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64 changes: 64 additions & 0 deletions docs-conceptual/azps-13.4.0/contribute-reference-docs.md
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---
title: How to contribute to Azure PowerShell reference documentation
description: Learn how Azure PowerShell reference documentation is generated, where to contribute, and how to update published versions.
ms.topic: conceptual
ms.service: azure-powershell
ms.devlang: powershell
ms.custom: devx-track-azurepowershell
---

# How to contribute to Azure PowerShell reference documentation

Understanding how Azure PowerShell reference documentation is generated and maintained ensures your
updates are applied correctly and persist across versions.

## What is reference documentation?

Azure PowerShell reference documentation is versioned and autogenerated for each cmdlet in the
**Az** PowerShell module. It includes:

- Syntax and parameters
- Usage examples
- Output descriptions

Docs are generated from the source code and are published once per module version.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Changes to the source repo only apply to future versions. Previously published versions must be
> updated manually.

## How reference docs are generated

Each Azure PowerShell submodule contains source code that defines the behavior and structure of its
cmdlets. From this codebase:

- A **Markdown help file** is generated per cmdlet, for example,
`Update-AzVirtualHubVnetConnection.md`
- These files live in the [azure-powershell GitHub repo](https://github.com/Azure/azure-powershell)
- Markdown files are **overwritten** when a developer rebuilds or updates the module

If you're contributing, update both:

1. The Markdown file (for visibility in the repo)
1. The cmdlet's source code (to ensure your change persists in future releases)
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[nitpick] Consider using sequential numbering (e.g., '1.', '2.') for the step list to enhance clarity, even though Markdown auto-numbers lists.

Suggested change
1. The cmdlet's source code (to ensure your change persists in future releases)
2. The cmdlet's source code (to ensure your change persists in future releases)

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## How reference docs are published

When a new version of **Az** PowerShell module is released:

- A CI process creates a pull request in the
[azure-docs-powershell](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/azure-docs-powershell) GitHub repo
- This PR adds generated Markdown files for that version, for example, `azps-13.4.0/Az.Network/`
- This process runs **once per version**. The Markdown files are **not updated again** automatically

## How to update existing versions

To fix or improve docs for a previously published version:

1. Navigate to the appropriate version folder in this repo, for example `azps-13.4.0/Az.Network/`
1. Edit the Markdown file directly
1. Submit a PR for review

> [!NOTE]
> Reference documentation is versioned and static at publish time. Manual edits are the only way to
> update content for already-published versions.
2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions docs-conceptual/azps-13.4.0/toc.yml
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Expand Up @@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ items:
items:
- name: Azure PowerShell docs style guide
href: azps-docs-style-guide.md
- name: Contribute to reference docs
href: contribute-reference-docs.md
- name: Troubleshooting
href: troubleshooting.md
- name: Frequently asked questions
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