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Overview

Devin now automatically indexes your repos and produces wikis with architecture diagrams, links to sources, and summaries or your codebase. Use it to get up to speed on unfamiliar parts of your codebase - check it out in your sidebar. Ask Devin will use information in the Wiki to better understand and find the relevant context in your codebase.
DeepWiki will be autogenerated when connecting repositories during onboarding.

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For Public Repos

A free version of DeepWiki and Ask Devin that works with public GitHub repositories is now available. It automatically generates architecture diagrams, documentation, and links to source code to help you understand unfamiliar codebases quickly. You can also ask complex questions about the codebase to get context-grounded specific answers. Visit deepwiki.com to start exploring popular open-source repositories like React, TensorFlow, LangChain, and many more. You can also submit your own public GitHub repository URL for indexing. Try DeepWiki Now →

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Steering DeepWiki

The .devin/wiki.json file allows you to steer Devin’s default wiki generation behavior, which is especially important for large repositories that may hit built-in limits. If a .devin/wiki.json file is found in your repository’s root directory during wiki generation, we’ll use the provided repo_notes and pages to steer wiki generation. If pages is provided, we’ll bypass the default cluster-based planning and create exactly the pages you specify. This ensures that the important parts of your codebase are documented even when the automatic system would otherwise skip them.

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Configuration Format

Create a .devin/wiki.json file in your repository root with the following structure: 
{
  "repo_notes": [
    {
      "content": "This repository contains the main UI components in the cui/ folder, which should be prioritized in documentation",
      "author": "Team Lead"
    }
  ],
  "pages": [
    {
      "title": "CUI Components Overview",
      "purpose": "Document the cui/ folder structure and main UI components",
      "parent": null
    },
    {
      "title": "Authentication System",
      "purpose": "Document the authentication flow and related components",
      "parent": null
    },
    {
      "title": "Login Components",
      "purpose": "Detailed documentation of login-related UI components",
      "parent": "Authentication System"
    }
  ]
}

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Configuration Options

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repo_notes (Array)

Provides context and guidance to help the documentation system understand your repository better.
  • content (string, required): The note content (max 10,000 characters)
  • author (string, optional): Who wrote the note

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pages (Array, optional)

Specifies exactly which pages should be created in your wiki. This field is optional. If you only include repo_notes, the system will still generate a wiki, using your notes to guide the structure and focus without requiring you to outline every page. When you do provide pages, they are treated as explicit instructions. Only the pages you define in the JSON will be generated, no more, no less.
  • title (string, required): The page title (must be unique and non-empty)
  • purpose (string, required): What this page should document
  • parent (string, optional): Title of the parent page for hierarchical organization
  • page_notes (array, optional): Additional notes specific to this page

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Validation Limits

  • Maximum 30 pages
  • Maximum 100 total notes (repo_notes + all page_notes combined)
  • Maximum 10,000 characters per note
  • Page titles must be unique and non-empty

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Practical Examples

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Example 1: Repo Notes to Guide Wiki Generation

If you prefer not to define specific pages, you can provide only repo_notes to help guide the wiki generation. This allows Devin to create the documentation structure automatically while still taking into account your priorities and areas of focus. This is useful when you want better coverage and emphasis without having to explicitly outline every page yourself. 
{
  "repo_notes": [
    {
      "content": "The repository contains three main areas: the frontend/ folder with React components, the backend/ folder with API services, and the infra/ folder with deployment scripts. Documentation should emphasize how these parts interact and highlight the backend API layer as the highest priority."
    }
  ]
}

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Example 2: Ensuring Specific Folders Are Documented

If your large repository has important folders that aren’t being included in the wiki, explicitly specify them: 
{
  "repo_notes": [
    {
      "content": "The cui/ folder contains critical UI components that must be documented. The backend/ folder contains the main API logic. The utils/ folder has shared utilities used throughout the codebase."
    }
  ]
}

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Example 3: Addressing Missing Components

If you notice certain parts of your codebase aren’t being documented: 
{
  "repo_notes": [
    {
      "content": "The testing/ directory contains important test utilities and patterns that developers need to understand. The scripts/ directory has deployment and maintenance scripts that are crucial for operations."
    }
  ]
}

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Example 4: Hierarchical Documentation Structure

For complex repositories, organize pages hierarchically: 
{
  "repo_notes": [
    {
      "content": "This is a full-stack application with distinct frontend, backend, and shared components that should be documented separately but with clear relationships."
    }
  ],
  "pages": [
    {
      "title": "Architecture Overview",
      "purpose": "High-level overview of the application architecture and how components interact"
    },
    {
      "title": "Frontend",
      "purpose": "Frontend application structure and components",
      "parent": "Architecture Overview"
    },
    {
      "title": "React Components",
      "purpose": "Detailed documentation of React components, their props, and usage",
      "parent": "Frontend"
    },
    {
      "title": "State Management",
      "purpose": "How application state is managed, including stores and data flow",
      "parent": "Frontend"
    },
    {
      "title": "Backend",
      "purpose": "Backend services, APIs, and data layer",
      "parent": "Architecture Overview"
    },
    {
      "title": "API Endpoints",
      "purpose": "REST API documentation including endpoints, request/response formats",
      "parent": "Backend"
    }
  ]
}

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Best Practices

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1. Use Repo Notes Strategically

  • Provide context about which parts of your codebase are most important
  • Mention specific folders or components that should be prioritized
  • Explain relationships between different parts of your system

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2. Organize Pages Logically

  • Start with high-level overview pages
  • Use parent-child relationships to create clear hierarchies
  • Group related functionality together

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3. Be Specific in Page Purposes

  • Clearly state what each page should document
  • Mention specific directories, files, or concepts to focus on
  • Provide enough detail for the system to understand your intent

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4. Address Known Gaps

  • If you know certain parts of your codebase are being missed, explicitly include them
  • Use descriptive titles that make it clear what should be covered

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

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”Only certain folders are being documented”

This is the classic large repository problem. Solution: Use .devin/wiki.json to explicitly specify which parts of your codebase should be documented.
Start with updating only repo_notes, and regenerate the wiki with that additional context to see if the updated wiki will include the missing folders. Only add the pages array if necessary.

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”Important components are missing from the wiki”

Add specific pages for these components and use repo_notes to emphasize their importance.
Remember: The DeepWiki will generate only the pages included in this array, so ensure all pages are present, not just the missing page.
{
  "repo_notes": [
    {
      "content": "The [missing-component] directory is critical to the application and must be documented thoroughly."
    }
  ],
  "pages": [
    {
      "title": "Critical Component Name",
      "purpose": "Document the [missing-component] directory and its functionality"
    }
  ]
}

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Getting Started

  1. Create .devin/wiki.json in your repository root
  2. Add repo_notes explaining your codebase structure and priorities
  3. If necessary, specify all pages you want created with clear titles and purposes
  4. Commit the file and regenerate your wiki
The system will now create documentation based on your explicit instructions rather than fully automatic analysis, ensuring comprehensive and more accurate coverage of large repositories.