diff --git a/include/sway/tree/container.h b/include/sway/tree/container.h
index 285f1011..f0e87fb5 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/container.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/container.h
@@ -87,37 +87,55 @@ struct sway_container {
 	} events;
 };
 
+// TODO make private and use the container-specific create functions
 struct sway_container *container_create(enum sway_container_type type);
 
-// TODO only one container create function and pass the type?
-struct sway_container *container_output_create(
-		struct sway_output *sway_output);
+/**
+ * Create a new container container. A container container can be a a child of
+ * a workspace container or another container container.
+ */
+struct sway_container *container_container_create();
 
-struct sway_container *container_workspace_create(
-		struct sway_container *output, const char *name);
+/**
+ * Create a new output. Outputs are children of the root container and have no
+ * order in the tree structure.
+ */
+struct sway_container *container_output_create(struct sway_output *sway_output);
+
+/**
+ * Create a new workspace container. Workspaces are children of an output
+ * container and are ordered alphabetically by name.
+ */
+struct sway_container *container_workspace_create(struct sway_container *output, const char *name);
 
+/*
+ * Create a new view container. A view can be a child of a workspace container
+ * or a container container and are rendered in the order and structure of
+ * how they are attached to the tree.
+ */
+// TODO view containers should be created in a detached state.
 struct sway_container *container_view_create(
 		struct sway_container *sibling, struct sway_view *sway_view);
 
-struct sway_container *container_output_destroy(struct sway_container *output);
-
-struct sway_container *container_workspace_destroy(
-		struct sway_container *workspace);
+// TODO don't return the parent on destroy
+struct sway_container *container_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
 
-struct sway_container *container_view_destroy(struct sway_container *view);
-
-struct sway_container *container_destroy(struct sway_container *cont);
+struct sway_container *container_workspace_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
+struct sway_container *container_output_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
+struct sway_container *container_view_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
 
+// TODO move to layout.c
 struct sway_container *container_set_layout(struct sway_container *container,
 		enum sway_container_layout layout);
 
+// TODO rename to container_descendants_for_each()
 void container_descendants(struct sway_container *root,
 		enum sway_container_type type,
 		void (*func)(struct sway_container *item, void *data), void *data);
 
 /**
- * Finds a container based on test criteria. Returns the first container that
- * passes the test.
+ * Search a container's descendants a container based on test criteria. Returns
+ * the first container that passes the test.
  */
 struct sway_container *container_find(struct sway_container *container,
 		bool (*test)(struct sway_container *view, void *data), void *data);
@@ -125,18 +143,21 @@ struct sway_container *container_find(struct sway_container *container,
 /**
  * Finds a parent container with the given struct sway_containerype.
  */
+// TODO rename to container_parent_of_type()
 struct sway_container *container_parent(struct sway_container *container,
 		enum sway_container_type type);
 
 /**
- * Find a container at the given coordinates.
+ * Find a container at the given coordinates. Returns the the surface and
+ * surface-local coordinates of the given layout coordinates if the container
+ * is a view and the view contains a surface at those coordinates.
  */
-struct sway_container *container_at(struct sway_container *parent,
+struct sway_container *container_at(struct sway_container *container,
 		double lx, double ly, struct wlr_surface **surface,
 		double *sx, double *sy);
 
 /**
- * Apply the function for each child of the container breadth first.
+ * Apply the function for each descendant of the container breadth first.
  */
 void container_for_each_descendant_bfs(struct sway_container *container,
 		void (*f)(struct sway_container *container, void *data), void *data);
@@ -147,9 +168,15 @@ void container_for_each_descendant_bfs(struct sway_container *container,
 void container_for_each_descendant_dfs(struct sway_container *container,
 		void (*f)(struct sway_container *container, void *data), void *data);
 
-bool container_has_anscestor(struct sway_container *descendant,
+/**
+ * Returns true if the given container is an ancestor of this container.
+ */
+bool container_has_anscestor(struct sway_container *container,
 		struct sway_container *anscestor);
 
+/**
+ * Returns true if the given container is a child descendant of this container.
+ */
 bool container_has_child(struct sway_container *con,
 		struct sway_container *child);
 
diff --git a/include/sway/tree/layout.h b/include/sway/tree/layout.h
index 79c14eda..53f72ec4 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/layout.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/layout.h
@@ -32,28 +32,37 @@ struct sway_root {
 
 void layout_init(void);
 
+// TODO move to tree.h
 void container_add_child(struct sway_container *parent, struct sway_container *child);
 
+// TODO move to tree.h
 struct sway_container *container_add_sibling(struct sway_container *parent,
 		struct sway_container *child);
 
+// TODO move to tree.h
 struct sway_container *container_remove_child(struct sway_container *child);
 
+// TODO PRIVATE in tree.h
 struct sway_container *container_reap_empty(struct sway_container *container);
 
+// TODO move to tree.h
 void container_move_to(struct sway_container* container,
 		struct sway_container* destination);
 
+// TODO move to output.c
 enum sway_container_layout container_get_default_layout(struct sway_container *output);
 
+// TODO move to output.c
 void container_sort_workspaces(struct sway_container *output);
 
 void arrange_windows(struct sway_container *container,
 		double width, double height);
 
+// TODO move to container.h
 struct sway_container *container_get_in_direction(struct sway_container
 		*container, struct sway_seat *seat, enum movement_direction dir);
 
+// TODO move to tree.h
 struct sway_container *container_split(struct sway_container *child,
 		enum sway_container_layout layout);