Tim Federle pitched the documentary-style, mockumentary approach to the series in January 2018 after being approached by Disney, drawing inspiration from Waiting for Guffman and The Office.

Original showrunner Oliver Goldstick departed the series after the first four episodes over 'creative differences,' reportedly because he wanted to incorporate more mature themes; Tim Federle then took over as showrunner for the rest of the series.

Federle chose to end the series after its fourth season at what he considered a meta high point, deliberately avoiding a cliffhanger that might never be resolved if the show were cancelled.

Several actors from the original High School Musical films appear as fictionalized versions of themselves, including Lucas Grabeel, Kaycee Stroh, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Bart Johnson, and Alyson Reed.

Olivia Rodrigo's return for season 3 was uncertain given her rising solo music career; she ultimately returned only in a recurring role and Federle confirmed she would exit the show after that season, though he left the door open for a future return.

The show is LGBTQ-inclusive, featuring gay characters Carlos, Seb, and Maddox and bisexual characters Ashlyn and Big Red; the coming-out of Ashlyn and Big Red in season 3 was reportedly suggested by actors Julia Lester and Larry Saperstein since the first season.

Olivia Rodrigo wrote the original song 'All I Want' for the series and co-wrote 'Just for a Moment' with Joshua Bassett and producer Dan Book; Bassett also co-wrote 'Finally Free' for season 3, while Dara Reneé co-wrote 'Here I Come,' inspired by her own experiences with anxiety.

Filming for season 2 was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic after starting in February 2020 and did not resume until November 2020, delaying the season's original planned 2020 release.

Production relocated from its usual home of Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles for season 3, before returning to Salt Lake City for season 4.