README.md

August 11, 2026 · View on GitHub

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docmd

Production-ready documentation from Markdown, in seconds.
Zero config. AI-native. Built for developers.

npm version monthly downloads GitHub stars license

Website  ·  Documentation  ·  AI Cloud Relay  ·  Live Editor  ·  Agent Skills  ·  Report a Bug


docmd default theme — light and dark mode preview



✦ 0.9.x — AI, Automation & Security

The 0.9.x series is where docmd expands from an AI-ready documentation generator into a documentation platform designed for both people and AI agents.

The series introduces the AI Assistant, allowing documentation to be queried conversationally using your own provider, local AI, or the docmd Cloud Relay for static sites that don't have their own backend. It also expands docmd's AI ecosystem with MCP, generated LLM context, Agent Skills, and structured knowledge formats.

Alongside AI, this series focuses on security, privacy and automation, while continuing to improve the core documentation experience, search, deployment and developer workflows.

Current release: 0.9.1

View 0.9.1 → · Follow the 0.9.x roadmap →

Quick Start

Run docmd in any folder with Markdown files — no install needed:

npx @docmd/core dev
Opens at http://localhost:3000
    _                 _ 
  _| |___ ___ _____ _| |
 | . | . |  _|     | . |
 |___|___|___|_|_|_|___|

 v0.9.0

BUILD
  Engine          JS
  Source          docs/
  Output          site/
  Versions        2 (06, 05)
  Locales         7 (en, hi, zh, es, de, ja, fr)

DATA INDEXING
  [ DONE ] Syncing git metadata
  [ DONE ] Building search index & RAG embeddings (multi-version)
  [ DONE ] Generating AI Assistant RAG context

PUBLISHING
  [ DONE ] Generated robots.txt
  [ DONE ] Generated .nojekyll (disables Jekyll on GitHub Pages)
  [ DONE ] Generated sitemap
  [ DONE ] Generating LLMs context files (llms.txt)
  [ DONE ] Generating OKF bundles

 Initial build completed in 1.2s.

WATCHING
  Source          ./docs
  Config          ./docmd.config.json
  Assets          ./assets

DEVELOPMENT SERVER RUNNING
  Local Access    http://127.0.0.1:3000
  Network Access  http://192.168.1.6:3000
  Serving from    ./site

Navigation is generated from your file structure. No config file, no frontmatter required, no framework to learn.

When you're ready to ship:

npx @docmd/core build

This outputs a highly optimized static site (SPA) ready for deployment to Vercel, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, GitHub Pages, or any static host.

Requirements: Node.js 18+

Or install globally / via Docker
# Install globally via npm
npm install -g @docmd/core

# Or via pnpm
pnpm add -g @docmd/core

# Run it
docmd dev    # start dev server
docmd build  # build for deployment

Or run via Docker:

docker run -p 3000:3000 ghcr.io/docmd-io/docmd:0.9.0

Pin a version for reproducible builds.

Why docmd?

FeaturedocmdDocusaurusMkDocsVitePressMintlify
Config requiredNonedocusaurus.config.jsmkdocs.ymlconfig.mtsdocs.json
JS payload~18 kb~250 kb~40 kb~50 kb~120 kb
NavigationInstant SPAReact SPAFull reloadVue SPAHosted SPA
VersioningNativeNative (complex)mike pluginManualNative
i18nNativeNative (complex)Plugin-basedNativeNative
Multi-projectNativePluginPlugin--
SearchBuilt-inAlgolia (cloud)Built-inMiniSearchCloud
AI AssistantBuilt-in — BYOK + Cloud Relay---Built-in (Cloud)
AI context (llms.txt)Built-in---Built-in
MCP serverBuilt-in---Built-in
Agent skillsBuilt-in----
Docker imageOfficial-Official--
Self-hostedYesYesYesYes-
CostFree (OSS)Free (OSS)Free (OSS)Free (OSS)Freemium

Features

Zero config, instant start

Point docmd at any Markdown folder and it runs. Navigation is built automatically from your file structure. You can write your first doc and have it live in under a minute — no boilerplate, no build pipeline to configure, no decisions to make upfront.

