Code-to-Docs

Turn your app’s screens into a Help Center your users can actually read.

Code-to-Docs scans a React / Next.js project, figures out pages, forms, buttons, and navigation, then writes plain-language product documentation and a searchable Help Center website. Everything runs on your machine. Your source code is not uploaded anywhere.

Current status: alpha (0.2.0). The local workflow works today. Best results are with Next.js (App Router or Pages Router) apps. MCP and agent hooks are available for Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor.

Who this is for

• Product and engineering teams who need user-facing docs that stay closer to the real UI
• People who want a starting Help Center without writing every article from scratch
• Teams that prefer a local, private tool over sending the codebase to a cloud service

It is not a general Markdown wiki and not developer API docs. The output is meant for end users of your product.

What you get

After a successful build you typically have:

1. Help Center site — searchable, responsive pages styled from your app’s detected theme
2. User-facing articles — written without source file paths or implementation jargon
3. Project state — stored under .code-to-docs/ inside your app repo so later runs can update only what changed

You can open the site locally with code-to-docs preview, or host the generated static files wherever you already publish docs.

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or newer
• Windows, macOS, or Linux
• A project Code-to-Docs can recognize (for example a Next.js / React app with package.json)

Quick start

uvx code-to-docs init

Recommended installation

uv tool install code-to-docs

pipx

pipx install code-to-docs

pip

pip install code-to-docs

To install from GitHub instead of PyPI:

uv tool install git+https://github.com/MoshikoKar/Code-to-Docs.git

pip install git+https://github.com/MoshikoKar/Code-to-Docs.git

Then initialize a project:

code-to-docs init

Check that it works:

code-to-docs --version
code-to-docs --help

Upgrade

uv tool upgrade code-to-docs
pipx upgrade code-to-docs
pip install --upgrade code-to-docs

Uninstall

uv tool uninstall code-to-docs
pipx uninstall code-to-docs
pip uninstall code-to-docs

Uninstalling the tool does not delete .code-to-docs/ inside your application repositories.

Everyday workflow

Install the application once on your machine (uv tool install / pipx / pip). Then, from inside an application repository:

1. Set up the project (and AI platforms)

code-to-docs install

This creates .code-to-docs/config.yaml, adds managed instruction sections for detected AI tools, and for Claude Code / Codex / Cursor also registers global MCP + hooks when those hosts support them. Your existing agent configs are preserved.

Preview without writing files:

code-to-docs install --dry-run

Target one or more tools explicitly:

code-to-docs install --platform cursor
code-to-docs install --platform codex --platform claude-code

Other instruction-only platforms include: gemini-cli, antigravity, windsurf, zed, continue, opencode, qwen, qoder, kiro, copilot, copilot-cli, codebuddy.

Prefer a guided setup wizard for this repository only?

code-to-docs init          # interactive
code-to-docs init --yes    # safe defaults, no prompts

init does not reinstall the global application or duplicate global MCP registrations.

2. Build the Help Center

code-to-docs build

This is the main command. It scans the app, generates documentation, and writes the static site (by default under .code-to-docs/site/).

3. Preview locally

code-to-docs preview

Open the URL it prints (default http://127.0.0.1:4173). Press Ctrl+C to stop.

4. Keep docs in sync as the product changes

code-to-docs update      # refresh after code changes
code-to-docs status      # see project + integration state
code-to-docs validate    # check for broken relationships
code-to-docs hook stop   # agent lifecycle impact check (no full rebuild)
code-to-docs mcp         # stdio MCP server for connected agents

See docs/INTEGRATIONS.md for MCP tools, hooks, uninstall, and the global vs project model.

5. Remove platform integration (optional)

code-to-docs uninstall --platform cursor

This removes owned MCP/hook/instruction entries and keeps .code-to-docs/ project state.

Where files live

You can commit or ignore generated output depending on your team’s preference. Secrets and .env files are not scanned into documentation.

Privacy

• Analysis runs locally
• Source is not sent to an external service by default
• Optional browser extras are separate; the normal install stays lightweight and does not download browser runtimes

Optional (advanced) browser package:

pip install "code-to-docs[browser]"

Useful commands at a glance

Run any command from another folder with --root path/to/your-app.

Tips for better results

• Start with a Next.js app that has clear pages (page.tsx / pages/…), visible headings, and labeled buttons/forms
• Run build again after larger UI changes, or use update for ongoing maintenance
• Use install --dry-run before letting the tool touch AI instruction files
• Treat generated articles as a strong first draft: edit tone and product nuance where humans still know best

Contributing & internals

If you are developing Code-to-Docs itself, see CONTRIBUTING.md. Architecture and release notes live in ARCHITECTURE.md, docs/IMPLEMENTATION.md, and docs/RELEASING.md.

License

MIT — see LICENSE. Community standards: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md.