Skip to main content

Introduction to Docusaurus

· 3 min read
Rakesh
C | Rust | Quantum Gravity | LLM Researcher

Introduction

Docusaurus is an open-source static site generator specifically designed for creating documentation websites. Developed by Facebook (Meta), it provides a powerful and intuitive platform for building, deploying, and maintaining documentation sites with ease.


What is Docusaurus?

Docusaurus is a modern static website generator that helps developers and teams create, build, and publish documentation websites quickly and efficiently. It leverages React and provides a clean, customizable interface with built-in features that make documentation management seamless.

Key Features and Advantages

Easy Setup and Configuration

  • Quick initialization with minimal configuration
  • Built-in best practices for documentation sites
  • Supports both single and multi-version documentation

Powerful Customization

  • Fully customizable React-based themes
  • Support for custom layouts and components
  • Flexible styling options

Developer-Friendly Features

  • Markdown support with enhanced features
  • Built-in search functionality
  • Internationalization (i18n) support
  • Versioning for documentation

Performance and SEO

  • Static site generation for fast loading
  • Optimized for search engines
  • Responsive design out of the box

Getting Started with Docusaurus

Installation

You can create a new Docusaurus project using either yarn or npm:

Using Yarn

yarn create docusaurus my-website classic

Using npm

npx create-docusaurus@latest my-website classic

project Structure

my-website/

├── docs/ # Markdown documentation files
├── blog/ # Blog posts
├── src/ # Custom React components
│ ├── components/
│ └── pages/
├── static/ # Static assets
├── docusaurus.config.js # Configuration file
├── sidebars.js # Sidebar configuration
└── package.json # Project dependencies

Confguration

The primary configuration file is docusaurus.config.js. Here's a basic example:

module.exports = {
title: 'My Documentation Site',
tagline: 'Awesome Documentation',
url: 'https://your-website.com',
baseUrl: '/',
theme: '@docusaurus/theme-classic',
presets: [
[
'@docusaurus/preset-classic',
{
docs: {
sidebarPath: require.resolve('./sidebars.js'),
},
blog: {
showReadingTime: true,
},
theme: {
customCss: require.resolve('./src/css/custom.css'),
},
},
],
],
};

Bulding the site

Start the local development server

yarn start
# or
npm run start

Publishing the site

Docusaurus provides built-in support for GitHub Pages:

GIT_USER=<GITHUB_USERNAME> yarn deploy
# or
USE_SSH=true yarn deploy

Best Practices

  1. Keep documentation organized
  2. Use clear, concise language
  3. Implement versioning for stable releases
  4. Utilize built-in search and navigation features
  5. Regularly update and maintain documentation

Markdown

---
id: getting-started
title: Getting Started
sidebar_label: Introduction
---

# Welcome to Our Documentation

This is a sample documentation page with some information.

## Key Concepts

- Simple markdown writing
- Easy configuration
- Powerful features

Conclusion

Docusaurus provides a modern, efficient solution for creating and maintaining documentation websites. Its combination of ease of use, powerful features, and flexibility makes it an excellent choice for projects of all sizes.