MkDocs — Static Site Generator for Project Documentation

MkDocs is a fast, simple, and modern static site generator that’s designed specifically for building project documentation. It uses Markdown for content and YAML for configuration.

Key Features

Markdown-based
Write your docs in plain Markdown files. Easy to learn, portable, and lightweight.
YAML configuration
Manage site structure and settings through a single mkdocs.yml file.
Themes and customization
Comes with a built-in theme and supports community themes (e.g., Material for MkDocs).
Fast live preview
Built-in dev server with hot reloading for quick feedback during editing.
Easy deployment
Generate a fully static site (mkdocs build) that can be hosted anywhere — GitHub Pages, Netlify, Read the Docs, etc.

Why Use MkDocs

Benefit	Detail
Simplicity	Minimal setup, just Markdown + YAML.
Focus on docs	Unlike general static site tools, MkDocs is purpose-built for documentation.
Active ecosystem	Extensions, plugins, and themes make it highly adaptable.
Easy deployment	`mkdocs gh-deploy` can push your docs directly to GitHub Pages.

Basic Usage

Here are some common MkDocs commands:

# Install MkDocs
pip install mkdocs

# Create a new project
mkdocs new my-project
cd my-project

# Preview locally
mkdocs serve

# Build the site (output goes to the "site/" directory)
mkdocs build

# Deploy to GitHub Pages
mkdocs gh-deploy