---
name: nestjs-documentation-3dc2afa3211c
description: Automate Swagger/OpenAPI documentation and standardize API response schemas in NestJS. Use when generating OpenAPI specs, documenting paginated or generic responses, configuring the Nest CLI Swagger plugin, or publishing versioned API docs.
metadata:
  triggers:
    files:
    - 'main.ts'
    - '**/*.dto.ts'
    keywords:
    - DocumentBuilder
    - SwaggerModule
    - ApiProperty
    - ApiResponse
---
# OpenAPI & Documentation

## **Priority: P2 (MEDIUM)**


## Workflow

1. **Enable Swagger plugin** in `nest-cli.json` to auto-generate `@ApiProperty` from DTOs.
2. **Annotate controllers** with `@ApiTags`, `@ApiResponse`, and auth decorators.
3. **Create generic wrappers** for paginated and polymorphic responses.
4. **Generate separate docs** for public vs internal audiences.

## Setup

See [implementation examples](references/example.md) for `nest-cli.json` plugin config and Swagger bootstrap.

## Response Documentation

- **Strictness**: Every controller method must `@ApiResponse({ status: 200, type: UserDto })`.
- **Generic Wrappers**: Define `ApiPaginatedResponse<T>` decorators using `ApiExtraModels` + `getSchemaPath()` to handle generics properly.

## Advanced Patterns

- **Polymorphism**: Use `@ApiExtraModels` and `getSchemaPath` for `oneOf`/`anyOf` union types.
- **File Uploads**: Use `@ApiConsumes('multipart/form-data')` with explicit `@ApiBody` schema.
- **Authentication**: Use `@ApiBearerAuth()` or `@ApiSecurity('api-key')` matching `DocumentBuilder` config.
- **Enums**: Force named enums: `@ApiProperty({ enum: MyEnum, enumName: 'MyEnum' })`.

## Operation Grouping

- **Tags**: Mandatory `@ApiTags('domains')` on every Controller.
- **Multiple Docs**: Generate separate docs for different audiences (Public vs Internal).

See [implementation examples](references/example.md)

## Anti-Patterns

- **No missing @ApiResponse**: Every controller method must declare its response type and status code.
- **No /docs in production**: Disable Swagger in production to prevent API schema exposure.
- **No manual @ApiProperty everywhere**: Use Nest CLI Swagger plugin to auto-generate from DTOs.

---
Source attribution: HoangNguyen0403
Original project: https://github.com/HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 Gabriel Moreira

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: HoangNguyen0403
Original project: https://github.com/HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard
Attribution basis: Upstream repository explicitly recorded in package mirror path

Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Product Management
Roles: Backend Developer, DevOps / SRE, Product Manager
Specialties: API, Backend
Tools: Nestjs, Swagger
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: d34805de5ad9fe2d0073d5845fd1d37eec0add605131cbe508cc827966e8db1f