---
title: "Course overview"
date: 2026-10-13
description: "Download PDF This section provides a high-level, detailed overview for the API documentation course. I introduce the goals of the course, explain why I developed it,..."
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_overview
---

> For AI agents: a documentation index is available at https://idratherbewriting.com/llms.txt. Markdown versions of all pages are available by appending .md to any page URL.

# Course overview

[Download PDF](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/learnapidoc/e/146076)

This section provides a high-level, detailed overview for the API documentation course. I introduce the goals of the course, explain why I developed it, tell you a bit about myself, provide some recordings, slides, and more.

## The 17 chapters

The course runs roughly in the order below, moving from what REST APIs are, through hands-on work with a real API, into reference documentation, publishing, and the working life of an API technical writer. You don’t have to read it straight through — each chapter stands on its own, so jump to whatever you need.

- [Chapter 1 Introduction to REST APIs What REST APIs are, how they differ from SOAP, and why documentation matters so much here. 5 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_introtoapis.html)
- [Chapter 2 Using an API like a developer Get API keys, make requests with curl and Postman, and work with the JSON that comes back. 12 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/likeadeveloper.html)
- [Chapter 3 Documenting API endpoints The five sections of reference documentation, from resource descriptions to response schemas. 11 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docendpoints.html)
- [Chapter 4 OpenAPI spec and generated reference docs Describe your API with OpenAPI, then publish it using Stoplight, Swagger UI, or Redocly. 12 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/restapispecifications.html)
- [Chapter 5 Step-by-step OpenAPI code tutorial Hand-code an OpenAPI specification object by object, using the Swagger Editor. 13 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/openapi_tutorial.html)
- [Chapter 6 Testing API docs Test your documentation against the real API so the instructions actually work. 6 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/testingdocs.html)
- [Chapter 7 Conceptual topics in API docs Overviews, getting-started guides, authentication, status codes, rate limits, and glossaries. 12 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docconceptual.html)
- [Chapter 8 Code tutorials Approaches for documenting code samples and tutorials — the hardest part for non-engineers. 10 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapiscode.html)
- [Chapter 9 The writing process Planning, interviewing engineers, drafting, reviewing, and shipping developer documentation. 7 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/writing_process.html)
- [Chapter 10 Publishing API docs Structure, templates, branding, and the conventions that make developers trust your docs. 11 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/publishingapis.html)
- [Chapter 11 Publishing tools Docs-as-code workflows using Git, GitHub, Jekyll, and other publishing toolchains. 8 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/publishingtools.html)
- [Chapter 12 Thriving in the API doc space Getting hired: the coding familiarity, portfolio, and writing samples employers look for. 6 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/jobapis.html)
- [Chapter 13 Library-based APIs Documenting Java and C++ libraries that developers compile in rather than call over the web. 10 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/nativelibraryapis.html)
- [Chapter 14 Processes and methodology Managing doc work with Scrum-like processes, bug tracking, and review workflows. 15 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_managing_doc_processes.html)
- [Chapter 15 Metrics and measurement Measuring documentation quality and tracking improvement in ways management believes. 5 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_metrics_and_measurement.html)
- [Chapter 16 Glossary More than 130 defined terms spanning API concepts, tooling, and documentation practice. 3 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/glossary_overview.html)
- [Chapter 17 Additional resources Supplementary material: GraphQL, RAML, API Blueprint, and topics beyond the core course. 13 topics →](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/resources.html)

## About this section

- [Course introduction](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/index.html)
- [Why I developed this course](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_foreword.html)
- [About the author](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_about_the_author.html)
- [Download PDFs](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/download.html)
- [Workshop video recordings](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_course_videos.html)
- [Workshop agenda, slides, activities](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/workshop.html)
- [What's new](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_whats_new.html)