# Doxygen documentation

[Doxygen](http://www.doxygen.nl)-style comments can be placed across the source code and used for generating fully-fledged documentation in various formats.

CLion includes the information from doxygen into the Quick Documentation popup `Ctrl+Q` (Windows), `F1` (macOS), `⌃ J` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ I` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Q` (XWin), `Ctrl+Q` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Q` (KDE), `Ctrl+Q` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Q` (Sublime Text), `Ctrl+Q` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ ⌃ ⇧ /` (Xcode), `Ctrl+K, I` (Visual Studio), `⌘ K, I` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Q` (ReSharper), `⌃ Q` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Ctrl+Q` (QtCreator), `Ctrl+Q` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl+Q` (NetBeans), `Alt+Middle-Click` (Eclipse), `⌥ Middle-Click` (Eclipse (macOS)) :

![Doxygen comments in Quick Documentation](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_doxygen.png)

## Viewing doxygen documentation

Doxygen-styled information  is included in Quick Documentation popup in addition to the type information. To invoke the documentation popup:

Procedure:

1. Place the caret at the desired symbol or at the `@param` command of the doxygen comment.

2. Press `Ctrl+Q` (Windows), `F1` (macOS), `⌃ J` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ I` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Q` (XWin), `Ctrl+Q` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Q` (KDE), `Ctrl+Q` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Q` (Sublime Text), `Ctrl+Q` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ ⌃ ⇧ /` (Xcode), `Ctrl+K, I` (Visual Studio), `⌘ K, I` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Q` (ReSharper), `⌃ Q` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Ctrl+Q` (QtCreator), `Ctrl+Q` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl+Q` (NetBeans), `Alt+Middle-Click` (Eclipse), `⌥ Middle-Click` (Eclipse (macOS)) .

Alternatively, when the checkbox Show quick documentation on hover  (`Settings | Editor | General | Other` ) is selected, you can just move your mouse pointer over the desired symbol.

If function parameters are documented separately from the function description, CLion will merge all the comments and show you the full function’s signature documentation (the same way as doxygen does when generating the output) :

![merged Doxygen comments](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_doxygen_2.png)

## Creating doxygen comments

To create a doxygen comment from scratch:

Procedure:

1. Type one of the following symbols: `///`, `//!`, `/**` or `/*!` and press `Enter` (Windows), `⏎` (macOS), `⏎` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⏎` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Enter` (XWin), `Enter` (GNOME), `Enter` (KDE), `Enter` (Emacs), `Enter` (Sublime Text), `⏎` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⏎` (Xcode), `Enter` (Visual Studio), `⏎` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Enter` (ReSharper), `⏎` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Enter` (QtCreator), `⏎` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Enter` (NetBeans), `Enter` (Eclipse), `⏎` (Eclipse (macOS)) .

2. You will get a stub to fill with the documentation text:

![Generate comments](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_doxygen_stub.png)

Procedure:

To change the prefix type or to add the `@brief` tag:

1. Go to `Settings | Languages & Frameworks | C/C++ | Code Generation`.

2. Scroll down to the Documentation Comment Template section:

![Doxygen comments settings](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_doxygen_comments_settings_nova.png)

## Reliable rename

While renaming a function or its parameters, the doxygen  comments need to be updated accordingly. In case of the [Rename](rename-refactorings.html)  refactoring `Shift+F6` (Windows), `⇧ F6` (macOS), `⇧ F6` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⌥ R` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Shift+F6` (XWin), `Shift+F6` (GNOME), `Shift+F6` (KDE), `Shift+F6` (Emacs), `Shift+F6` (Sublime Text), `⇧ F6` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ ⌃ E` (Xcode), `Ctrl+R, R` (Visual Studio), `⌘ R, R` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `F2` (ReSharper), `F2` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Ctrl+Shift+R` (QtCreator), `⌘ ⌃ R` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl+R` (NetBeans), `Alt+Shift+R` (Eclipse), `⇧ F6` (Eclipse (macOS)) , CLion updates doxygen  comments along with other references.

Before:

![Renaming example - before](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_dox_rename_before.png)

After:

![Renaming example - after](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_dox_rename_after.png)

## Typing assistance

Basic typing assistance for [doxygen commands](https://www.doxygen.nl/manual/commands.html) is provisioned by CLion [auto-complete](auto-completing-code.html) feature:

![Typing assistance for doxygen commands](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_dox_codecompletion.png)

Note that not all the commands are available in the completion. [Here](https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/CPP-6723) you can find the list of the commands that are currently unsupported.

## Rendered view for doxygen comments

With CLion, doxygen comments can be shown in an easier-to-read format. In this Rendered View mode, items are shown grouped by their tags, while the tags themselves are skipped.

![Toggling rendered view for doxygen comments](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_toggle_rendered_view.animated.gif)

Note the rendered view limitations:

* Opening the referenced web pages is not available.

* EOL block comments are rendered only if they start the line.

Procedure: Toggle and configure the rendered view

* To enter the Rendered View mode, hover over a comment and click ![the Toggle Rendered View icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.gutter.javadocRead.svg) in the gutter or press `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Windows), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (macOS), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Sublime Text), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Xcode), `Ctrl+K, V` (Visual Studio), `⌘ K, V` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (ReSharper), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (QtCreator), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Eclipse), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (Eclipse (macOS)). The icon turns into ![the Toggle Rendered View icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.gutter.javadocEdit.svg).

![Gutter icon for toggling rendered view](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_doxygen_render_gutter.png)

* To quit the Rendered View mode, click ![the Toggle Rendered View icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.gutter.javadocEdit.svg) in the gutter, or select Toggle Rendered View from the context menu of a doxygen comment, or press `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Windows), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (macOS), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Sublime Text), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Xcode), `Ctrl+K, V` (Visual Studio), `⌘ K, V` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (ReSharper), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (QtCreator), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Q` (Eclipse), `⌃ ⌥ Q` (Eclipse (macOS)).

![Turning off rendered view](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_doxygen_render_quit.png)

* To turn on the Rendered View mode for all doxygen comments in the current file, select Render All Doc Comments from the context menu in the gutter.

![Enabling rendered view for all doxygen comments](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_doxygen_render_all.png)

* If necessary, select Adjust Font Size from the context menu and change the font size using the slider.

![Adjusting the font size in rendered view](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/cl_doxygen_render_adjustfont.png)

* To show all doxygen comments rendered by default,   open the Settings dialog (`Ctrl+Alt+S` (Windows), `⌘ Comma` (macOS), `⌘ Comma` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ Comma` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `⌘ Comma` (Xcode), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ Comma` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (ReSharper), `⌘ Comma` (ReSharper (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (QtCreator), `⌘ Comma` (QtCreator (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ Comma` (Eclipse (macOS))), go to `Editor | General | Appearance`, and select the Render documentation comments checkbox.

![Turn on Rendered doxygen comments by default](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_js_preview_jsdoc_comments_rendered_checkbox.png)

* To hide the Rendered View gutter icons, select Configure Gutter Icons… from the context menu in the gutter and then clear the Documentation comments in-place rendering checkbox on the `Settings | Editor | General | Gutter Icons` page that opens.

## Doxygen comments colors

To configure the colors that are used in doxygen comments, go to `Settings | Editor | Color Scheme | C/C++` and open the `Comments | Doxygen` node:

![Doxygen comments colors](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/C++](code-style-c-c.html) [Editor. Appearance](settings-editor-appearance.html)