What is Docusaurus?

Docusaurus is a modern static site generator (SSG) built by Meta to help developers quickly create beautiful, versioned documentation websites. It uses React, MDX (Markdown + JSX), and a modular plugin system to empower technical teams with minimal setup.

“How can I create a developer-focused documentation site that’s easy to maintain, looks great, and supports customization—without being a full-time frontend dev?”

Why Documentation Deserves More Respect

Whether you’re an open-source maintainer, SaaS founder, or developer advocate, your documentation is your front door. Great documentation reduces support tickets, increases adoption, and builds trust.

What Can You Build with Docusaurus?

API Documentation
SDK Guides
Technical Blogs
Design System Portals
Engineering Handbooks

Top companies using it include React Native, Redux Toolkit, Snapchat, and Supabase.

Getting Started with Docusaurus

npx create-docusaurus@latest my-docs classic
cd my-docs
npm run start

Project Structure

my-docs/
├── docs/
├── blog/
├── src/
├── static/
├── docusaurus.config.js

Writing with Markdown + React (MDX)

You can write regular Markdown and embed React components:

## Hello World

Here’s a button:





npm install my-package

Plugin System

Docs plugin
Blog plugin
Client redirects
Algolia search
Sitemaps, analytics, local search

Versioning and i18n

Versioned Docs

npm run docusaurus docs:version 1.0.0

Translations

docusaurus write-translations --locale fr

Theming and Customization

Override styles, layouts, and components using React. Customize sidebars, navigation, CTA banners, and more using /src/theme.

Deployment Options

Docusaurus generates static files that can be hosted anywhere:

GitHub Pages
Vercel
Netlify
Cloudflare Pages

GIT_USER= USE_SSH=true npm run deploy

Pros of Docusaurus

Developer-centric
Zero-config setup
Great defaults
Versioning and i18n built-in
Customizable via React and MDX
SEO-optimized

Cons of Docusaurus

React knowledge is helpful for customizations
No built-in CMS UI
Less flexible than full frameworks like Next.js

When Not to Use Docusaurus

Need real-time collaborative docs
Building a full SaaS app with custom routing
Prefer a visual GUI for editing

Pro Tips

Use Algolia DocSearch for free hosted search
Embed diagrams with Mermaid.js
Create reusable components for MDX
Leverage GitHub Actions for CI/CD

Alternatives to Docusaurus

Tool	Best For	Stack
Next.js + Contentlayer	Custom sites with docs	React
VuePress	Vue-based docs	Vue.js
GitBook	Visual editor + collaboration	SaaS
ReadMe	API-first products	Hosted
Hugo	Super fast SSG	Go

Use Case: Open-Source SDK Docs

Docusaurus is perfect for SDK documentation with versioned docs, API examples, live code blocks, and easy deployment.

Final Thoughts

Documentation is your silent salesperson. With Docusaurus, you get a powerful, flexible, and developer-friendly documentation platform that scales with your product.

What Do You Think?

Have you tried Docusaurus? What was your experience like? Drop your thoughts or share your setup in the comments section.

Docusaurus Blogs

Docusaurus: The Modern Framework for Building Documentation That Doesn’t Suck