Skip to main contentCarbon Design System

Contribute docs

All components and patterns require usage, style, code, and accessibility guidance on the Carbon website. Check out the markdown templates and instructions below to contribute documentation smoothly.

Documenting components

The website is written in markdown, which makes it easy for anyone to contribute content in a systematic way. Some components require more complex documentation than others, but you should cover each topic included in the following markdown templates: usage, style, code, and accessibility.

Check out Carbon’s handy markdown styling cheatsheet for how to style content.

Usage template: for components with one variant

The usage template helps describe when to use a component and how it works. You can see this template in use for components with only one variant: Accordion and Checkbox.

---
title: Component name
description: Explains what the component is in one or two sentences.
tabs: ['Usage', 'Style', 'Code', 'Accessibility']
---


<PageDescription>


<!-- Explains what the component is in one or two sentences. -->

Usage template: for components with multiple variants

Use this template for documenting components that have multiple types or variants. You can see this template in use for Dropdown, Modal, and Notification.

---
title: Component name
description: Explains what the component is in one or two sentences.
tabs: ['Usage', 'Style', 'Code', 'Accessibility']
---


<PageDescription>


<!-- Explains what the component is in one or two sentences. -->

Style template

The style template helps describe how a component looks, including visual specifications such as color, typography, structure, and size.

---
title: [Component name]
description: [Explains what the component is in one or two sentences.]
tabs: ['Usage', 'Style', 'Code', 'Accessibility']
---


<PageDescription>


The following page documents visual specifications such as color, typography,

Code template

The code template helps developers implement your component. Be specific, include code snippets, and be sure to update as dependencies and versions change.

---
title: Component name (you won't need to write this)
description: Component description (you won't need to write this)
tabs: ['Usage', 'Style', 'Code', 'Accessibility']
---


<PageDescription>


<!-- How to build a [component name] using React. For code usage with other

Accessibility template

The accessibility template helps designers and developers ensure components are accessible. The published information helps users understand all the accessibility considerations that are baked into Carbon. Refer to our guidance on creating the keyboard interaction visuals.

---
title: Component name (you won't need to write this)
description: Component description (you won't need to write this)
tabs: ['Usage', 'Style', 'Code', 'Accessibility']
---


<PageDescription>


<!--

Documenting patterns

Patterns show reusable combinations of components and templates that address common user objectives with sequences and flows. Because they are more complicated than components, you may need to adjust the topic order to best tell the story — but your pattern should cover all of the topics outlined in the following templates.

Pattern template: for one variant

Use this template for documenting patterns that have a single variant. You can see this template in use for Toolbar.

---
title: Pattern name
description: Explain the pattern in one or two sentences.
---


<PageDescription>


Explain the pattern in one or two sentences.

Pattern template: for multiple variants

Use this template for documenting patterns that have multiple types or variants. You can see this template in use for Dialog and Loading.

---
title: Pattern name (multiple variants)
description: Explain the pattern in one or two sentences.
---


<PageDescription>


Explain the pattern in one or two sentences.

Writing better content

As you fill out the templates above, please keep these things in mind when writing content for Carbon.

  • Aim for a friendly and encouraging tone.
  • Speak directly to the user. You can use the second person pronoun (“you”).
  • Keep sentences and paragraphs short and focused.
  • Be clear and concise by removing unnecessary words. The more concise the text, the easier it is for all users to understand.
  • Use sentence case for everything, including component names, e.g. Content switcher and Data table.

Publishing updates

Ready to get your work reviewed and published? There are two ways to do this, depending on your experience with GitHub. You may also draft your content and bring it to office hours to get further guidance.

Editing in browser

How to edit an existing page

If you are editing an existing docs page, the easiest option is to click on the Edit this page on GitHub link that appears at the bottom of every page on the site. The link opens the specific GitHub page where you can edit the content and then propose the change with a pull request. Your changes will be reviewed by the Carbon team. This is the easiest and most commonly used approach by contributors.

How to add a new page or image

To start, go to the Carbon website repository here. Navigate to the left hand corner above the files and click main. From here, type in a new branch name that reflects your work. For example,add-accordion-accessibility-guidance. Once that new branch is created, navigate to where the new file will be stored for a component or pattern.

Ensure you are in the branch you created, then navigate to Add file in the upper right-hand corner. To add a new guidance page, click create new file button. Title the file one of the following: usage.mdx, style.mdx, code.mdx, or accessibility.mdx. To add an image, make sure you are in the image folder and click Upload files.

After filling out the markdown template or adding an image, click Commit changes. Describe your work and double check that you are on the branch you created. If you are in the wrong branch, you will have to copy your content into the correct branch.

Once you have committed your changes, go to the Pull requests page. Compare base: main to your branch and click Create new pull request. Your contribution will be reviewed by the Carbon team!

Editing in a local environment

Alternatively, if you are planning regular or more comprehensive content updates and are up for a more advanced option, you’ll want to fork the repo and install some of the tools we use to build the website. This will create an easier workflow for you long term, but takes some time to set up.

If you are familiar with this process, you can fork the repo and get started. Otherwise, reach out to the Carbon team on slack or office hours and we’ll help you find the best way to contribute.

Edit this page on GitHub
Previous
Contributing: Bugs and requests
Next
Contributing: Components