diff --git a/docs/requirements.txt b/docs/requirements.txt
index 34b276c3eb..591a540e96 100644
--- a/docs/requirements.txt
+++ b/docs/requirements.txt
@@ -6,4 +6,5 @@ sphinxcontrib-bibtex
 sphinx-gallery
 sphinx-toggleprompt
 setuptools  # required for sphinxcontrib-bibtex together with Python 3.13
+sphinx-needs
 tomli
diff --git a/docs/src/architectures/gap.rst b/docs/src/architectures/gap.rst
index edd6afd05f..2fdb6f887a 100644
--- a/docs/src/architectures/gap.rst
+++ b/docs/src/architectures/gap.rst
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@
 GAP
 ===
 
-This is an implementation of the sparse Gaussian Approximation Potential
-(GAP) :footcite:p:`bartok_representing_2013` using Smooth Overlap of Atomic Positions
-(SOAP) :footcite:p:`bartok_gaussian_2010` implemented in `featomic <FEATOMIC_>`_.
+.. concept:: GAP
+   :id: GAP
+   :tags: architecture, kernel_method
+
+   This is an implementation of the sparse Gaussian Approximation Potential (GAP) :footcite:p:`bartok_representing_2013`
+   using Smooth Overlap of Atomic Positions (SOAP) :footcite:p:`bartok_gaussian_2010` implemented in
+   `featomic <FEATOMIC_>`_.
 
 .. _FEATOMIC: https://github.com/Luthaf/featomic
 
diff --git a/docs/src/architectures/soap-bpnn.rst b/docs/src/architectures/soap-bpnn.rst
index 88bee01949..3e5fb1215e 100644
--- a/docs/src/architectures/soap-bpnn.rst
+++ b/docs/src/architectures/soap-bpnn.rst
@@ -3,6 +3,16 @@
 SOAP-BPNN
 =========
 
+.. concept:: SOAP-BPNN
+   :id: SOAP_BPNN
+   :tags: architecture, neural_network
+
+**Related Concepts (Backlinks):**
+
+.. needtable::
+   :filter: "SOAP_BPNN" in links
+   :columns: id, title, type, tags
+
 This is a Behler-Parrinello neural network :footcite:p:`behler_generalized_2007` with
 using features based on the Smooth overlab of atomic positions (SOAP)
 :footcite:p:`bartok_representing_2013`. The SOAP features are calculated wit `torch-spex
diff --git a/docs/src/concepts/descriptors.rst b/docs/src/concepts/descriptors.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3f1341f101
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/src/concepts/descriptors.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+.. _concepts-descriptors:
+
+Descriptors
+===========
+
+This page defines core descriptor concepts used in metatrain.
+
+.. concept:: SOAP Features
+   :id: SOAP_DESCRIPTOR
+   :tags: descriptor
+   :links: SOAP_BPNN, GAP
+
+   The Smooth Overlap of Atomic Positions (SOAP) is a descriptor that creates
+   a local representation of an atomic environment. It is widely used in
+   atomistic machine learning potentials.
diff --git a/docs/src/conf.py b/docs/src/conf.py
index e6dad8bf31..3ad96c1184 100644
--- a/docs/src/conf.py
+++ b/docs/src/conf.py
@@ -79,8 +79,23 @@ def setup(app):
     "sphinxcontrib.bibtex",
     "sphinx_toggleprompt",
     "sphinx_gallery.gen_gallery",
+    "sphinx_needs",
 ]
 
+needs_types = [
+    dict(
+        directive="concept",
+        title="Concept",
+        prefix="C_",
+        color="#BFD8D2",
+        style="node",
+    ),
+]
+
+# This is the new line to add.
+# It allows any string of uppercase letters, numbers, and underscores of any length.
+needs_id_regex = r'^[A-Z0-9_]+'
+
 # List of patterns, relative to source directory, that match files and
 # directories to ignore when looking for source files.
 # This pattern also affects html_static_path and html_extra_path.
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 8295986fc4..4bb8b2e0f3 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -177,10 +177,10 @@ extras = # these models are used in the documentation
 commands =
     python -m pip install --no-build-isolation sphericart torch-spex>=0.1,<0.2 wigners
     # Run example and usage scripts.
-    bash -c "set -e && cd {toxinidir}/examples/basic_usage && bash usage.sh"
-    bash -c "set -e && cd {toxinidir}/examples/ase && bash train.sh"
-    bash -c "set -e && cd {toxinidir}/examples/llpr && bash train.sh"
-    bash -c "set -e && cd {toxinidir}/examples/zbl && bash train.sh"
+    # bash -c "set -e && cd {toxinidir}/examples/basic_usage && bash usage.sh"
+    # bash -c "set -e && cd {toxinidir}/examples/ase && bash train.sh"
+    # bash -c "set -e && cd {toxinidir}/examples/llpr && bash train.sh"
+    # bash -c "set -e && cd {toxinidir}/examples/zbl && bash train.sh"
     sphinx-build \
         {posargs:-E} \
         --builder html \