Primary user need: I need to look something up.
Reference documentation describes the product accurately and in a form that supports quick retrieval. The system itself determines the scope: settings, commands, parameters, configuration values, API fields, options, limits and compatibility information.
The original framing tied reference to the structure of the code. We broaden that: reference should reflect the structure of whatever is being described, which might be code or API structure, dashboard hierarchy, settings groups, commands, product features or a configuration model.
A brief explanatory context is acceptable. Extended discussion of why something works the way it does belongs in explanation. Full task instructions belong in a how-to guide.
Common failures: burying lookup information inside prose, formatting comparable entries inconsistently, and letting reference turn into a collection of small tutorials.
Worked example
Rate limits
Most customers will find that the standard rate limit is generous enough for typical use. On the Team plan you get quite a lot more, and Enterprise customers should speak to their account manager, though as a rule the ceiling is much higher there. Bursts are tolerated to a degree.
Rate limits
Requests per minute, per API key:
- Free: 60
- Team: 600
- Enterprise: negotiated, 6,000 by default
Burst allowance is 2x the limit for 10 seconds. Exceeding it returns 429 with a Retry-After header.
