Component Documentation (MDX Stories)

Create a .mdx file for a Sentry component following the conventions in static/app/components/core/.

Step 0: Gather Editorial Content

Before writing, collect the information that makes documentation useful beyond mechanical structure. Ask the user these questions — or, if they aren't available, search existing usages in the codebase (Grep for the component name across static/app/views/) to infer answers.

| Question | Where it surfaces in the docs | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | When should a developer reach for this component? | Introduction or a ## When to use section | | When should they NOT use it — and what should they use instead? | > [!WARNING] callout or ## See Also with guidance | | What does each variant/priority mean semantically? | Description in each variant's section (e.g., "danger = destructive and irreversible") | | What do developers commonly get wrong? | > [!WARNING] callouts, icon-only accessibility notes, required prop reminders | | Does this component require a specific parent, peer, or provider to work correctly? | Noted in the introduction or a > [!NOTE] callout | | Are there related components that overlap in purpose? | ## See Also with one-line guidance on when to prefer each | | Which props and variants are worth documenting with a demo? | See prop triage below |

You don't need answers to all questions for every component. Skip ones that don't apply. The goal is to not write docs that only describe _how_ to use the API — write docs that tell developers _when and why_.

Prop triage

Not every prop needs a demo section. Ask the user: "Which props should I document, and are there any variants or values with specific intended uses?"

If the user isn't available, read the component's TypeScript props and classify each:

| Tier | Document how | Examples | | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | Core — defines the component's primary behavior or appearance | Full ## section with live demo and semantic description of each value | priority, variant, size | | Modifier — adjusts a single aspect; values are self-explanatory | Brief mention with a demo, or a single combined demo with other modifiers | disabled, busy, icon, showIcon | | Structural — controls layout or composition | Demo showing the before/after or compound usage | system, expand, trailingItems | | Internal / pass-through — not user-facing | Skip entirely | className, style, ref, data-test-id |

For enum props specifically, always ask: "Does each value have a distinct intended meaning, or are they purely visual?" If distinct (e.g., danger means destructive, not just red), document the semantics — not just the visual difference.

Step 1: Locate the Component

Find the component source file:

static/app/components/core/<category>/<component>/index.tsx
static/app/components/core/<category>/<component>/<component>.tsx

Read the component file to understand:

• Props and their types
• Exported named variants and sub-components (e.g., Component.SubComponent, export {TabList, TabPanels})
• Available values for enum/union props
• Default prop values

The MDX file goes next to the component: <component-dir>/<component>.mdx.

If the file already exists, read it first and update rather than overwrite.

Determining the import path:

• Components in static/app/components/core/ are published as @sentry/scraps/<name>
• All other components use the sentry-internal path: sentry/components/<path>

To confirm the exact @sentry/scraps package name and type-loader path, check an existing import in the component directory or a neighboring .mdx file — the type-loader path can be @sentry/scraps/<name> or @sentry/scraps/<name>/<name> depending on the package structure.

Step 2: Determine Frontmatter

yaml
---
title: <ComponentName>
description: <One sentence describing what it is and its primary purpose.>
category: <category> # See category table below; omit for principle docs
source: '@sentry/scraps/<component>' # or 'sentry/<path>' for product components
resources:
  figma: <figma-url> # Include if known
  js: https://github.com/getsentry/sentry/blob/master/static/app/components/core/<path>
  a11y: # Include for interactive components
    WCAG 1.4.3: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/#contrast-minimum
    WAI-ARIA <Pattern> Practices: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/patterns/<pattern>/
---

Category values:

| Category | Components | | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------- | | buttons | Button, ButtonBar, LinkButton | | forms | Input, Select, Checkbox, Radio, Slider, Switch | | navigation | Tabs, SegmentedControl, Disclosure | | status | Alert, Badge, Tag, Toast | | layout | Flex, Grid, Stack, Container, Surface | | typography | Text, Heading, Prose | | patterns | design patterns, principles |

For principle/pattern docs (no interactive component), use layout: document instead of category, and replace a11y: with reference: under resources.

Step 3: Write Imports

Follow this import order exactly:

jsx
// 1. External packages (react, etc.) — only if needed for examples
import {useState} from 'react';
// 5. Type-loader for auto-generated API docs (@sentry/scraps components only)
import documentation from '!!type-loader!@sentry/scraps/<component>';

// 3. @sentry/scraps component(s)
import {ComponentName} from '@sentry/scraps/<component>';

// 2. Sentry internals used in examples (icons, utils)
import {IconAdd, IconEdit} from 'sentry/icons';
// 4. Stories namespace (always last before type-loader)
import * as Storybook from 'sentry/stories';

export {documentation};

Omit any group that isn't needed. For product components (not in @sentry/scraps), omit the type-loader lines and document props manually in a table (see Step 5).

Complex export: If the component exports need filtering (e.g., to hide internal exports), use the explicit form instead of export {documentation}:

jsx
import RawDocumentation from '!!type-loader!@sentry/scraps/<component>';

export const documentation = {
  exports: RawDocumentation.exports,
  props: {
    ...RawDocumentation?.props,
    // Remove internal props if needed
  },
};

Step 4: Write Content

Section structure

Organize content by feature or user-facing variant, not by prop name:

1. Introduction — 1-2 sentences, then a minimal usage code block (no demo wrapper)
2. When to use _(if the component has meaningful alternatives or misuse risk)_ — prose guidance, optionally a do/don't <Storybook.SideBySide>
3. Feature sections — one ## per major feature: ## Sizes, ## Priorities, ## States, ## Composition
4. Accessibility — WCAG claims and developer responsibilities
5. See Also — links to related components with one-line guidance (optional)

Prefer titles like ## Sizes, ## Variants, ## States over ## The size prop.

