166 lines
9.1 KiB
Markdown
166 lines
9.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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stage: none
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group: unassigned
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info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
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---
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# How to update GitLab documentation
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Anyone can contribute to the GitLab documentation! You can create a merge request for documentation when:
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- You find errors or other room for improvement in existing documentation.
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- You have an idea for all-new documentation that would help a GitLab user or administrator to
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accomplish their work with GitLab.
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If you are working on a feature or enhancement, use the
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[feature workflow process described in the GitLab Handbook](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/workflow/#documentation-for-a-product-change).
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## How to update the docs
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If you are not a GitLab team member, or do not have the Developer role for the GitLab repository, to update GitLab documentation:
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1. Select an [issue](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#community-contribution-opportunities) you'd like to work on.
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- You don't need an issue to open a merge request.
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- For a Hackathon, mention `@docs-hackathon` in a comment and ask for the issue to be assigned to you.
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To be fair to other contributors, if you see someone has already asked to work on the issue, choose another issue.
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If you are looking for issues to work on and don't see any that suit you, you can always fix [Vale](testing.md#vale) issues.
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1. Go to the [GitLab repository](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab).
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1. In the top right, select **Fork**. Forking makes a copy of the repository on GitLab.com.
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1. In your fork, find the documentation page in the `\doc` directory.
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1. If you know Git, make your changes and open a merge request.
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If not, follow these steps:
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1. On the top right, select **Edit** if it is visible. If it is not, select the down arrow (**{chevron-lg-down}**) next to **Open in Web IDE** or **Gitpod**, and select **Edit**.
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1. In the **Commit message** text box, enter a commit message. Use 3-5 words, start with a capital letter, and do not end with a period.
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1. Select **Commit changes**.
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1. On the left sidebar, select **Merge requests**.
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1. Select **New merge request**.
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1. For the source branch, select your fork and branch. If you did not create a branch, select `master`.
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For the target branch, select the [GitLab repository](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab) `master` branch.
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1. Select **Compare branches and continue**. A new merge request opens.
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1. Select the **Documentation** template. In the description, write a brief summary of the changes and link to the related issue, if there is one.
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1. Select **Create merge request**.
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If you need help while working on the page, view:
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- The [Style Guide](styleguide/index.md).
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- The [Word list](styleguide/word_list.md)
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- The [Markdown Guide](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/markdown-guide/).
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### Ask for help
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Ask for help from the Technical Writing team if you:
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- Need help to choose the correct place for documentation.
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- Want to discuss a documentation idea or outline.
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- Want to request any other help.
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To identify someone who can help you:
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1. Locate the Technical Writer for the relevant
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[DevOps stage group](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments).
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1. Either:
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- If urgent help is required, directly assign the Technical Writer in the issue or in the merge request.
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- If non-urgent help is required, ping the Technical Writer in the issue or merge request.
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If you are a member of the GitLab Slack workspace, you can request help in `#docs`.
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## Documentation labels
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When you author an issue or merge request, you must add these labels:
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- A [type label](../contributing/issue_workflow.md#type-labels), either `~"type::feature"` or `~"type::maintenance"`.
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- A [stage label](../contributing/issue_workflow.md#stage-labels) and [group label](../contributing/issue_workflow.md#group-labels).
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For example, `~devops::create` and `~group::source code`.
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- A `~documentation` [specialization label](../contributing/issue_workflow.md#specialization-labels).
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A member of the Technical Writing team adds these labels:
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- A [documentation scoped label](../../user/project/labels.md#scoped-labels) with the
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`docs::` prefix. For example, `~docs::improvement`.
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- The [`~Technical Writing` team label](../contributing/issue_workflow.md#team-labels).
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## Reviewing and merging
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Anyone with the Maintainer role to the relevant GitLab project can
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merge documentation changes. Maintainers must make a good-faith effort to ensure that the content:
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- Is clear and sufficiently easy for the intended audience to navigate and understand.
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- Meets the [Documentation Guidelines](index.md) and [Style Guide](styleguide/index.md).
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If the author or reviewer has any questions, they can mention the writer who is assigned to the relevant
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[DevOps stage group](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments).
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The process involves the following:
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- Primary Reviewer. Review by a [code reviewer](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/projects/)
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or other appropriate colleague to confirm accuracy, clarity, and completeness. This can be skipped
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for minor fixes without substantive content changes.
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- Technical Writer (Optional). If not completed for a merge request before merging, must be scheduled
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post-merge. Schedule post-merge reviews only if an urgent merge is required. To request a:
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- Pre-merge review, assign the Technical Writer listed for the applicable
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[DevOps stage group](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments).
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- Post-merge review, see [Post-merge reviews](#post-merge-reviews).
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- Maintainer. For merge requests, Maintainers:
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- Can always request any of the above reviews.
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- Review before or after a Technical Writer review.
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- Ensure the given release milestone is set.
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- Ensure the appropriate labels are applied, including any required to pick a merge request into
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a release.
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- Ensure that, if there has not been a Technical Writer review completed or scheduled, they
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[create the required issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/new?issuable_template=Doc%20Review), assign it to the Technical Writer of the given stage group,
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and link it from the merge request.
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The process is reflected in the **Documentation**
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[merge request template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/Documentation.md).
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### Before merging
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Ensure the following if skipping an initial Technical Writer review:
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- [Product badges](styleguide/index.md#product-tier-badges) are applied.
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- The GitLab [version](versions.md) that
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introduced the feature is included.
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- Changes to topic titles don't affect in-app hyperlinks.
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- Specific [user permissions](../../user/permissions.md) are documented.
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- New documents are linked from higher-level indexes, for discoverability.
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- The style guide is followed:
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- For [directories and files](site_architecture/folder_structure.md).
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- For [images](styleguide/index.md#images).
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Merge requests that change the location of documentation must always be reviewed by a Technical
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Writer before merging.
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### Post-merge reviews
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If not assigned to a Technical Writer for review prior to merging, a review must be scheduled
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immediately after merge by the developer or maintainer. For this,
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create an issue using the [Doc Review description template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/new?issuable_template=Doc%20Review)
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and link to it from the merged merge request that introduced the documentation change.
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Circumstances in which a regular pre-merge Technical Writer review might be skipped include:
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- There is a short amount of time left before the milestone release. If fewer than three
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days are remaining, seek a post-merge review and ping the writer via Slack to ensure the review is
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completed as soon as possible.
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- The size of the change is small and you have a high degree of confidence
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that early users of the feature (for example, GitLab.com users) can easily
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use the documentation as written.
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Remember:
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- At GitLab, we treat documentation like code. As with code, documentation must be reviewed to
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ensure quality.
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- Documentation forms part of the GitLab [definition of done](../contributing/merge_request_workflow.md#definition-of-done).
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- That pre-merge Technical Writer reviews should be most common when the code is complete well in
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advance of a milestone release and for larger documentation changes.
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- You can request a post-merge Technical Writer review of documentation if it's important to get the
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code with which it ships merged as soon as possible. In this case, the author of the original MR
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can address the feedback provided by the Technical Writer in a follow-up MR.
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- The Technical Writer can also help decide that documentation can be merged without Technical
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writer review, with the review to occur soon after merge.
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## Other ways to help
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If you have ideas for further documentation resources please
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[create an issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/new?issuable_template=Documentation)
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using the Documentation template.
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