How do I publish docs for a private beta API?

Publishing docs for a private beta API is mostly about making the docs accessible only to the right people, while still being easy to use and maintain.

Common approaches

1) Host docs behind authentication

Best if you want a real docs site.

• Put the docs on a private web app or portal
• Require login via:
  • invite-only accounts
  • SSO
  • OAuth
  • API key/token gate
• Restrict access by email domain, tenant, or allowlist

Good for: polished developer experience
Watch out for: access management overhead

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2) Share docs in a private workspace

Good for early beta or smaller audiences.

Examples:

• Notion
• Confluence
• Google Docs
• GitBook private spaces

Good for: fast iteration
Watch out for: less professional, harder to version

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3) Publish a static site with access control

If you want a simple site but still private:

• Host on Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, S3, etc.
• Put it behind:
  • basic auth
  • VPN
  • Cloudflare Access
  • a reverse proxy with authentication

Good for: low maintenance
Watch out for: basic auth may not scale well for larger groups

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4) Use a docs portal with invite-only accounts

Some tools support private docs natively:

• GitBook
• ReadMe
• Stoplight
• Redocly

These often let you:

• invite beta users
• set permissions
• version docs by API release
• publish changelogs and examples

Good for: API docs specifically
Watch out for: cost/vendor lock-in

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What to include in private beta docs

For beta users, docs should be especially clear about:

• What’s in beta
• What can change without notice
• How to get access
• Authentication
• Base URL / environments
• Rate limits
• Known issues / limitations
• Error codes
• Sample requests/responses
• Support channel
• Feedback mechanism

A strong beta docs page usually starts with a banner like:

This API is in private beta and may change. Access is limited to approved partners. Use in production at your own risk.

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Practical setup recommendation

If you want the simplest solid setup:

1. Create docs in Markdown/OpenAPI
2. Generate a docs site with something like:
   • Docusaurus
   • MkDocs
   • Redoc
   • Swagger UI
3. Host it privately behind:
   • Cloudflare Access, or
   • SSO, or
   • invite-only auth
4. Provide each beta tester:
   • docs access
   • API credentials
   • onboarding email
   • changelog updates

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Good patterns for access control

• Per-user access instead of shared passwords
• Short-lived tokens if access is tied to a portal
• Separate “beta docs” and “public docs”
• Feature flags for docs sections if some endpoints are only for certain testers
• Audit logs for who accessed the docs

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Recommended structure for private beta docs

• Overview
• Getting access
• Authentication
• Quickstart
• Endpoints
• Webhooks
• Errors
• Limits and quotas
• SDKs/examples
• Changelog
• Feedback / support

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If you tell me more, I can recommend a specific setup

For example:

• How many beta users?
• Do they already have SSO?
• Do you want static docs or a docs portal?
• Is the API for external customers or partners?

If you want, I can also give you a step-by-step implementation plan for a private beta docs site using a specific stack.