Getting Started with Code Summary

Let's be honest: documentation is the thing everyone knows they should do but nobody actually does. It's tedious. It gets outdated the moment you write it. And when you're under pressure to ship features, writing docs feels like a luxury you can't afford.

But here's the thing—undocumented code is a time bomb. Maybe not today, maybe not next week, but eventually someone (probably you) is going to stare at that code and have no idea what it does or why it exists.

Code Summary fixes this by generating documentation automatically. You connect your GitHub repos, and documentation appears. When you push changes, the docs update. No extra work required.

Here's everything you need to get started.

Before You Begin

You'll need:

• A GitHub account
• At least one repository (any language, any size)
• About five minutes

That's it. No CLI tools to install, no config files to write, no complex setup.

Creating Your Account

Go to dashboard.codesummary.io and sign up with your email address.

Connecting to GitHub

After signing up, you'll connect Code Summary to your GitHub account. This is standard OAuth—click the connect button, approve the permissions on GitHub's side, and you're linked.

What permissions does Code Summary need?

• Read access to your code (so it can analyze your repositories)
• Write access to pull requests (so it can submit documentation updates)

Code Summary doesn't store your source code. It reads the code to analyze it, generates documentation, and that's it.

Choosing What to Document

Once connected, you'll see your repositories. Now you decide what to document:

Option 1: Start Small

Pick one repository. Maybe something you're actively working on, or that legacy project nobody wants to touch. See how Code Summary handles it before going bigger.

Option 2: Go All In

Select multiple repos or entire organizations. If you're sold on the concept, there's no reason to wait. More documentation is better than less.

Option 3: Strategic Selection

Focus on the repos that need it most. The ones with poor documentation. The ones new team members struggle with. The ones you inherited and still don't fully understand.

There's no wrong answer here. You can always add or remove repositories later.

How Documentation Gets Generated

Once you select a repository, Code Summary analyzes the codebase:

1. It scans the code structure—directories, files, how things are organized
2. It identifies patterns—what frameworks you're using, how components connect, where the important logic lives
3. It generates documentation based on what it finds
4. It submits the documentation as a pull request to your repository

You review the PR, merge it if you're happy, and now you have documentation.

Keeping Docs Updated

Here's where the real value kicks in: Code Summary doesn't just generate docs once and disappear. Every time you push to the repository, it checks what changed and updates the documentation accordingly.

This solves the biggest problem with documentation—staleness. Traditional docs rot because nobody remembers to update them. Auto-generated docs stay current because the updates happen automatically.

What the Documentation Looks Like

Code Summary generates several types of documentation:

High-Level Architecture

The big picture view. How is the codebase organized? What are the major components? How do they relate to each other? This is the documentation you wish existed when you first opened an unfamiliar project.

Module and Component Docs

Detailed documentation for specific parts of the codebase. What does this service do? What are the key functions? What are the inputs and outputs?

AI Context Files

Specialized documentation designed for AI coding tools. If you use GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or Claude for coding, these context files help the AI understand your codebase better. Better context means better suggestions.

Common Questions

Does it work with my language/framework?

Code Summary works with all major programming languages. JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, Java, C#, Ruby, PHP—if it's code, it can be documented.

What if I don't like the generated docs?

It's a pull request. You can edit it, request changes, or close it. You're always in control of what gets merged into your repo.

How often does it update?

Every push triggers a documentation check. If something changed that affects the docs, you'll get an updated PR.

Can I use it for private repos?

Yes. Code Summary works with both public and private repositories.

Next Steps

Ready to get started?

1. Sign up for an account
2. Connect your GitHub
3. Select a repository
4. Wait a few minutes for the analysis
5. Review your new documentation

That's the whole process. Five minutes of setup, and you never have to manually write architecture docs again.

Documentation doesn't have to be a chore. Let Code Summary handle it while you focus on building.