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The Jamdesk dev server gives you a full, live preview of your documentation site on your local machine. Run jamdesk dev from the root of your project — the directory that contains docs.json — and your site is instantly available at http://localhost:3000. Every time you save an MDX file, configuration, or asset, the page updates automatically thanks to hot reload. Full-text search, all three themes, and every built-in component work exactly as they do in production.

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Quick Start

jamdesk dev
Your docs are served at http://localhost:3000. The server auto-validates your project on startup and reports any configuration or MDX issues before the first page loads.
No global install required. Use npx jamdesk dev to run the dev server without installing the CLI globally — useful for CI environments or trying Jamdesk for the first time.

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Options

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--webpack
flag
Use Webpack instead of the default Turbopack bundler. Webpack is slower but offers broader compatibility in environments where Turbopack is not supported.
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--clean
flag
Clear the local Jamdesk cache at ~/.jamdesk before starting the dev server. Use this when you suspect a corrupted Turbopack cache or after a major upgrade.
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--port
number
Start the dev server on a specific port. Defaults to 3000, or the value of defaultPort in ~/.jamdeskrc if set.
jamdesk dev --port 3001
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--verbose
flag
Print detailed output during startup and compilation. Useful for diagnosing slow builds or unexpected behaviour.

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Port Configuration

The dev server defaults to port 3000. If that port is already in use, Jamdesk automatically increments to the next available port (3001, 3002, and so on) rather than failing with an error — you will always see the resolved URL printed in the terminal. To set a permanent default port, add defaultPort to your ~/.jamdeskrc file: 
{
  "defaultPort": 3001,
  "verbose": false,
  "checkUpdates": true
}
You can still override the file setting at any time with --port.

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Turbopack vs Webpack

Turbopack is the default bundler and compiles roughly 5× faster than Webpack, making hot reload near-instant even on large documentation sites. It is the right choice for almost all local development. Switch to Webpack with --webpack only when:
  • You are working in an environment where Turbopack is not supported.
  • You encounter a Turbopack-specific rendering issue and need a fallback to unblock yourself.
jamdesk dev            # Turbopack — fast, recommended
jamdesk dev --webpack  # Webpack — slower, more compatible
jamdesk preview is an alias for jamdesk dev and accepts the same flags.

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Cache Management

Jamdesk stores compiled assets and installed dependencies in ~/.jamdesk. This cache is what makes subsequent dev server startups fast — on the first run the CLI installs its dependencies there, and every run after that reuses them. If the dev server is killed mid-build, the Turbopack cache can become corrupted. Jamdesk detects this automatically and attempts to recover, but you can also clear the cache manually: 
jamdesk dev --clean     # Clear cache, then start the dev server
jamdesk clean           # Clear cache without starting the server
After clearing, the next startup will be slower as the cache is rebuilt, but all subsequent starts will be fast again.

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