Do I need code samples in API docs for developers to adopt it?

Not strictly, but usually yes if you want adoption.

Short answer

Developers don’t need code samples to understand an API, but code samples often make the difference between:

• “This seems possible”
• and “I can implement this in 10 minutes.”

When code samples help most

Include them if your API:

• has authentication steps
• uses multiple endpoints in sequence
• has non-obvious request/response formats
• requires error handling or retries
• targets a broad audience or multiple languages

When you might get away without them

You may not need many samples if:

• the API is very simple and intuitive
• your audience is highly technical and already familiar with the pattern
• you provide excellent interactive docs, SDKs, or a playground
• the docs are mainly internal

Best practice

A good compromise is:

• at least one minimal example per endpoint
• one end-to-end “happy path” example
• examples in the most common language(s)
• optionally copy-pasteable cURL plus one SDK example

Why they matter

Code samples reduce:

• time to first successful request
• support questions
• ambiguity around required fields
• friction for less-experienced developers

If you want, I can also give you a practical checklist for API docs adoption or a template for writing useful code samples.