Docsbook
Overview

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General Questions#

Q: What is Docsbook?

A: Docsbook transforms your GitHub documentation into a published site in 5 seconds. Connect your GitHub repository and you're done.

Q: Do I need to pay to get started?

A: No. The Free plan ($0) includes unlimited public repositories, GitHub sync, and full design customization. PRO ($19/month or $190/year) adds a custom domain, AI chat, translations, SEO, and more. PRO+ ($59/month or $590/year) adds white-label, higher AI/translation limits, and chat hooks.

Q: What kind of repository do I need?

A: Any public GitHub repository with markdown files. This can include:

  • README.md
  • Project documentation
  • Instructions
  • API reference
  • Any markdown files

Q: Are private GitHub repositories supported?

A: Currently only public ones. Private repos are planned for the future.

Q: Do I need to configure anything in GitHub?

A: No. Connect your account via OAuth — Docsbook gets access to your public repos.

Usage#

Q: How do I update my documentation?

A: Update the files in GitHub — the site syncs automatically.

  1. Edit the .md file
  2. Commit to GitHub
  3. Open the Docsbook site
  4. See the updates

Q: How quickly does documentation update?

A: On your next visit:

  1. You visit the site
  2. Docsbook checks GitHub for new content
  3. Shows the latest version

Typically: instantly.

Q: Why hasn't my site updated?

A: Check:

  1. Is the commit actually in GitHub? (Check on github.com)
  2. Did you refresh the browser? (Ctrl+F5)
  3. Has 1-2 minutes passed?
  4. Is the file extension .md?

Q: What folder structure should I use?

A: Any. We recommend:

repo/
├── README.md
├── docs/
│   ├── getting-started.md
│   ├── api/
│   └── guides/

But any other structure works too.

Q: Can I use .markdown instead of .md?

A: Yes, both extensions work.

Q: Do links between files work?

A: Yes! Use:

[Link](/docs/path/to/file)
[Link to folder](/docs/folder/file)

They are automatically converted to proper URLs.

Q: What about images?

A: Put them in a folder (e.g., docs/images/) and reference them:

![Description](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/docsbook-io/docs/main/images/screenshot.png)

PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP are supported.

Q: Can I use HTML?

A: Markdown supports HTML, so yes:

<div>Regular HTML</div>

But we recommend plain markdown.

Access & Security#

Q: Who can see my documentation?

A: Everyone on the internet. Your site is fully public.

  • People without a GitHub account
  • Search engine bots (Google, Bing)
  • Anyone

This is expected — you want everyone to see your documentation.

Q: How does this relate to a private GitHub repo?

A: Even if a GitHub repo is private, documentation on Docsbook is open.

(Private repos are not yet supported.)

Q: Is my documentation secure?

A: Yes, HTTPS (SSL) and Vercel CDN are used.

Q: Can someone edit my documentation through Docsbook?

A: No, that's not possible. Editing can only be done in GitHub.

Q: Who sees the Float Widget (control buttons)?

A: Only you, when logged in. Other people see only the documentation.

Q: Is Docsbook a subscription?

A: Yes. PRO and PRO+ are monthly or annual subscriptions, billed per workspace via Paddle. Free stays free forever — no card required. You can cancel or downgrade at any time from the Float Widget.

We moved off the old one-time lifetime model because docs are a living product: AI chat, translations, and the MCP server all require ongoing infrastructure (LLM tokens, indexing, hosting). A subscription lets us keep shipping and keep limits high.

Q: What is PRO?

A: A subscription per workspace — $19/month or $190/year (annual = 2 months free). Includes:

  • Custom domain (docs.yourcompany.com) with free SSL
  • AI chat trained on your docs (200 requests/month)
  • AI translations to 15 languages (50/month)
  • Full SEO (meta tags, sitemap, OpenGraph, JSON-LD)
  • Extended analytics (7 / 14 / 30 days instead of 24h)

Q: What is PRO+?

A: A subscription per workspace — $59/month or $590/year (annual = 2 months free). Everything in PRO, plus:

  • White-label (hide "Powered by Docsbook")
  • Higher AI limits (2,000 requests/month)
  • Higher translation limits (500/month)
  • Chat hooks (pre/post LLM webhooks)
  • Custom translation pipeline (manual / external mode)

Q: How much does it cost?

A: Free $0 forever. PRO $19/month ($190/year). PRO+ $59/month ($590/year). Billed per workspace.

Q: Annual or monthly — which should I pick?

