diff --git a/batdetect2/configs.py b/batdetect2/configs.py
index 7f43d2b..83a982a 100644
--- a/batdetect2/configs.py
+++ b/batdetect2/configs.py
@@ -1,23 +1,105 @@
+"""Provides base classes and utilities for loading configurations in BatDetect2.
+
+This module leverages Pydantic for robust configuration handling, ensuring
+that configuration files (typically YAML) adhere to predefined schemas. It
+defines a base configuration class (`BaseConfig`) that enforces strict schema
+validation and a utility function (`load_config`) to load and validate
+configuration data from files, with optional support for accessing nested
+configuration sections.
+"""
+
 from typing import Any, Optional, Type, TypeVar
 
 import yaml
 from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict
 from soundevent.data import PathLike
 
+__all__ = [
+    "BaseConfig",
+    "load_config",
+]
+
 
 class BaseConfig(BaseModel):
+    """Base class for all configuration models in BatDetect2.
+
+    Inherits from Pydantic's `BaseModel` to provide data validation, parsing,
+    and serialization capabilities.
+
+    It sets `extra='forbid'` in its model configuration, meaning that any
+    fields provided in a configuration file that are *not* explicitly defined
+    in the specific configuration schema will raise a validation error. This
+    helps catch typos and ensures configurations strictly adhere to the expected
+    structure.
+
+    Attributes
+    ----------
+    model_config : ConfigDict
+        Pydantic model configuration dictionary. Set to forbid extra fields.
+    """
+
     model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid")
 
 
 T = TypeVar("T", bound=BaseModel)
 
 
-def get_object_field(obj: dict, field: str) -> Any:
-    if "." not in field:
-        return obj[field]
+def get_object_field(obj: dict, current_key: str) -> Any:
+    """Access a potentially nested field within a dictionary using dot notation.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    obj : dict
+        The dictionary (or nested dictionaries) to access.
+    field : str
+        The field name to retrieve. Nested fields are specified using dots
+        (e.g., "parent_key.child_key.target_field").
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    Any
+        The value found at the specified field path.
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    KeyError
+        If any part of the field path does not exist in the dictionary
+        structure.
+    TypeError
+        If an intermediate part of the path exists but is not a dictionary,
+        preventing further nesting.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> data = {"a": {"b": {"c": 10}}}
+    >>> get_object_field(data, "a.b.c")
+    10
+    >>> get_object_field(data, "a.b")
+    {'c': 10}
+    >>> get_object_field(data, "a")
+    {'b': {'c': 10}}
+    >>> get_object_field(data, "x")
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+        ...
+    KeyError: 'x'
+    >>> get_object_field(data, "a.x.c")
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+        ...
+    KeyError: 'x'
+    """
+    if "." not in current_key:
+        return obj[current_key]
+
+    current_key, rest = current_key.split(".", 1)
+    subobj = obj[current_key]
+
+    if not isinstance(subobj, dict):
+        raise TypeError(
+            f"Intermediate key '{current_key}' in path '{current_key}' "
+            f"does not lead to a dictionary (found type: {type(subobj)}). "
+            "Cannot access further nested field."
+        )
 
-    field, rest = field.split(".", 1)
-    subobj = obj[field]
     return get_object_field(subobj, rest)
 
 
@@ -26,6 +108,49 @@ def load_config(
     schema: Type[T],
     field: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> T:
+    """Load and validate configuration data from a file against a schema.
+
+    Reads a YAML file, optionally extracts a specific section using dot
+    notation, and then validates the resulting data against the provided
+    Pydantic `schema`.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    path : PathLike
+        The path to the configuration file (typically `.yaml`).
+    schema : Type[T]
+        The Pydantic `BaseModel` subclass that defines the expected structure
+        and types for the configuration data.
+    field : str, optional
+        A dot-separated string indicating a nested section within the YAML
+        file to extract before validation. If None (default), the entire
+        file content is validated against the schema.
+        Example: `"training.optimizer"` would extract the `optimizer` section
+        within the `training` section.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    T
+        An instance of the provided `schema`, populated and validated with
+        data from the configuration file.
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    FileNotFoundError
+        If the file specified by `path` does not exist.
+    yaml.YAMLError
+        If the file content is not valid YAML.
+    pydantic.ValidationError
+        If the loaded configuration data (after optionally extracting the
+        `field`) does not conform to the provided `schema` (e.g., missing
+        required fields, incorrect types, extra fields if using BaseConfig).
+    KeyError
+        If `field` is provided and specifies a path where intermediate keys
+        do not exist in the loaded YAML data.
+    TypeError
+        If `field` is provided and specifies a path where an intermediate
+        value is not a dictionary, preventing access to nested fields.
+    """
     with open(path, "r") as file:
         config = yaml.safe_load(file)
 
diff --git a/docs/source/conf.py b/docs/source/conf.py
index 386cb86..07830a9 100644
--- a/docs/source/conf.py
+++ b/docs/source/conf.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ extensions = [
     "sphinx.ext.autodoc",
     "sphinx.ext.autosummary",
     "sphinx.ext.intersphinx",
+    "sphinxcontrib.autodoc_pydantic",
     "numpydoc",
     "myst_parser",
     "sphinx_autodoc_typehints",
@@ -47,3 +48,13 @@ intersphinx_mapping = {
 # -- Options for autodoc ------------------------------------------------------
 autosummary_generate = True
 autosummary_imported_members = True
+
+autodoc_default_options = {
+    "members": True,
+    "undoc-members": False,
+    "private-members": False,
+    "special-members": False,
+    "inherited-members": False,
+    "show-inheritance": True,
+    "module-first": True,
+}
diff --git a/docs/source/reference/configs.md b/docs/source/reference/configs.md
index 52bf13b..9971c99 100644
--- a/docs/source/reference/configs.md
+++ b/docs/source/reference/configs.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Config Reference
 
-```{eval-rst} 
+```{eval-rst}
 .. automodule:: batdetect2.configs
     :members:
     :inherited-members: pydantic.BaseModel
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 109a3a6..7685559 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ dev-dependencies = [
   "numpydoc>=1.8.0",
   "sphinx-autodoc-typehints>=2.3.0",
   "sphinx-book-theme>=1.1.4",
+  "autodoc-pydantic>=2.2.0",
 ]
 
 [tool.ruff]