# Why New Developers Avoid Documentation and How to Improve Onboarding Docs

DevFeed: [Why New Developers Avoid Documentation and How to Improve Onboarding Docs](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/new-devs-don-t-read-docs-maybe-it-s-not-their-fault-31076.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.mintlify.com/blog/new-devs-dont-read-docs-maybe-its-not-their-fault>)

Author: Emma Adler

Published: 2025-02-12T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Mintlify Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/mintlify-blog.md>)

Topics: [Documentation](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/documentation.md>), [coding](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/coding.md>), [API](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/api.md>)

Tags: [ai-trends](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai-trends.md>), [api-documentation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/api-documentation.md>), [documentation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/documentation.md>), [guide](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/guide.md>), [how-to](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/how-to.md>), [onboarding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/onboarding.md>)

## AI overview

This article argues that new developers often abandon documentation because it is poorly designed, incomplete, outdated, or disconnected from their workflows. It recommends quick starts, real-world examples, and living documentation to improve onboarding.

## Source excerpt

It's common to hear that developers skip documentation, but the reality is more complex. This assumption oversimplifies the issue and can lead to documentation practices within the team that make onboarding harder for new hires.