diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index efa0a60dc5b..631313313e1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 .pytest_cache
 *.log
 
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@ MANIFEST
 # Sphinx
 docs/api
 docs/_build
+docs/auto_examples
 
 # Editors and IDEs
 
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 4554ca94ab4..29d5cdee0c5 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -150,14 +150,14 @@ def setup(app):
 
 sphinx_gallery_conf = {
     "examples_dirs": [
-        "user-guide/examples",
+        "../examples",
     ],  # path to your example scripts
     "subsection_order": ExplicitOrder(
         [
-            "user-guide/examples/tutorials",
-            "user-guide/examples/algorithms",
-            "user-guide/examples/core",
-            "user-guide/examples/visualization",
+            "../examples/tutorials",
+            "../examples/algorithms",
+            "../examples/core",
+            "../examples/visualization",
         ]
     ),
     "within_subsection_order": FileNameSortKey,
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/index.rst b/docs/user-guide/examples/index.rst
deleted file mode 100644
index d6578dcd835..00000000000
--- a/docs/user-guide/examples/index.rst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-.. include:: ../../auto_examples/index.rst
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples_tutorials.rst b/docs/user-guide/examples_tutorials.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e297773b493
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/user-guide/examples_tutorials.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+.. include:: ../auto_examples/index.rst
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/index.rst b/docs/user-guide/index.rst
index 7b738f5c583..c74bf247684 100644
--- a/docs/user-guide/index.rst
+++ b/docs/user-guide/index.rst
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ User Guide
    getting-started
    tools
    data_models/index
-   examples/index
+   examples_tutorials
    FAQ
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/README.rst b/examples/README.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/README.rst
rename to examples/README.rst
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/algorithms/README.rst b/examples/algorithms/README.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/algorithms/README.rst
rename to examples/algorithms/README.rst
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/algorithms/convert_images_to_2d.py b/examples/algorithms/convert_images_to_2d.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/algorithms/convert_images_to_2d.py
rename to examples/algorithms/convert_images_to_2d.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/algorithms/dilate_image.py b/examples/algorithms/dilate_image.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/algorithms/dilate_image.py
rename to examples/algorithms/dilate_image.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/algorithms/nd_interpolation.py b/examples/algorithms/nd_interpolation.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/algorithms/nd_interpolation.py
rename to examples/algorithms/nd_interpolation.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/core/InstrumentDescription.py b/examples/core/InstrumentDescription.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/core/InstrumentDescription.py
rename to examples/core/InstrumentDescription.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/core/README.rst b/examples/core/README.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/core/README.rst
rename to examples/core/README.rst
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/core/command_line_tools.py b/examples/core/command_line_tools.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/core/command_line_tools.py
rename to examples/core/command_line_tools.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/core/config.json b/examples/core/config.json
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/core/config.json
rename to examples/core/config.json
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/core/containers.py b/examples/core/containers.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/core/containers.py
rename to examples/core/containers.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/core/provenance.py b/examples/core/provenance.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/core/provenance.py
rename to examples/core/provenance.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/core/table_writer_reader.py b/examples/core/table_writer_reader.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/core/table_writer_reader.py
rename to examples/core/table_writer_reader.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/README.rst b/examples/tutorials/README.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/README.rst
rename to examples/tutorials/README.rst
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/calibrated_data_exploration.py b/examples/tutorials/calibrated_data_exploration.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/calibrated_data_exploration.py
rename to examples/tutorials/calibrated_data_exploration.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/coordinates_example.py b/examples/tutorials/coordinates_example.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/coordinates_example.py
rename to examples/tutorials/coordinates_example.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/ctapipe_handson.py b/examples/tutorials/ctapipe_handson.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/ctapipe_handson.py
rename to examples/tutorials/ctapipe_handson.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/ctapipe_overview.py b/examples/tutorials/ctapipe_overview.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/ctapipe_overview.py
rename to examples/tutorials/ctapipe_overview.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/ground_frame.png b/examples/tutorials/ground_frame.png
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/ground_frame.png
rename to examples/tutorials/ground_frame.png
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/raw_data_exploration.py b/examples/tutorials/raw_data_exploration.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/raw_data_exploration.py
rename to examples/tutorials/raw_data_exploration.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/theta_square.py b/examples/tutorials/theta_square.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/theta_square.py
rename to examples/tutorials/theta_square.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/tilted_ground_frame.png b/examples/tutorials/tilted_ground_frame.png
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/tutorials/tilted_ground_frame.png
rename to examples/tutorials/tilted_ground_frame.png
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/visualization/README.rst b/examples/visualization/README.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/visualization/README.rst
rename to examples/visualization/README.rst
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/visualization/array_display.py b/examples/visualization/array_display.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/visualization/array_display.py
rename to examples/visualization/array_display.py
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/examples/visualization/camera_display.py b/examples/visualization/camera_display.py
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/user-guide/examples/visualization/camera_display.py
rename to examples/visualization/camera_display.py
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 7501b7da070..73a42e69d99 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ filterwarnings = [
     "error::astropy.utils.exceptions.AstropyDeprecationWarning",
     "error::ctapipe.utils.deprecation.CTAPipeDeprecationWarning",
 ]
+norecursedirs = [
+    ".git",
+    "_build",
+    "auto_examples",
+]
 
 [tool.towncrier]
     package = "ctapipe"