docsprout serve is the fastest way to read your site while writing. Use
docsprout build when you want the static files: a folder you can archive,
upload to any static host, or inspect without the preview server.
docsprout buildThe build validates the configuration first, then writes the complete site to
build/docs-site and prints the page count. The output is offline-ready: every
asset is local, and index.html opens directly in a browser.
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
--output <folder> |
Write somewhere else, such as dist/site. DocSprout marks generated folders with .docsprout-site and refuses to replace a folder it does not own. |
--release <name> |
Set the release label shown on the home page. Without docs/versions.json, the default label is preview; with a manifest, the default is its current release. |
--root <folder> |
Build a project in another folder instead of the current one. Every command accepts --root; the maintained visual fixture uses it in its build recipe. |
--offline-archive <file.zip> |
Also write a deterministic ZIP of the site plus a .sha256 sidecar file. |
docsprout build --release 1.2.0 --offline-archive dist/docsprout-docs-1.2.0.zipThe release label used for an offline archive must start with a letter or
number and otherwise contain only letters, numbers, dots, underscores or
hyphens. The archive stores the built pages under docsprout-docs-<release>/
with fixed metadata, so building the same content twice produces byte-identical files. The
ownership marker is not included. The sidecar ...zip.sha256 records the
digest for verification.
When docs/versions.json exists, docsprout build-all builds the current
documentation and every declared historical release into one site, each under
its own path. The historical documentation guide covers
the release order, and docsprout check-release validates the manifest first.
docsprout doctor inspects the project without changing files. Its output is a
plain list:
Project root:the folder being inspected;Documentation:modern configuration with a page count, or legacy discovery;WARNING:advisory lines, such as a legacydocs/dockit.jsonfilename;Versions:either a manifest summary withStatus: versioned release configured, orno versions.json (single-release preview only),Status: preview-ready;Release refs:verification that each tag or SHA resolves; the current release must also matchHEAD;GitHub Pages workflow:orPages:the managed workflow state, an update hint, or a note that no DocSprout workflow was detected;ERROR:blocking problems. The command exits1when any appears.
Use it before serve, build or github-pages to confirm the shape of the
project. The troubleshooting guide maps its messages to
fixes.
- The output folder exists and is not owned by DocSprout: Build and output.
- A link or heading anchor fails validation: Audit your documentation.