your email address and a password. With email sign-up you first receive an activation email — click the link in it, then sign in.
After signing in you land on the home page. Your credit balance is shown at the top-right; a new account starts with free starter credits so you can document your first project straight away.
Step 2 — Import your project
- Open Import ProjectFrom the home page card or the app menu (the grid icon in the top bar).
- Choose a sourcePaste a repository link under Import from Cloud, or pick a zip file under Import from Local Zip. For a private repository, authenticate first — see private repositories.
- Check the pricing modelIt decides the quality tier of the documentation and the cost of the run. Click it to change it.
- ConfirmA confirmation dialog asks whether to include codebase analysis (per-file code explanations — off by default) and, for repository links, whether to track the repository for later updates.
The analysis then starts in the background. You can close the page — it keeps running.
Step 3 — Follow the analysis
Go to My Projects. Your project's card shows its status (for example Waiting…, Processing…, Completed or Failed) and a progress ring for each part of the documentation. Everything updates live; you also get a message when the run finishes.
Want to know what happens during a run? Read How your documentation is made.
Step 4 — Read and improve the documentation
Click the project name to open it. The project has up to five tabs:
| Tab | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Overview | Summary, modules, API surface and technology stack, with a contents pane. |
| Architecture | C4 diagrams: system context, containers, components and code. |
| Governance | Inception canvas, communication canvas, architecture decision records. |
| Codebase | Every file with a plain-language explanation (only when codebase analysis was included). |
| Quality | Traceability and verification evidence (where enabled for your account). |
Generated content is a strong first draft. Use Edit to correct it and Approve to mark it as reviewed — approved wording is protected when you re-run the analysis. See Review, edit & approve.
Step 5 — Share it and keep it current
Click Share it on any project tab to create a public, read-only link to the documentation, or to post it on LinkedIn, X, WhatsApp, Reddit, Facebook or by email. See Share your documentation.
When the code changes, re-analyse the project from My Projects — an incremental run only fills the gaps, which is faster and cheaper. See Keep documentation up to date.