# What is Doccupine
> Doccupine is a CLI that turns a directory of MDX files into a complete, production-ready documentation website - no frontend work required.
Source: https://docs.doccupine.com/what-is-doccupine
> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.doccupine.com/llms.txt).
# What is Doccupine
**Doccupine** is a CLI tool that turns a directory of MDX files into a complete Next.js documentation website. It is less of a framework you assemble and more of a tool that does the assembling for you - you bring the content, Doccupine builds the site.
```bash
npx doccupine
```
## Philosophy
Doccupine was built on a simple belief: writing documentation should feel like writing, not like building a web app. Most docs frameworks hand you a pile of libraries and configuration and expect you to wire up rendering, navigation, theming, and search yourself. Doccupine makes those decisions for you and gets out of the way, so the only thing left to do is write.
## Content first
You write standard Markdown and MDX. No React, no build configuration, no component wiring. Your navigation, theming, and search are all derived from your files and a handful of JSON config files. If you can write a Markdown file, you can ship a documentation site.
## Batteries included
Everything you expect from a great docs site works the moment you run the command - MDX rendering, an auto-generated sidebar, dark and light themes, 14+ built-in components, full-text search, an AI chat assistant, and an MCP server. Nothing to install, nothing to opt into.
Every element on this page - this callout, the cards below, the code block above - is a live example of what your docs get out of the box, with zero setup.
## You control the output
Doccupine generates a real Next.js 16 app that you can inspect, deploy anywhere, or fork into a separately maintained application. While you continue using Doccupine, its registered output paths remain generator-managed: every fresh run recreates `app` and may rewrite generated components, services, configuration, and manifests.
Keep durable customizations in MDX, project-root JSON configuration, and `public`. If you want to modify the generated implementation directly, fork the app or stop regenerating it first.
## Instant feedback
Run `npx doccupine` to watch MDX, supported project-root configuration, public assets, and configured OpenAPI sources. Doccupine reconciles edits made during startup and keeps the last successful site when a watch refresh fails.
Files such as `theme.json`, `navigation.json`, `sections.json`, `fonts.json`, and `analytics.json` update live. Within `doccupine.json`, the `openapi` field updates live, while `watchDir`, `outputDir`, `port`, and `packageManager` require a restart.
## AI-native
Documentation is not only read by people anymore. Doccupine ships a RAG-powered chat assistant so readers can ask questions in natural language, and an MCP server so AI tools and agents can search your documentation directly. Your content is ready for both audiences from day one.
## Opinionated, on purpose
Doccupine makes the boring decisions - layout, typography, color, navigation structure - so you can spend your time on the words that matter. When you are ready to customize, simple JSON files let you adjust site metadata, navigation, theme, and fonts without touching a line of code.
## When to use Doccupine
Doccupine is built for anyone who needs a polished documentation site without becoming a frontend engineer.
- Product and API documentation
- Developer guides and tutorials
- Internal knowledge bases and runbooks
- Design systems and component references
There are two ways to run it:
`npx doccupine` scaffolds and serves the site on your machine, and you self-host the generated Next.js app anywhere.
A managed, browser-based experience with a visual editor, one-click publishing, custom domains, and team collaboration - no local setup.