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Getting Started with documcp

Welcome to documcp! This tutorial will guide you through installing and setting up the documcp MCP server for AI-powered documentation workflows.

What is documcp?​

documcp is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides AI clients with powerful tools for:

  • Repository analysis and documentation gap detection
  • Static site generator recommendations
  • Diataxis-compliant documentation structure creation
  • Automated content population and validation
  • GitHub Pages deployment automation

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • Node.js (version 20 or higher)
  • npm package manager
  • AI client that supports MCP (Claude Desktop, GitHub Copilot, etc.)
  • Git repository access for documentation projects

Installation​

Install documcp globally from npm:

npm install -g documcp

Verify the installation:

documcp --version

Method 2: Development Installation​

For contributing to documcp or local development:

  1. Clone the repository:

    git clone https://github.com/tosin2013/documcp.git
    cd documcp

  2. Install dependencies:

    npm install

  3. Build the project:

    npm run build

AI Client Setup​

Claude Desktop Configuration​

  1. Locate Claude Desktop's configuration file:

    • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
    • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
    • Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

  2. Add documcp server configuration:

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "documcp": {
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["documcp"]
        }
      }
    }

    Optional: Set default target repository:

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "documcp": {
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["documcp"],
          "env": {
            "DOCUMCP_TARGET_REPO": "/path/to/your/project"
          }
        }
      }
    }

    Alternative configuration (if npx doesn't work):

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "documcp": {
          "command": "node",
          "args": ["/usr/local/lib/node_modules/documcp/dist/index.js"],
          "env": {
            "NODE_ENV": "production"
          }
        }
      }
    }

  3. Find your installation path (if using node command):

    npm list -g documcp

  4. Restart Claude Desktop to load the configuration.

GitHub Copilot Configuration​

  1. Install MCP extension for VS Code

  2. Configure in VS Code settings.json:

    {
      "mcp.servers": {
        "documcp": {
          "transport": "stdio",
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["documcp"],
          "env": {
            "NODE_ENV": "production"
          }
        }
      }
    }

    Alternative configuration (if npx doesn't work):

    {
      "mcp.servers": {
        "documcp": {
          "transport": "stdio",
          "command": "node",
          "args": ["/usr/local/lib/node_modules/documcp/dist/index.js"],
          "env": {
            "NODE_ENV": "production"
          }
        }
      }
    }

Verifying Your Setup​

Test MCP Server Connection​

In your AI client (Claude Desktop), try:

Can you analyze my repository using documcp tools?

The AI should respond with available documcp tools and offer to help with documentation setup.

Test Complete Workflow​

Run a full documentation setup:

I need to set up comprehensive documentation for my TypeScript project. Can you:

1. Analyze my repository structure
2. Recommend the best static site generator
3. Create a complete Diataxis documentation structure
4. Set up GitHub Pages deployment
5. Populate the documentation with project-specific content

First Documentation Project​

Quick Start Example​

  1. Navigate to your project:

    cd /path/to/your/project

  2. Ask your AI client to analyze the project:

    Please analyze this repository and set up complete documentation using documcp.

  3. Follow the AI's recommendations for:

    • Static site generator selection
    • Documentation structure creation
    • Content population
    • Deployment setup

Expected Results​

After setup, you should have:

  • Diataxis-compliant documentation structure
  • Project-specific content (tutorials, how-to guides, explanations, reference)
  • GitHub Pages deployment workflow
  • Validation and quality checks

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

MCP Server Not Found:

  • Verify the path in your AI client configuration
  • Check that Node.js and npm are in your PATH
  • Ensure the server process can start

Tool Execution Failures:

  • Check file permissions for repository access
  • Verify Node.js version compatibility (20+)
  • Review server logs for detailed error messages

Debug Mode​

Enable debug logging:

# For global installation
DEBUG=documcp:* documcp

# For development installation
DEBUG=documcp:* npm run dev

Getting Help​

If you encounter issues:

Next Steps​

Learn More​

Advanced Usage​

Community​

Welcome to the documcp community! 🚀