Quick Start

Docboot is designed to start directly from the Markdown files you already have in your repository.

1. Instant Local Preview #

Run Docboot in your project directory without installing any global dependencies:

BASH

cd my-project
npx docboot .

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser. Docboot watches for changes in Markdown files and updates the page via Server-Sent Events (SSE) live reload.

If your Markdown files reside in a specific subfolder (such as docs/), pass the folder path:

BASH

npx docboot ./docs -o

The -o (--open) flag automatically opens your default web browser once the server starts.

2. Production Static Build #

To generate the static production website:

BASH

npx docboot build

This compiles your Markdown files into the ./dist folder:

dist/
├── index.html
├── 404.html
├── sitemap.xml
├── robots.txt
├── .nojekyll
├── assets/
│   ├── docs.css
│   ├── docs.js
│   ├── search-runtime.js
│   └── search-index.json
└── guide/
    └── installation/
        └── index.html

3. Preview Production Build Locally #

To test the compiled static output locally:

BASH

npx docboot serve

This starts a lightweight HTTP server serving ./dist with accurate 404 handling and static asset headers.

4. Validating Documentation Health #

Before deploying, run the built-in diagnostic tool to catch broken links, missing assets, and route conflicts:

BASH

npx docboot doctor

Next Steps #

Why Docboot? — Design philosophy vs traditional docs frameworks
Project Structure & Routing — Clean routes and automatic category hubs
CLI Reference — All available commands and flags