---
title: "Hybrid Approach Patterns"
description: "Real-world ways to mix manual pins with auto-generation"
---

Hybrid navigation helps teams move fast without losing control. Here are patterns you can adopt immediately.

## Pattern 1: Pinned Overview + Auto Reference

- Pin overview, quickstart, and FAQ.
- Let the API or component reference auto-generate as it grows.

```typescript
{
    id: "api",
    label: "API",
    entries: [
        { slug: "api/overview" },
        { slug: "api/quickstart" },
        { slug: "api/faq" },
    ],
    autoGenerated: true,
}
```

## Pattern 2: Chapters + Appendices

- Pin ordered tutorial chapters.
- Auto-discover appendices (troubleshooting, migrations, tools).

## Pattern 3: Product Areas

- Create one group per product area.
- Pin the adoption path for each area, auto-generate deep dives.

## Pattern 4: Seasonal Campaigns

- Temporarily pin launch content at the top.
- Keep evergreen docs auto-generated; remove the pin after the campaign.

## Governance Tips

- Keep pinned lists short (36 items) to avoid clutter.
- Review pinned items quarterly to ensure they still deserve top placement.
- Add `navHidden: true` to experimental pages so they do not appear in the auto-generated list until ready.

## Next Steps

- Learn the mechanics in [Pin and Expand](/docs/generation-strategies/hybrid-approach/pin-and-expand)
- See manual alternatives in [Ordering Content Manually](/docs/generation-strategies/manual-creation/ordering-content)