Table of Contents

Config Reference

The docfx.json file indicates that the directory is the root of a docfx project.

Important

All relative paths specified in config file are relative to the location of docfx.json

{
  "build": { },
  "metadata": { },
  "pdf": { }
}

Global properties

rules

Overrides default log message severity level. Key is the log code, supported values are verbose, info, suggestion, warning, error:

{
  "rules": {
    "InvalidHref": "info"
  }
}

build

Configuration options that are applied for docfx build command:

{
  "build": {
    "content": ["**/*.{md|yml}"],
    "resource": ["**/media/**"],
    "globalMetadata": {
      "_appTitle": "My App"
    }
  }
}

content

Specifies an array of content files to include in the project. Supports File Mappings

{
  "build": {
    "content": ["**/*.{md,yml}"]
  }
}

resource

Specifies an array of resource files to include in the project. Supports File Mappings.

{
  "build": {
    "resource": ["**/*.png"]
  }
}

overwrite

Contains all the conceptual files that contain yaml headers with uid values and is intended to override the existing metadata yml files. Supports File Mappings.

globalMetadata

Contains metadata that will be applied to every file, in key-value pair format. For example, you can define "_appTitle": "This is the title" in this section, and when applying template default, it will be part of the page title as defined in the template.

{
  "build": {
    "globalMetadata": {
      "_appTitle": "DocFX website",
      "_enableSearch": "true"
    }
  }
}

See Predefined Metadata section for a list of predefined metadata.

fileMetadata

Specifies metadata associated with a particular file in order of metadata name, file glob patterns and metadata value:

{
  "build": {
    "fileMetadata": {
        "priority": {
            "**.md": 2.5,
            "spec/**.md": 3
        },
        "keywords": {
            "obj/docfx/**": ["API", "Reference"],
            "spec/**.md": ["Spec", "Conceptual"]
        },
        "_noindex": {
            "articles/**/article.md": true
        }
    }
  }
}

See Predefined Metadata section for a list of predefined metadata.

globalMetadataFiles

Set globalMetadata from external files.

{
  "build": {
    "globalMetadataFiles":  ["global1.json", "global2.json"]
  }
}

fileMetadataFiles

Set fileMetadata from external files.

{
  "build": {
    "fileMetadataFiles": ["file1.json", "file2.json"],
  }
}

template

The templates applied to each file in the documentation. Specify a string or an array. The latter ones will override the former ones if the name of the file inside the template collides. If omitted, the embedded default template will be used.

Templates are used to transform YAML files generated by docfx to human-readable pages. A page can be a markdown file, an html file or a plain text file. Each YAML file will be transformed to one page and be exported to the output folder preserving its relative path to src. For example, if pages are in HTML format, a static website will be generated in the output folder.

{
  "build": {
    "template": "custom",
  }
}

{
  "build": {
    "template": ["default", "my-custom-template"],
  }
}
Note

Docfx provides several builtin has embedded templates: default, default(zh-cn), statictoc and common. Please avoid using these as template folder name.

theme

The themes applied to the documentation. Theme is used to customize the styles generated by template. It can be a string or an array. The latter ones will override the former ones if the name of the file inside the template collides. If omitted, no theme will be applied, the default theme inside the template will be used.

Theme is to provide general styles for all the generated pages. Files inside a theme will be generally copied to the output folder. A typical usage is, after YAML files are transformed to HTML pages, well-designed CSS style files in a Theme can then overwrite the default styles defined in template, e.g. main.css.

xref

Specifies the urls of xrefmap used by content files. Currently, it supports following scheme: http, https, file.

exportRawModel

If set to true, data model to run template script will be extracted in .raw.json extension.

rawModelOutputFolder

Specifies the output folder for the raw model. If not set, the raw model will appear in the same folder as the output documentation.

exportViewModel

If set to true, data model to apply template will be extracted in .view.json extension.

viewModelOutputFolder

Specifies the output folder for the view model. If not set, the view model will appear in the same folder as the output documentation.

dryRun

If set to true, the template will not be applied to the documents. This option is always used with --exportRawModel or --exportViewModel so that only raw model files or view model files will be generated.

maxParallelism

Sets the max parallelism. Setting 0 (default) is the same as setting to the count of CPU cores.

markdownEngineProperties

Sets the parameters for the markdown engine, value is a JSON object.

