The importance of code documentation
Last modified: 18th January 2025

Picture this: you’ve been handed a project, and you’re excited to dive in. On the surface, everything seems fine. It’s a WordPress website—a relief because WordPress is your specialty. It’s even a custom theme, so no need to wrestle with a clunky, outdated pre-purchased theme that’s long out of support.
But then you open the theme folder, and… nothing. No documentation. You might spot a gulpfile or a compiler, alongside a few other system files, but there’s no README to tell you how to get the project running.
It gets worse. As you dig into the theme files, you find that the functions file is thousands of lines long with no comments, no explanations. There’s no repository with a commit history to piece together what’s been done or why.
For developers, this is the stuff of nightmares: being handed a project with zero documentation. And yet, it happens. A lot.
The problem is often an oversight in the project process, but the consequences are significant. Over the years, I’ve been brought into dozens of projects, and I can’t even begin to estimate how much time I’ve spent trying to figure out how or why a developer implemented something the way they did. The code isn’t always bad—it’s just undocumented, leaving you to guess whether a piece of code is functional, legacy, or even necessary.
Why Does This Happen?
Here are the most common reasons I’ve seen for documentation being overlooked:
- A single developer built the entire project
When only one person has ever worked on a project, they often assume they’ll always be the only one managing it. Documentation might feel unnecessary because they already know how everything works. - The project has changed hands multiple times
When a project gets passed between different companies or freelancers, documentation often falls by the wayside. Each party assumes someone else will handle it or doesn’t take the time to backtrack and add it. - No time was allocated for documentation
In some cases, projects are rushed to completion, and documentation is treated as a “nice-to-have” rather than a necessity. It’s easy to cut when deadlines loom, but that short-term gain leads to long-term pain.
Good documentation is an investment
What Is Code Documentation?
In essence, documentation is a roadmap for a project. It explains how the code works, why certain decisions were made, and how the project runs as a whole.
More than that, good documentation is an investment. It saves future developers countless hours of frustration and troubleshooting, and it can save clients or website owners a lot of money in the long run.
At its core, documentation isn’t just about being thorough—it’s about showing respect for whoever picks up the project next, whether that’s another developer, your future self, or the client who may need to onboard someone new.
How I Can Help
I’ve seen firsthand how the lack of documentation can create bottlenecks, cause frustration, and lead to unnecessary expenses for clients. That’s why I offer code documentation as a service.
When I work on a project—whether it’s creating a custom WordPress theme, building a website from scratch, or maintaining an existing site—I always ensure that documentation is part of the process. Here’s how I approach it:
- Comprehensive project documentation: I provide clear instructions on how to set up, run, and maintain the project. This includes README files, information about compilers or build processes, and explanations of key features.
- Inline code comments: I make sure critical parts of the code are well-commented, explaining what they do and why they’re important.
- Version control best practices: I use Git to manage project history, ensuring there’s a clear record of changes and decisions.
- Developer handover guides: If I need to pass a project on, I create a developer-focused handover document, saving time and ensuring a smooth transition.
By building documentation into every stage of my workflow, I make life easier for developers and clients alike. Whether you’re hiring me to fix an undocumented project or start something new, you can rest assured that documentation won’t be an afterthought—it’ll be an integral part of the process.
Good documentation isn’t just a technical detail; it’s an investment in the long-term success of your project. If you’ve been struggling with an undocumented project, or if you’d like to start a new one the right way, feel free to get in touch. I’d love to help.