diff --git a/dascore/utils/patch.py b/dascore/utils/patch.py
index e10a5b43..59b6173c 100644
--- a/dascore/utils/patch.py
+++ b/dascore/utils/patch.py
@@ -234,9 +234,14 @@ def patch_function(
 
     Notes
     -----
-    The original function can still be accessed with the raw_function
-    attribute. This may be useful for avoiding calling the patch_func
-    machinery multiple times from within another patch function.
+    - The original function can still be accessed with the raw_function
+      attribute. This may be useful for avoiding calling the patch_func
+      machinery multiple times from within another patch function.
+
+    - If using `PatchType` or `SpoolType` type variables from the
+      [constants module](`dascore.constants`), make sure dascore is imported
+      as dc at the top of the file where the patch function is defined so
+      the forward refs can be resolved properly for type checking.
     """
 
     def _wrapper(func):
diff --git a/scripts/_render_api.py b/scripts/_render_api.py
index 9617606f..20299e19 100644
--- a/scripts/_render_api.py
+++ b/scripts/_render_api.py
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ def unpact_annotation(obj, data_dict, address_dict) -> str:
         # just assume the bound string is resolvable
         key = str(obj).split("('")[-1].replace("')", "")
         name = key.split(".")[-1]
+        # dc. is the same as dascore.
+        if key.startswith("dc."):
+            key = f"dascore.{key[3:]}"
         return f"[{name}](`{key}`)"
     # Array-like thing from numpy #TODO improve this
     elif "numpy.typing" in str_rep: