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SI Documentation Style Guide

This guide defines how SI docs should be written and maintained for Mintlify.

Why this guide exists

SI has broad scope: codex runtime, provider integrations, browser MCP, and secure runtime operations. Without consistent docs standards, operators lose time and trust. Use this guide as the default contract for every docs PR.

SI documentation voice

  • Be operational and specific.
  • Prefer direct statements over marketing language.
  • Explain exact commands, flags, and expected behavior.
  • Name tradeoffs and safety implications explicitly.
  • Keep examples realistic for production workflows.

Page architecture

Every command or integration page should follow this order:
  1. What it is and when to use it.
  2. Prerequisites and auth/secret model.
  3. Context and setup flow.
  4. Core workflows (copy-paste commands).
  5. Safety guardrails and failure modes.
  6. Diagnostics and troubleshooting.
  7. Links to adjacent docs.
Mintlify-specific expectations:
  • Include frontmatter with at least title and description.
  • Keep page paths stable; update docs.json when files are moved or renamed.
  • Prefer the navigation.tabs -> groups -> pages pattern in docs.json for large doc sets.

Heading and section conventions

  • One H1 per file.
  • Use H2 for major lifecycle sections.
  • Use H3 only for tightly scoped subflows.
  • Avoid deep nesting beyond H3.
  • Keep headings action-oriented (for example: Context Setup, Run Diagnostics).

Typography and readability

Mintlify controls base typography through theme settings; contributors control readability through structure.
  • Paragraphs: short, 1-4 lines when possible.
  • Lists: flat and scannable.
  • Commands: fenced bash blocks.
  • JSON payloads: fenced json blocks.
  • Config examples: fenced toml or yaml matching actual format.
  • Use callouts sparingly for warnings and irreversible actions.

Code and command examples

Rules:
  • Commands must be executable as shown.
  • Prefer explicit flags over hidden defaults.
  • Include --json examples when machine output matters.
  • Show destructive operations with --force so intent is obvious.
  • Never include real secrets or production identifiers.

Visual assets and logos

  • Use integration icons under docs/images/integrations/.
  • Keep hero visuals lightweight SVG when possible.
  • Use one visual near the top of major integration pages.
  • Do not depend on third-party hotlinked images for required docs rendering.

Cross-linking policy

  • Link each integration page back to the integration hub.
  • Link command guides to related operational docs (Vault, Settings, Browser, Providers).
  • Avoid orphan pages.
  • Prefer relative Mintlify paths (./PAGE_NAME).

Security and compliance documentation rules

For any integration that touches credentials, billing, or production mutation:
  • Document credential source precedence.
  • Document safe defaults and rejected modes.
  • Include at least one “before write” diagnostic command.
  • Explain logs/audit behavior when applicable.

Contributor workflow

  1. Propose IA changes in a ticket under tickets/.
  2. Update docs page(s) and navigation in docs.json together.
  3. Run si mintlify validate and si mintlify broken-links.
  4. Keep commits scoped (foundation vs provider docs vs polish).

Definition of done for docs PRs

  • New/changed behavior documented.
  • Navigation updated.
  • Examples validated syntactically.
  • Safety sections included for risky workflows.
  • Cross-links to adjacent docs added.

Anti-patterns

  • Vague descriptions without commands.
  • Long narrative blocks before practical usage.
  • Undocumented destructive actions.
  • Inconsistent naming between CLI and docs.
  • Copying external docs voice verbatim.