Your Toolset-based theme comes with auto-generated documentation. On this page, we explain how you can publish it to your site and further enhance it through some fast improvements.

Publishing auto-generated documentation

The first thing you need to decide is where you would like to publish your theme’s documentation. Usually, this would be on the website that hosts your theme.

Getting the documentation page content

To begin, go to the Toolset-based themes section on your Toolset account page. There, click the Documentation button in the column with the latest version number.

Retrieving the code for the theme’s auto-generated documentation
Retrieving the code for the theme’s auto-generated documentation

 

A dialog box with the auto-generated theme documentation appears. Note that the documentation features all the basic HTML elements as well. Click on the Copy to clipboard button and go to your site’s WordPress administration.

Creating the documentation page in your site

Now, in your site’s WordPress administration click to create a new page. Make sure that the editor is in the Text mode and paste the contents you copied in the previous step.

Creating a documentation page and pasting the auto-generated content
Creating a documentation page and pasting the auto-generated content

Auto-generated documentation does not feature any styling. It will adopt the styling from your theme and render it similar to any other page on your site.

Auto-generated theme documentation published on a Twenty Seventeen-powered site
Auto-generated theme documentation published on a Twenty Seventeen-powered site

Adding images to liven up your theme’s documentation

While auto-generated documentation is comprehensive, it features only text. We recommend adding some images and screenshots to it. This will make it easier to read and understand.

The following are suggestions on where you could add images to your theme’s documentation page.

Start of the documentation page

Adding a nice image representing your theme at the start of the documentation page is a nice way to visually introduce your theme.

Image representing a theme at the top of the documentation page
Image representing a theme at the top of the documentation page

Important theme pages

Documentation lists all the important theme pages with a list of customization options and instructions on how to apply them. Displaying a front-end image of each page makes it instantly recognizable to the user.

Front-end example of an important theme page
Front-end example of an important theme page

Important backend pages

Documentation features instructions on how to customize the elements of your theme, such as custom post types, taxonomies, and fields. Adding images of important backend pages can help users find things faster. It also makes the text less abstract by showing them exactly where to go and what to look for.

Image of a custom post type listing page on the backend
Image of a custom post type listing page on the backend

Wrapping up

These are only a few suggestions on how to improve the auto-generated documentation for your Toolset-based theme. Every theme is unique and you should edit the documentation and add images to it so that it appears the best for your work and users.