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doom serve

Preview the production build of your documentation locally. Also available as doom preview.

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Usage

doom serve [root] [options]
doom preview [root] [options]

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Arguments

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root
string
Root directory of the documentation. Defaults to current working directory.

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Options

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-H, --host
string
Server host nameExample:
doom serve --host 0.0.0.0
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-P, --port
string
default:"4173"
Server port numberExample:
doom serve --port 8080
See Global Options for additional options available to all commands.

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Behavior

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Prerequisites

You must run doom build before using doom serve. The serve command looks for built files in the configured outDir.

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Static File Server

The serve command starts a static file server that:
  • Serves pre-built HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  • Mimics production environment behavior
  • Does not include hot reload or live updates
  • Uses production optimizations and caching headers

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Port Selection

The default port is 4173. If the port is already in use, specify a different port with --port.

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Examples

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Basic usage

# Build first
doom build

# Then serve
doom serve

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Custom port

doom serve --port 3000

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Serve on all network interfaces

doom serve --host 0.0.0.0

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Serve specific directory

doom serve ./my-docs

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Serve with custom config

doom serve --config ./custom-config.yaml

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Using the preview alias

doom preview --port 8080

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Output

When starting the server, you’ll see: 
info  Serving documentation...
  ➜  Local:   http://localhost:4173/
  ➜  Network: http://192.168.1.100:4173/

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Use Cases

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Pre-deployment Testing

Test your production build before deploying: 
doom build
doom serve
Verify:
  • All pages load correctly
  • Navigation works as expected
  • Assets are properly referenced
  • Search functionality works
  • Links are not broken

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Sharing Local Builds

Share your build on local network: 
doom serve --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8080
Others on your network can access via: http://your-ip:8080

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CI/CD Preview

Use in continuous integration to preview builds: 
# Example GitHub Actions
- run: npm run build
- run: npm run serve &
- run: npm run test:e2e

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Differences from Dev Server

Featuredoom devdoom serve
Hot ReloadYesNo
Source MapsYesNo (production mode)
CompilationOn-demandPre-built
OptimizationsMinimalFull
SpeedSlower initialInstant
Use CaseDevelopmentTesting/Preview

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Troubleshooting

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Port already in use

Change the port: 
doom serve --port 4174

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404 errors

Ensure you’ve built the project first: 
doom build
Verify the outDir contains built files.

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Cannot access from network

Bind to all interfaces: 
doom serve --host 0.0.0.0
Check firewall settings if still inaccessible.

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Wrong base path

If routes are incorrect, rebuild with correct base: 
doom build --base /my-docs/
doom serve

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