How to document reusable components?

Effective component documentation answers the questions teams encounter when building emails. For each component, document: what it is (visual example and purpose), when to use it (appropriate contexts and use cases), how to implement it (code snippet or template module name), customization options (what can be changed-colors, text, images, and what's locked), and responsive behavior (how it adapts across screen sizes).

Visual documentation accelerates understanding: include screenshots of each component in various states (desktop/mobile, light/dark mode), annotated with specifications (dimensions, padding, font sizes). A searchable component library-whether in Notion, Confluence, Storybook, or a dedicated tool-lets teams quickly find what they need without scrolling through PDF style guides.

Keep documentation living and maintained. Outdated docs are worse than no docs. They ucreate false confidence in incorrect information. Assign ownership for keeping documentation current. When components are updated, documentation updates should be part of the same workflow. Version your documentation alongside your components. The best documentation is the kind people actually use; balance comprehensiveness with accessibility, and optimize for how teams actually work rather than how you wish they worked.