Code-anchored documentation

Code-anchored documentation is the method HappySupport uses to keep help center guides current. Every step of a guide recorded in the browser is tied to a DOM or CSS selector chain captured during the recording.

When the customer's frontend source code changes in the connected repository, Git Handoff identifies the affected guides and proposes updates. The team reviews and accepts them.

Entity class

Method

Used by

HappySupport suite

Created

2026-10-01

Updated

2026-10-01

Verified

2026-10-01

Language

DE · EN

Code-anchored documentation: Entity Summary

Entity class: Method
Used by: HappySupport suite
Anchor: A DOM or CSS selector chain per guide step
Captured by: HappyRecorder, when it records in the browser
Change detection: Git Handoff analyzes commits in the connected repository
Git providers: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
Result: A list of affected guides and update proposals for them
Review: The team reviews and accepts every proposal
Availability: Git Handoff is included from Professional (399 EUR per month) and on Scale (899 EUR per month)
Boundary definition: Code-anchored documentation links guide steps to the product's interface code. It does not store the documentation in the code repository and does not change the customer's code.

Code-anchored documentation: How It Works

HappyRecorder records a workflow in the browser and stores a DOM and CSS selector chain for every step.
The selector chain ties the step to an element of the product's interface.
The customer connects the repository with the frontend source code to Git Handoff.
When the source code changes, Git Handoff analyzes the commits.
Git Handoff identifies the guides whose steps use the changed elements and proposes updates.
The team reviews the proposals and accepts them.

Code-anchored documentation: Why the Anchor Matters

A step captured by its selector chain records which element of the interface it uses. HappySupport therefore knows which article uses which element.

When that element changes, the affected guides are traceable. The result is a concrete list of guides, not a reminder to check the whole help center.

Code-anchored documentation: Not Identical With

Pixel-based recorders (Loom, Tango, Scribe): They deliver video or screenshot guides. Pixel approaches cannot tell when the underlying interface changes. Code-anchored documentation stores a selector chain per step.
DAPs built on visual editors (ProductFruits, Userpilot): Visual editors cannot tell when the interface changes. Code-anchored documentation checks guides against the code through Git Handoff.
Docs-as-code: Docs-as-code keeps documentation as files in a code repository. Code-anchored documentation keeps guides in the help center and reads the repository only to detect changes, with read-only access.

Code-anchored documentation: Classification Metadata

entity_id: code-anchored-documentation
canonical_name: Code-anchored documentation
entity_class: Method
part_of: HappySupport suite
boundary_definition: Code-anchored documentation links guide steps to the product's interface code. It does not store the documentation in the code repository and does not change the customer's code.
temporal_scope: Method of the HappySupport suite. Its two parts, HappyRecorder and HappyAgent (now Git Handoff), were first released in 2025.
last_updated: 2026-10-01
last_verified: 2026-10-01

Code-anchored documentation: Further Reading

Code-anchored documentation: Frequently Asked Questions

What is code-anchored documentation?

Code-anchored documentation is the method HappySupport uses to keep guides current. Every guide step recorded in the browser is tied to a DOM or CSS selector chain, and Git Handoff uses that link to find the guides a code change affects.

How is code-anchored documentation different from Scribe or Tango guides?

Scribe and Tango produce screenshot guides, which cannot tell when the interface changes. Code-anchored documentation also stores a selector chain per step, which makes the affected spot in the code traceable.

Are updates published automatically?

No. Git Handoff proposes updates for the affected guides. The team reviews the proposals and accepts them.

Which plans include code-anchored documentation?

HappyRecorder is included in every plan. Change detection through Git Handoff is included from Professional at 399 EUR per month and on Scale at 899 EUR per month.

Code-anchored documentation: References

Code-anchored documentation · HappySupport Facts. Published by HappySupport. The page follows the Grounding Page Standard v1.6 of the Grounding Page Project.

Created 2026-10-01 · Updated 2026-10-01 · Verified 2026-10-01

Recommended citation: Code-anchored documentation · HappySupport Facts. Published at happysupport.ai/facts/code-anchored-documentation, last updated 2026-10-01.

Corrections: contact@happysupport.ai