Gremoire

TypeDoc: Generating Documentation for TypeScript Projects ​

Introduction ​

When building modern applications with TypeScript, codebases quickly grow in size and complexity. Managing this complexity and ensuring that other developers (or even your future self) can understand the code is critical.
This is where TypeDoc comes in.

TypeDoc is a documentation generator specifically designed for TypeScript (and JavaScript with type definitions). Unlike traditional tools such as JSDoc or documentation.js, TypeDoc doesn’t just read comments — it parses the TypeScript Abstract Syntax Tree (AST). This allows it to generate complete, type-safe documentation for your entire project automatically.

Use Cases ​

TypeDoc is useful in many scenarios, including:

  • Open Source Projects → Provide API reference docs for libraries and packages.
  • Enterprise Codebases → Maintain large, multi-team projects with shared knowledge.
  • UI Component Libraries → Auto-document props, interfaces, and component APIs.
  • SDKs & APIs → Generate developer documentation straight from the source code.
  • Internal Tools → Keep documentation in sync with evolving code without manual effort.

Getting Started with TypeDoc ​

1. Install TypeDoc ​

bash
npm install --save-dev typedoc

For Markdown output:

bash
npm install --save-dev typedoc-plugin-markdown

2. Basic Configuration ​

Create a typedoc.json file at your project root:

json
{
  "entryPoints": ["src"],
  "entryPointStrategy": "expand",
  "out": "docs",
  "plugin": ["typedoc-plugin-markdown"],
  "exclude": ["src/**/*.test.ts", "src/experimental/**"],
  "hideGenerator": true
}

3. Run TypeDoc ​

bash
npx typedoc

This generates documentation inside a docs/ folder.

  • By default, it creates HTML docs (interactive website).
  • With the Markdown plugin, it creates .md files suitable for GitHub, GitBook, Docusaurus, etc.

4. Output Options ​

  • HTML (default) → Best for browsing via GitHub Pages, Netlify, or local viewing.
  • Markdown (plugin) → Great for inline repo docs or knowledge bases.
  • JSON → Export raw doc structure for custom pipelines or tools.

Example Workflow ​

  1. Add an npm script:

    json
    "scripts": {
  "docs": "typedoc"
}

  2. Run:

    bash
    npm run docs

  3. Share the generated /docs with your team or host it online.

Summary ​

  • TypeDoc is the best choice for TypeScript projects because it leverages the TypeScript compiler to deeply understand your code.
  • It supports multiple output formats (HTML, Markdown, JSON).
  • With plugins (like typedoc-plugin-markdown), it integrates into static site generators (Docusaurus, Nextra, GitBook).
  • Ideal for libraries, SDKs, and large projects where keeping documentation in sync with code is critical.

In short: TypeDoc turns your TypeScript code into automated, living documentation. It reduces manual effort, ensures accuracy, and helps teams and communities onboard faster.