Note

This version of the guide covers the new PHP-based rendering of Documentation with the TYPO3 Documentation theme.

If the project you are looking at has a file Documentation/guides.xml it is using the new rendering.

Otherwise, consider to migrate the Documentation or head over to the legacy version of this guide: How to document, Sphinx based.

How you can help

Everyone can contribute to the TYPO3 documentation and contributions are very much appreciated.

Note

These are just examples to get you started. As a contributor, you are not restricted to this. If you can make useful improvements, do it! Some of the best contributions come from starting with something that bothers you the most.

Make minor changes

If you see a typo, a broken link, something is outdated or you can make improvements in any way, do not hesitate to click on Edit on GitHub button and make the change yourself. See Workflow #1: "Edit on GitHub" for a walkthrough.

Fix issues

Pick an issue for a topic you are familiar with and try to fix it. Some of the issues address a problem, some are enhancements where new text needs to be written.

You can look at the open issues of a manual you are familiar with, pick one and fix the problem.

For example:

Links to GitHub issues

Here are some links to GitHub issues in TYPO3-Documentation.

Important

GitHub will show a 404 page if you are not logged in following these links! So, remember to log in first!

For new contributors:

Good first issues (Link to GitHub)

For contributors:

All open, unassigned issues (without team, theme etc.) (Link to GitHub)

For team members and advanced contributors:

All open issues (Link to GitHub)
All open, unassigned issues (Link to GitHub)

The Docker image for rendering is in the organization t3docs (instead of TYPO3-Documentation):

All open issues in t3docs (Link to GitHub)

Review pull requests

Some pull requests make changes in documentation describing an aspect of TYPO3 you may know well. Help in this area is very much appreciated!

Important

GitHub will show a 404 page if you are not logged in following these links! So, remember to log in first!

Anyone is welcome to review open pull requests!

In TYPO3-Documentation:

Open pull requests (Link to GitHub)

In t3docs (Docker image):

Open pull requests (Link to GitHub)

Write new content

Write missing content.

Add diagrams

Often things can be conveyed more easily if visual aids like diagrams are used in conjunction with text.

You can create UML diagrams such as class diagrams, sequence diagrams and cheat sheets.

Here are some examples:

Check out sequence diagram on new page about request handling

Example of a sequence diagram about request handling
System overview in "TYPO3 Explained" contains a diagram
Get started with PlantUML diagrams

Replace outdated images and screenshots

Replace outdated images, for example, in the TSconfig Reference reference.

Look at Images for information about how to embed images with reST.

Add YouTube videos

Add some new YouTube videos from the TYPO3 YouTube channel.

See Embed YouTube videos for information on how to do this.

Review manuals

Pick a manual and start reviewing it. If you find something that needs fixing or something is missing, either fix it or write an issue for it, if you cannot make the changes yourself.

More information: Guidelines for reviewing manuals

Tip

Usually, there is one branch for each major TYPO3 version in a manual. Please focus your efforts mostly on the "main" branch, to get that up to date and ready! The Documentation Team will then check, if a backport to older versions makes sense.

Tip

If you do not have write access to a GitHub repository (which is usually the case if you just started), you cannot check off the checkmarks in the review list. In that case, just leave a comment in the issue.

Once you start and are confident that you can make progress, you may want to talk about your intentions in the #typo3-documentation Slack channel (as this is a bigger change). You can also mention, if you need help (because reviewing an entire manual can be quite too much to do for one person).

Note

Instead of reviewing and changing all pages of a chapter in one pull request, consider to split them into multiple pull request, for example, one per page. This makes the reviewing for the Documentation Team easier and you get feedback more quickly.

Teach

If you are already familiar with the workflow, you can help others to get started. Whenever you are at a TYPO3 event (sprint, barcamp, etc.), on StackOverflow or in a Slack channel and someone finds something missing or a problem in the documentation, help them make the necessary changes themselves.

Motivate

Thank others for their contributions (for example on Slack, Mastodon or personally).

Spread the word

Tell others about things in the documentation, that are new, that you found interesting or that helped you in any way.

Remind people, that everyone can contribute!

Write on Mastodon (hashtag: #TYPO3). Additionally, you can use #T3Docs, #T3Contribute, and mention @documentation@typo3.social.

Blog about your contributions

Telling a real life story may help others to make the decision to contribute. It's your story, so you decide what is in it, but here are some ideas to get you started:

What gave you the motivation to contribute?
How did you benefit from contributing? For example, what did you learn?
What advice can you give others?

Make suggestions for new content

Sometimes you can directly add content in a manual or create an issue for it.

But, what if you are not sure, where the new content should go or if it should be created at all?

If this is the case, raise the question in the #typo3-documentation channel on Slack.

Add information from the changelog

Each new or changed changelog from the TYPO3 Core creates an issue in the Changelog-to-doc repository. The issues are mostly already tagged with the according manual which has to be changed. If you want to pick up an issue, check if there is already a person assigned. If not leave a comment in the issue that you are working on it. This prevents two people working on the same issue.

Regardless of this, if you find something missing, you can add it yourself. Or ask in the #typo3-documentation Slack channel, if you can help out.

Check spelling

Check spelling for consistency. For example, compare spelling of title and headlines to the rules outlined in the Spelling chapter.

More ideas?

Do you have more ideas to add to this list? Either add them directly to this page using one of the two workflows or contact us in the #typo3-documentation channel on Slack.