docmd features a modular plugin architecture. Required plugins ship with the core and need no installation. Optional plugins can be installed with a single CLI command.

Installing Plugins

Use the docmd CLI to install and remove plugins:

# Install a plugin
npx @docmd/core add <plugin-name>

# Remove a plugin
npx @docmd/core remove <plugin-name>

The installer detects your package manager (npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun). It resolves short names to full package names and injects the config into your docmd.config.json.

Use --verbose (or -V) for full installer output:

npx @docmd/core add <plugin-name> -V

Required Plugins

These plugins are bundled with @docmd/core. No installation is needed. Enable them in your docmd.config.json:

  "plugins": {
    "search": {},
    "seo": { "aiBots": false },
    "sitemap": {},
    "analytics": {},
    "llms": {},
    "okf": {},
    "mermaid": {},
    "openapi": {},
    "git": {}
  }

Optional Plugins

Optional plugins require installation before enabling.

Auto-Installation

When you add an official plugin to your docmd.config.json without installing it, docmd automatically downloads and installs it on the next build. This works for all plugins in the official registry.

{
  "plugins": {
    "pwa": {}
  }
}

The auto-installer:

• Targets official @docmd/plugin-* packages only.
• Pins the version to match your @docmd/core installation.
• Detects and uses your project’s package manager.
• Reports progress in the terminal as it runs.

Third-Party & Custom Plugins

For security, the installer enforces an official registry allowlist. Third-party plugins must be installed natively using your package manager:

npm install my-custom-plugin
# or pnpm add, yarn add, bun add

After installation, add the plugin to your docmd.config.json using its exact package name:

{
  "plugins": {
    "my-custom-plugin": {
      "someOption": true
    }
  }
}

If the plugin meets docmd’s requirements, it activates automatically during the build. Otherwise, the engine reports an error.

Plugin Scopes and noStyle Overrides

Plugins inject CSS and behaviour globally. However, you can configure them to bypass specific pages or entirely disable their execution on unstyled landing pages (noStyle: true).

Global Config Extent

Instruct any plugin to automatically skip noStyle pages via your docmd.config.json:

{
  "plugins": {
    "math": {
      "noStyle": false
    }
  }
}

Page Local Scope (Frontmatter)

You can definitively enable or disable any plugin per-document via markdown frontmatter.

---
noStyle: true
plugins:
  math: true
  threads: false
---

# Only Math renders here, Threads are completely blocked

Plugin Lifecycle

Plugins hook into different stages of the build and development process:

Plugin Safety

The plugin system guarantees build safety:

• Validation: Invalid plugin descriptors are rejected at load time.
• Isolation: Every hook invocation is wrapped in a try/catch. A broken plugin cannot crash the build.
• Capability enforcement: Plugins can only register for hooks they have declared.

See Building Plugins for the full API reference.