For example. It can enable additional FootNotes markdig extensions with following settings.

{
  "build": {
    "markdownEngineProperties": {
      "markdigExtensions": [
        "FootNotes"
      ]
    }
  }
}

List of available built-in markdig extensions are available at this URL.

customLinkResolver

Set the name of the ICustomHrefGenerator derived class.

groups

Specifies the output folder of specified group name.

"groups": {
  "v1": {
    "dest": "output_dir_v1"
  }
}

sitemap

Specifies the options for generating sitemap.xml file:

{
  "build": {
    "sitemap":{
        "baseUrl": "https://dotnet.github.io/docfx",
        "priority": 0.1,
        "changefreq": "monthly",
        "fileOptions":{
            "**/api/**.yml": {
                "priority": 0.3,
                "lastmod": "2001-01-01",
            },
            "**/GettingStarted.md": {
                "baseUrl": "https://dotnet.github.io/docfx/conceptual",
                "priority": 0.8,
                "changefreq": "daily"
            }
        }
    }
  }
}

Generated sitemap.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://dotnet.github.io/docfx/api/System.String.html</loc>
    <lastmod>2001-01-01T00:00:00.00+08:00</lastmod>
    <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
    <priority>0.3</priority>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://dotnet.github.io/docfx/conceptual/GettingStarted.html</loc>
    <lastmod>2017-09-21T10:00:00.00+08:00</lastmod>
    <changefreq>daily</changefreq>
    <priority>0.3</priority>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://dotnet.github.io/docfx/ReadMe.html</loc>
    <lastmod>2017-09-21T10:00:00.00+08:00</lastmod>
    <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
    <priority>0.1</priority>
  </url>
</urlset>

baseUrl

Specifies the base url for the website to be published. It MUST begin with the protocol (such as http) and end with a trailing slash. For example, https://dotnet.github.io/docfx/. If the value is not specified, sitemap.xml will NOT be generated.

lastmod

Specifies the date of last modification of the file. If not specified, docfx automatically set the value to the time the file is built.

changefreq

Specifies the value of changefreq in sitemap.xml. Valid values are always, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, never. If not specified, the default value is daily

priority

Specifies the value of priority in sitemap.xml. Valid values between 0.0 and 1.0. If not specified, the default value is 0.5

fileOptions

This property can be used when some specific files have different sitemap settings. It is a set of key-value pairs, where key is the glob pattern for input files, and value is the sitemap options. Order matters and the latter matching option overwrites the former ones.

disableGitFeatures

Disable fetching Git related information for articles. Set to true if fetching Git related information is slow for huge Git repositories. Default value is false.

metadata

Configuration options that are applied for docfx metadata command:

{
  "metadata": [
    {
      "src": [
        {
          "files": ["**/*.csproj"],
          "exclude": [ "**/bin/**", "**/obj/**" ],
          "src": "../src"
        }
      ],
      "dest": "api"
    }
  ]
}

src

Specifies the source projects using File Mappings.

output

Specifies the output folder of the generated metadata files relative to docfx.json directory. The docfx metadata --output <outdir> command line argument overrides this value.

outputFormat

Specifies the generated output file format.

  • mref (default): output as ManagedReference YAML files.
  • markdown: Output as common-mark compliant markdown file.

dest

Specifies the output folder of the generated metadata files relative to docfx.json directory. The docfx metadata --output <outdir> command line argument prepends this value.

shouldSkipMarkup

If set to true, DocFX would not render triple-slash-comments in source code as markdown.

references

Specify additinal assembly reference files. This settings is used when generating metadata from DLLs or source files. Solution or project file-based metadata generation does not use this property.

filter

Specifies the filter configuration file, please go to How to filter out unwanted apis attributes for more details.

disableDefaultFilter

Disables the default filter configuration file.

disableGitFeatures

Disables generation of view source links.

codeSourceBasePath

Specify the base directory that is used to resolve code source (e.g. <code source="Example.cs">).

properties

Specifies an optional set of MSBuild properties used when interpreting project files. These are the same properties that are passed to msbuild via the /property:name=value command line argument.

