MakeTheDocs

If you had to choose between writing documentation and, say, getting a root canal, you’d probably have to think about it for a minute. Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but the feeling is real. Documentation is that one task on the project plan that everyone knows is important, but nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to do.

It’s a tedious, soul-sucking process of transcribing, formatting, and screenshotting that can take hours, even days. It’s the broccoli of the software development world. We know it’s good for us, but we'd rather have the pizza.

For years, I’ve just accepted this as a necessary evil. But recently, while scrolling through Product Hunt (my favorite digital procrastination station), I stumbled upon a tool with a bold promise: "From video to full docs page in seconds." The tool is called MakeTheDocs. My immediate reaction? A healthy dose of skepticism mixed with a whole lot of hope. Could this be it? The magic wand to wave away the drudgery of technical writing? I had to find out.

What Exactly is MakeTheDocs?

In a nutshell, MakeTheDocs is an AI-powered platform that does exactly what it says on the tin. You feed it a video—like a screen recording of a new feature, a product demo, or a training walkthrough—and it spits out a structured, well-written documentation page. It’s like having a hyper-efficient intern who can watch your video once and instantly create a perfect knowledge base article. No coffee breaks, no questions, just results.

The idea is simple but pretty brilliant. It's built for anyone who feels the documentation pain: developers trying to keep up with sprints, SaaS founders needing to build a help center without hiring a dedicated writer, or even HR teams creating internal training guides. The goal is to slash the time and money spent on this universal bottleneck.

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The Promise: Can You Really 10x Your Docs Workflow?

The landing page is full of promises like “Save time,” “Fewer fast MTTR,” and “3 steps to 10x docs.” Big claims. As someone who has spent more late nights than I care to admit cleaning up hastily written guides, I was ready to call its bluff. The core idea is that by simply recording what you’re doing, you’ve already done 90% of the work. The AI handles the rest.

So I decided to put it to the test. I grabbed a screen recording I had made for a client last month—a slightly rambling, 5-minute walkthrough of how to use a custom dashboard. It was unscripted, had a few 'ums' and 'ahs,' and was the perfect real-world test case. The kind of video you make when you just need to get the information across quickly.

Getting Started and First Impressions

Signing up was a breeze. I opted for the free 30-day trial, which, thankfully, didn't require a credit card. Big win right there. The dashboard is clean, almost minimalist. There’s no clutter, no confusing menus. Just a big, friendly button inviting you to upload a video.

I uploaded my 5-minute MOV file, gave it a project name, and told the AI the goal was to create a user guide. Then I clicked “Generate.” A little loading animation popped up, and I went to grab a coffee, expecting a bit of a wait. By the time I got back to my desk, it was done. Seriously. The whole thing took maybe two minutes.

Putting It to the Test: The Good, The Bad, and The AI

So, what did I get? A fully-fledged documentation page, complete with headings, step-by-step instructions, and formatted text. It was… impressive. Way more than I expected.

The Good Stuff (Why I'm Impressed)

The first thing that struck me was the structure. The AI didn't just transcribe my rambling. It identified the key steps I was demonstrating and broke them down into logical sections with clear headings like "Accessing the Dashboard," "Navigating Key Metrics," and "Exporting Your Report." It had turned my stream-of-consciousness video into a coherent guide.

The writing was clean and professional, and it had even filtered out my verbal stumbles. It was a solid 85% of teh way there. All I needed to do was a quick proofread, add a few clarifying notes, and maybe tweak a heading. What would have taken me at least an hour of focused work took about 10 minutes of light editing. That’s a massive win.

Another feature I absolutely love is the Previous Generations page. It saves every version of the documentation you create. No more hunting for that old version you accidentally overwrote. It's a simple thing, but it shows they understand the actual workflow of creating and maintaining documents.

A Few Caveats and Considerations

Of course, no tool is a silver bullet. While I’m pretty sold on MakeTheDocs, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, the output is only as good as the input. The old 'garbage in, garbage out' rule applies. If your video has terrible audio or you're jumping all over the screen without explaining what you're doing, the AI is going to get confused. You still need to record a clear, logical demo.

Second, for highly complex or very niche topics with a lot of proprietary jargon, the AI might need a bit more hand-holding. It’s brilliant at general software processes, but it’s not a mind reader. Expect to do some editing to get the terminology just right. This isn’t a flaw, just the reality of where AI is today.

Lastly, some of the most exciting features, like advanced regeneration, templates, and multilingual support, are listed as "coming soon" on the higher-tier plans. This is pretty standard for a new SaaS product, but it's something to be aware of. You're buying the tool as it is today, with the promise of more tomorrow.

Let's Talk Turkey: The Pricing Plans

Pricing is always a huge factor, and MakeTheDocs has a pretty straightforward tiered system. It's mainly based on "tokens" (which is basically how much AI processing power you use) and video length.

In my opinion, the Pro plan at $20/month offers the best bang for your buck. The ability to export to PDF and Markdown is crucial for integrating the content into a proper help desk or Git repository, and having 90 minutes of video processing per month is pretty generous.

Who Should Actually Use MakeTheDocs?

After playing around with it, I can see a few groups getting a ton of value out of this:

• SaaS Founders & Indie Hackers: You need to move fast and can't afford a full-time technical writer. This lets you create a professional help center in a fraction of the time.
• Development Teams: Quickly document new features for internal use or for your public API docs. Just record a quick demo during your sprint review and you're golden.
• HR and Operations: Standardize your internal processes. Record a video of how to submit an expense report or set up a new software account and instantly have a written SOP.
• Content Creators & Course Builders: If you make video tutorials, this is a fantastic way to turn them into companion blog posts or downloadable guides.

My Final Verdict

So, is MakeTheDocs the magic wand I was hoping for? Not quite magic, but it's damn close. It doesn't eliminate the need for human oversight, but it transforms documentation from a grueling, from-scratch writing task into a quick, manageable editing task. It takes the blank page—the hardest part—out of the equation.

It’s one of those tools that, once you use it, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. It's a genuine time-saver that tackles a real, persistent pain point. For me, the days of procrastinating on documentation are over. Now, I just hit record.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is MakeTheDocs really free to try?

Yes, it is. They offer a 30-day free trial that gives you 150,000 tokens (enough for about 10 minutes of video) and doesn't require a credit card to sign up. It’s a great way to test it out with a short video.

2. How good is the AI at understanding technical topics?

It's surprisingly good, especially with common software and web development concepts. However, for extremely specialized or proprietary systems, you should expect to do some manual editing to correct jargon and specific terminology. Think of it as an expert assistant, not a replacement for your own knowledge.

3. Can I export my documentation to use elsewhere?

Yes! The free trial lets you copy the text. Paid plans offer exports to TXT, PDF, and Markdown, making it easy to move your content into a CMS, knowledge base, or code repository like GitHub.

4. What happens if I upload a bad quality video?

The quality of your documentation is directly tied to the quality of your video. If the audio is muffled or the on-screen actions are confusing, the AI will struggle to produce an accurate document. For best results, use a clear microphone and record your screen in a logical, step-by-step manner.

5. Are the multilingual features available yet?

As of this writing, multilingual generations and templates are listed as "coming soon" on the Business plan. The platform currently focuses on generating documentation in English.

Reference and Sources

• MakeTheDocs Official Website
• MakeTheDocs Pricing Page
• Product Hunt