Open Source Summit North America 2025

When documentation becomes outdated, projects lose contributors, support burdens increase, and adoption slows. Yet, many open-source projects struggle with maintaining accurate docs as the codebase evolves.

This session presents five proven strategies to turn documentation from a pain point into a sustainable asset:

Integrate Docs into Development: Treat docs like code, updating them alongside new features through PR workflows and docs-driven development.

Establish Governance: Assign documentation ownership with roles like a rotating "Docs Steward" and regular audits to maintain quality.

Master Versioning: Align docs with software releases, automating updates for deprecated features or breaking changes

Leverage Automation: Use tools to validate content, detect outdated material, and auto-generate sections like API docs

Build a Documentation Culture: Create a contributor-friendly environment with templates, recognition, and clear entry points for first-time contributors

Instead of theory, you'll get adaptable frameworks and real-world examples that work across any tech stack. Leave with actionable workflows that make documentation maintenance less painful and more impactful.