When to use / See Also patterns:

mdx
## When to use

Use `<Alert>` for inline feedback within a page. For application-level banners that span the full viewport, use the `system` prop or reach for `<Toast>` if the message is transient.

> [!WARNING]
> Do not use `<Alert variant="danger">` for confirmation dialogs. Use a modal instead.

mdx
## See Also

- [LinkButton](/stories/core/linkbutton/) — use when the action navigates to a new URL
- [Link](/stories/core/link/) — use for inline text navigation, not standalone CTAs

Introduction pattern

`mdx
To create a basic <component>, wrap content in `<ComponentName>`.

<ComponentName prop="value">Content</ComponentName>

`

### Sub-components

When a component exposes sub-components, show the full compound usage early:

<Tabs> is a compound component. Use <TabList> and <TabPanels> together:

jsx
<Tabs>
  <TabList>
    <TabList.Item key="tab1">Tab 1</TabList.Item>
  </TabList>
  <TabPanels>
    <TabPanels.Item key="tab1">Content 1</TabPanels.Item>
  </TabPanels>
</Tabs>

`

### Demo pattern

Every feature section must have a `<Storybook.Demo>` followed **immediately** by the matching code block:

Sizes

<brief description>

<Storybook.Demo> <Component size="sm">Small</Component> <Component size="md">Medium</Component> <Component size="lg">Large</Component> </Storybook.Demo>

jsx
<Component size="sm">Small</Component>
<Component size="md">Medium</Component>
<Component size="lg">Large</Component>

`

**Demo layout helpers:**

| Component | Use when |
|-----------|----------|
| `<Storybook.Demo>` | Default; horizontally arranges examples |
| `<Storybook.Grid>` | Grid layout for many variants |
| `<Storybook.SideBySide>` | Two-column comparisons (do/don't) |
| `<Storybook.TokenReference>` | Displaying design tokens (spacing, color, etc.) |
| `<Storybook.ColorReference>` | Displaying color tokens specifically |

### Accessibility section

Accessibility

This component meets WCAG 2.2 AA standards:

• Color contrast: Meets 4.5:1 ratio (WCAG 1.4.3)
• Keyboard navigation: <what interactions are supported>
• Screen reader support: <ARIA role and labeling behavior>

Developer responsibilities

• Always provide <required accessible prop> (e.g., aria-label or visible label text)
• <other requirement>

`

### Callout syntax

> !TIP] > Use the <prop> prop when you need <use case>.

> !WARNING] > Avoid <pattern> because <reason>.

> !NOTE] > > <Additional context.>

## Step 5: Props Table (product components only)

For components not in `@sentry/scraps`, list props manually instead of using the type-loader:

Props

| Prop | Type | Default | Description | | --------- | --------------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------- | | variant | 'info' \| 'warning' \| 'danger' | 'info' | Controls the visual style | | size | 'sm' \| 'md' \| 'lg' | 'md' | Controls the size |

## Complete Example

title: Alert description: Alerts provide contextual feedback messages with different severity levels. category: status source: '@sentry/scraps/alert' resources: js: https://github.com/getsentry/sentry/blob/master/static/app/components/core/alert/index.tsx a11y: WCAG 1.4.3: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/#contrast-minimum WCAG 2.1.1: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/#keyboard WAI-ARIA Alert Pattern: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/patterns/alert/

import {Alert} from '@sentry/scraps/alert';

import as Storybook from 'sentry/stories';

import documentation from '!!type-loader!@sentry/scraps/alert';

export {documentation};

To create a basic alert, wrap a message in <Alert> and specify the appropriate type.

jsx
<Alert variant="info">This is an informational message</Alert>

`

## Types

Alerts come in five types: `muted`, `info`, `warning`, `success`, and `danger`.

<Storybook.Demo>
<Alert.Container>
<Alert variant="muted">Muted</Alert>
<Alert variant="info">Info</Alert>
<Alert variant="warning">Warning</Alert>
<Alert variant="success">Success</Alert>
<Alert variant="danger">Danger</Alert>
</Alert.Container>
</Storybook.Demo>

<Alert.Container> <Alert variant="muted">Muted</Alert> <Alert variant="info">Info</Alert> <Alert variant="warning">Warning</Alert> <Alert variant="success">Success</Alert> <Alert variant="danger">Danger</Alert> </Alert.Container>

## Accessibility

This component meets [WCAG 2.2 AA](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/) standards:

- **Color contrast**: All variants meet 4.5:1 ratio (WCAG 1.4.3)
- **Keyboard accessible**: Fully operable via keyboard (WCAG 2.1.1)

## Checklist

Before completing, verify:

- [ ] MDX file is colocated next to the component source file (named `<component>.mdx`)
- [ ] Frontmatter has `title`, `description`, and `source`
- [ ] Imports follow the correct order (external → icons/utils → @sentry/scraps → Storybook → type-loader)
- [ ] Type-loader import is included for `@sentry/scraps` components
- [ ] Every `<Storybook.Demo>` is immediately followed by a matching code block
- [ ] Sections are organized by feature/variant, not by prop name
- [ ] Sub-components are documented with compound usage examples
- [ ] Accessibility section covers WCAG compliance and developer responsibilities
- [ ] No raw `<img>` tags (use `<Image>`), no inline SVGs, no styled components