5 Courses to Learn API Documentation
One way to improve your skills as a technical writer is to continue learning. Different ways to approach this include reading blog posts, attending workshops, or watching video tutorials.
I have compiled a list of courses that you can use to improve your technical documentation skills. These courses cover essential aspects of writing technical documentation.
Tom Johnson’s idratherbewriting blog has one of the most popular free courses on API documentation. It is usually the first course recommended to technical writers looking to learn more about API documentation.
This course provides a hands-on approach to documenting APIs through practical exercises, real-world examples, and interactive activities. It covers the fundamentals of API documentation, including understanding API endpoints, parameters, authentication methods, request and response structures, error handling, and versioning.
This course is tailored for technical writers, developers, and anyone involved in the API documentation process.
Category: Free
2. API Documentation for Developers
Although the course states it is for developers, technical writers interested in learning about documentation APIs can also benefit from it. This course is designed to help you master the art of creating clear, comprehensive, and user-friendly documentation for APIs.
The content of this course covers essential concepts and techniques for documenting APIs, including understanding API design principles, structuring documentation, documenting endpoints, request and response formats, authentication methods, error handling, and versioning.
Category: Free
3. Technical Writing: Documentation on Software Projects
This beginner-friendly course on Pluralsight is designed to teach you the fundamentals of writing effective software documentation. It covers how to write documentation for a software project, including requirements, the architecture/design document, code documentation, test plans and test cases, and end-user documentation. You’ll learn some tips and best practices for writing clearly and efficiently.
Category: Paid (you can also sign up for a free 10-day trial to access the course)
4. API Beginner Learner Path by Postman
Postman is a widely-used API development platform offering features specifically designed to streamline documentation.
The APIs for Beginners course at Postman Academy is an excellent starting point for anyone looking to understand the basics of APIs. It is ideal for you if you want to understand the basics before diving deeper into more advanced topics.
This course will also teach you to interact with Postman’s platform by creating API requests, testing APIs, and automating API workflows. Upon completing the course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion, which you can add to your professional profile or resume.
Category: Free
Wrapping Up
You can use many courses to improve your skills as a technical writer, but remember that your learning has to be hands-on for it to be effective. As you’re using these courses, try to recreate the examples and also build your own projects.