(sphinx-autodoc-docutils-how-to)=

# How to

Use this extension when your docs extension exposes docutils directives,
roles, nodes, readers, parsers, writers, translators, or transforms that
deserve generated reference pages and cross-reference targets.

## Downstream `conf.py`

```python
extensions = ["sphinx_autodoc_docutils"]
```

`sphinx_autodoc_docutils` automatically registers `sphinx_ux_badges`,
`sphinx_ux_autodoc_layout`, and `sphinx_autodoc_typehints_gp` via
{py:meth}`~sphinx.application.Sphinx.setup_extension`. You do not need to add
them separately to your `extensions` list.

## Cross-reference documented components

Component entries register targets in the `docutils` domain, so prose
anywhere in the project can link to them:

```md
See {docutils:transform}`SanitizeTransform` for the cleanup pass.
```

The entry being linked must be rendered **without** `:no-index:` —
no-index entries create no cross-reference target. Use the
fully-qualified dotted path when two components share a bare class
name.