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The one OpenAPI trick that makes your docs actually useful
💡 Example-first API docs with 'when to use this' annotations beat exhaustive reference docs for developer experience.
Most API documentation is technically complete but practically useless. The spec lists every endpoint, every parameter, every response code — and developers still can't figure out how to do basic tasks.
The fix is example-first documentation. In OpenAPI 3.1, the examples field lets you embed complete request/response pairs with descriptions. Instead of "POST /orders accepts a body with fields X, Y, Z," you show a real order being created with realistic data.
The multiplier: pair each example with a one-sentence "when to use this" note. "Use this endpoint when a customer completes checkout" beats "Creates an order resource" every time. Developers don't think in resources — they think in user stories.