Tiny by default, fast everywhere

The default JavaScript payload is ~18 kb. Pages navigate as an instant SPA. The output is static HTML — SEO-optimised, with sitemap, canonical URLs, and Open Graph metadata included. Offline full-text search is built in, no cloud service required.

AI-native

docmd treats AI as a first-class way to consume documentation — without replacing the documentation itself.

  • AI Assistant (@docmd/plugin-ai) — RAG-powered chat grounded in your documentation. Use your own API key or connect a local AI provider, with support for a wide range of 100+ providers through AIPlug.
  • Cloud Relay — enable the AI Assistant on static documentation without running your own AI backend. Try it →
  • MCP Serverdocmd mcp exposes your docs to AI agents over stdio, letting them search, read, and validate content directly.
  • Context (llms.txt / llms-full.txt) — complete documentation context generated at build time.
  • Agent Skills — modular instruction sets for LLMs and IDE agents.
  • Open Knowledge Format (OKF) — structured, multi-locale knowledge bundles for AI systems.
  • Copy as Markdown / Copy Context — one-click context extraction directly from the browser.

Built to scale

  • Internationalisation with multi-locale builds (per-locale search index, llms, okf, hreflang)
  • Versioning for multiple doc releases (with auto-detection of the current version)
  • Workspaces for monorepos and multi-project setups
  • Plugin system for extending core behaviour (per-hook return-type validation, async-friendly)
  • Full theming support, built-in templates, custom CSS/JS, light/dark mode

CLI

docmd dev            # local development server
docmd build          # build for deployment
docmd live           # browser-based Live Editor
docmd init           # scaffold a new docmd.config.json in the current folder
docmd stop           # stop any running `docmd dev` / `docmd live` servers
docmd doctor         # pre-flight check: config + plugin install status
docmd migrate        # migrate to docmd from Docusaurus, VitePress, MkDocs, or Starlight
docmd deploy         # generate config for Docker, NGINX, Caddy, Vercel, Netlify
docmd validate       # check all internal links
docmd mcp            # run as an MCP server over stdio
docmd add <name>     # install a plugin or template

Plugins

Core functionality is powered by a robust plugin system. The essentials are included by default, while optional plugins can be added for specific needs.

PluginStatusDescription
aiCoreRAG-powered AI Assistant with BYOK, local providers, and Cloud Relay
searchCoreOffline full-text search (keyword + optional semantic via docmd-search)
seoCoreSEO tags and Open Graph metadata
sitemapCoreGenerates sitemap.xml
gitCoreGit commit history and last-updated dates
analyticsCoreLightweight analytics integration
llmsCoreAI context generation (llms.txt / llms-full.txt)
okfCoreOpen Knowledge Format bundles for AI agents (per-locale)
mermaidCoreMermaid diagram support
openapiCoreBuild-time OpenAPI 3.x spec renderer
pwaOptionalProgressive Web App — offline navigation
threadsOptionalInline discussion threads (by @svallory)
mathOptionalKaTeX / LaTeX math rendering

Install optional plugins:

docmd add <plugin-name>

Build your own: Plugin Development Guide

Configuration

No configuration is required to get started. Add a docmd.config.json (or .ts / .js) in your project root only when you need more control:

{
  "title": "My Project",
  "url": "https://docs.myproject.com",
  "src": "./docs",
  "out": "./dist"
}

TypeScript and JavaScript config files are supported for dynamic values.

Full reference: Configuration Overview

Project Structure

my-docs/
├── docs/                ← Your markdown files
├── assets/              ← Images and static files
├── docmd.config.json    ← Optional configuration
└── package.json

Live Editor

A browser-based editor for writing and previewing docs — no local setup required.

Try it at live.docmd.io

Programmatic API

Use docmd in Node.js scripts, CI pipelines, or custom build steps. (Supports both CommonJS and ESM).

import { build } from '@docmd/core';

await build('./docmd.config.json', { isDev: false });

Full reference: Node API

Community

Support

  • Getting the word out is the most direct way to support docmd's development. Share it on X with friends or give it a star.
  • If docmd saves you time, a GitHub sponsorship goes a long way.
  • Got ideas or bugs? Open an issue or PR, feel free to contribute your own plugins.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.