{
  "metadata": [
    {
      "properties": {
          "TargetFramework": "netstandard2.0"
      }
    }
  ]
}
Note

Make sure to specify "TargetFramework": <one of the frameworks> in your docfx.json when the project is targeting for multiple platforms.

noRestore

Do not run dotnet restore before building the projects.

namespaceLayout

Specifies how namespaces in TOC are organized:

  • flattened (default): Renders namespaces as a single flat list.
  • nested: Renders namespaces in a nested tree form.

memberLayout

Specifies how member pages are organized:

  • samePage (default): Places members in the same page as their containing type.
  • separatePages: Places members in separate pages.

allowCompilationErrors

When enabled, continues documentation generation in case of compilation errors.

enumSortOrder

Specifies how enum members are sorted:

  • alphabetic (default): Sort enum members in alphabetic order.
  • declaringOrder: Sort enum members in the order as they are declared in the source code.

includePrivateMembers

Specifies whether private or internal APIs are included in the generated docs. The default value is false.

includeExplicitInterfaceImplementations

Specifies whether explicit interface implementations are included in the generated docs. The default value is false.

File Mappings

In the short-hand form, these filenames are resolved relative to the directory containing the docfx.json file:

{
  "build": {
    "content": ["**/*.md", "TOC.yml"]
  }
}

In the expanded form, the files are resolved relative to src directory, or the directory containing the docfx.json file in absence of the src property:

{
  "build": {
    "content": [
      {"files": "docs/**/*.md", "dest": "docs"},
      {"files": ["**/*.yml", "*.md"], "exclude": ["**/*Private*"], "src": "../api", "dest": "api" }
    ]
  }
}

files

The file or file array, supports glob patterns.

exclude

The files to be excluded, supports glob patterns.

src

Specifies the source directory relative to the docfx.json directory, supports relative directory outside of the docfx.json directory such as ...

dest

The folder name for the generated files.

Glob Patterns

  • *: Matches 0 or more charactors in a single path portion.
  • ?: Matches 1 character in a signle path portion.
  • **: Matches 0 or more directories and subdirectories.
  • {}: Expands the comma-delimited sections within the braces into a set.

Predefined Metadata

These are the standard metadata predefined by docfx. They are supported by builtin templates and SHOULD be supported by 3rd-party templates:

_appTitle

A string suffix appended to the title of every page.

_appName

The name of the site displayed after the logo.

_appFooter

The footer text. Shows Docfx's Copyright text if not specified.

_appLogoPath

Logo file's path from output root. Will show DocFX's logo if not specified. Remember to add file to resource.

_appFaviconPath

Favicon file's path from output root. Will show DocFX's favicon if not specified. Remember to add file to resource.

_enableSearch

Indicate whether to show the search box on the top of page.

_enableNewTab

Indicate whether to open a new tab when clicking an external link. (internal link always shows within the current tab)

_disableNavbar

Indicate whether to show the navigation bar on the top of page.

_disableBreadcrumb

Indicate whether to show breadcrumb on the top of page.

_disableToc

Indicate whether to show table of contents on the left of page.

_disableAffix

Indicate whether to show the affix bar on the right of page.

_disableContribution

Indicate whether to show the View Source and Improve this Doc buttons.

_gitContribute

Customize the Improve this Doc URL button for public contributors. Use repo to specify the contribution repository URL. Use branch to specify the contribution branch. Use apiSpecFolder to specify the folder for new overwrite files. If not set, the git URL and branch of the current git repository will be used.

_gitUrlPattern

Choose the URL pattern of the generated link for View Source and Improve this Doc. Supports github and vso currently. If not set, DocFX will try speculating the pattern from domain name of the git URL.

_noindex

File(s) specified are not returned in search results

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