Document your package

Document your package to help users have the best experience and optimize its use.

When you create your package with the Package Manager window, the Unity Editor creates a Documentation folder in your package’s base folder. This folder contains one file in the Markdown format, whose lightweight syntax is used on many platforms, such as GitHub and Bitbucket. This provided Markdown file contains placeholder content and instructions to help you create the first draft of your documentation set.

As long as you have Markdown content in your package’s Documentation folder, the layout you choose is freeform and flexible. You can write your documentation in the single file provided or you can create a more complex structure across multiple files. You can even create the documentation in HTML and host it on your own website.

After users install your package, they can access its documentation using the Documentation link in the details panel of Unity’s Package Manager window. Selecting the link attempts to open the documentation based on a property set in the package manifestEach package has a manifest, which provides information about the package to the Package Manager. The manifest contains information such as the name of the package, its version, a description for users, dependencies on other packages (if any), and other details. More info
See in Glossary file. If your documentation isn’t hosted externally, users can right-click the Documentation link to view the local version of the documentation in your package’s Documentation folder.

To document your package:

1. Go to the Documentation folder in your package’s base folder.

2. Open the Markdown file in your preferred script editor.

3. Follow the embedded instructions in the file, replacing placeholder content with your own. Optionally format the information using Markdown. The recommended sections are:

   • About: A brief, high-level explanation of the package.
   • Installing: You can point to the official Package Manager installation instructions, but if you have any special installation requirements, such as installing samples, add them here.
   • Requirements: This is a good place to add hardware or software requirements, including which versions of the Unity Editor this package is compatible with.
   • Usage: Information that explains how to use your package. Exact usage content varies depending on the type of package. However, usage content can include things like procedures, reference information that explains properties and settings, and more.
   • Known limitations: If this version of your package has any nontrivial limitations, list them here.
   • Package contents: Include the location of important files you want the user to know about. For example, if this is a sample package containing textures, models, and materials separated by sample group, you might want to specify the folder location of each group.
   • Document revision history: Track when you create and update the documentation. Consider a table with date and description columns.

4. Save the file.

5. (Optional) If you want to host the documentation on your own website, convert the Markdown to HTML, then edit the package manifest by setting the documentationUrl property. Set its value to the URL where you will host the documentation.

As your package evolves, consider adding more sections to your documentation. The following sections are only suggestions, but represent the types of content that quality documentation might contain.

Explore the package documentation for Unity’s own released packages for ideas and inspiration.

Additional resources

• Package development workflow
• Markdown syntax guide (Bitbucket)
• Finding package documentation