A: Annual saves you 2 months (~17%). Pick monthly if you're testing the tool, the project is short-lived, or budget needs to be flexible. Pick annual if the docs are core to your product or you're using PRO+ for production: you save real money and the price is locked for 12 months.

You can switch from monthly to annual any time — we credit the unused portion.

Q: What happens if I cancel?

A: Your subscription stays active until the end of the current billing period — no immediate cutoff.

After it ends, the workspace drops to Free:

  • The site stays online at docsbook.io/owner/repo (forever)
  • Your custom domain stops resolving (revert DNS or re-upgrade)
  • AI chat, translations, SEO, and white-label turn off
  • All your content stays in GitHub — nothing is deleted
  • Settings (branding, navigation, UI) are preserved — re-upgrading restores everything

There is no lock-in: your docs live in your GitHub repo.

Q: Is there a refund?

A: Yes. 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment — monthly or annual, no questions asked. Email support@docsbook.io and we refund within 1–2 business days.

For annual plans cancelled mid-term after the 30-day window, we issue a prorated refund for unused months on a case-by-case basis. Just write to us.

Q: I bought the old PRO lifetime plan. What happens to me?

A: Grandfathered. If you bought PRO as a one-time $150 lifetime purchase before we moved to subscriptions, your workspace keeps all PRO features forever at no extra cost — exactly as promised. No downgrade, no surprise bill.

You can still upgrade your lifetime PRO workspace to PRO+ for $59/month if you want white-label or higher AI limits.

Q: How do I migrate from GitBook?

A: Three steps. Most teams finish in under 30 minutes.

  1. Export from GitBook — GitBook lets you sync to a Git repo, or export as Markdown / .zip. Push the resulting .md files to a GitHub repository (any structure works — flat, docs/ folder, nested, whatever).
  2. Connect to Docsbook — paste github.com/your-org/your-repo on docsbook.io. Your site goes live in seconds.
  3. Re-point your domain — in GitBook, remove the custom domain. In Docsbook PRO, add docs.yourcompany.com and update DNS (one CNAME). SSL is provisioned automatically.

What carries over automatically: page structure, internal links (relative .md paths are resolved), images, code blocks (GFM), headings, frontmatter.

What you'll redo: branding (colors, logo, fonts — 5 minutes in the Float Widget), navigation (header links, social links), AI chat suggested questions.

Pricing: GitBook starts at ~$8/user/month and scales fast with team size. Docsbook is flat $19/month per workspace regardless of team size — most teams save $200+/month switching. See the full comparison: GitBook vs Docsbook.

Stuck? Email support@docsbook.io — we help with migrations for free.

Q: How do I pay?

A: Click "Upgrade" in the Float Widget → checkout opens via Paddle.

Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, Apple Pay, Google Pay.

Q: Is payment secure?

A: Yes. Payments are processed by Paddle (the Merchant of Record). Docsbook never sees your card number.

Q: Will the price increase?

A: If prices change, your existing subscription is locked in: monthly stays at your current rate for as long as you keep the subscription active; annual is locked for the full 12-month term. You'll only see a new price if you cancel and re-subscribe later.

Q: Can I buy PRO for multiple workspaces?

A: Yes — billing is per workspace. Each workspace is upgraded separately.

Q: Are there discounts for organizations?

A: Contact support@docsbook.io for special arrangements.

Domains#

Q: How do I use my own domain?

A: PRO feature. Guide: Custom Domain Setup

TL;DR:

  1. Enter domain in Settings
  2. Update DNS (add CNAME)
  3. Wait 30 minutes
  4. Done.

Q: Which is better: root domain or subdomain?

A: We recommend a subdomain:

✅ docs.example.com (recommended)
✅ example.com (also works)
✅ guide.example.com (multiple can be used)

Q: Do I need SSL (HTTPS)?

A: Docsbook sets it up automatically via Let's Encrypt. Free and no action required on your part.

Q: How long does DNS propagation take?

A: Usually 15-30 minutes, up to 48 hours maximum.

Translations#

Q: How do I translate documentation?

A: PRO feature. Guide: Translations

TL;DR:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Select languages
  3. Click Save
  4. Docsbook translates in minutes

Q: What languages are supported?

A: 15 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, Turkish, Polish, Dutch.

Q: How good is AI translation?

A: Good for technical documentation. May need editing for idioms and cultural references.

Q: Will translations update when I update docs?

A: Yes, automatically.

Q: Can I edit translations?

A: Yes, you can download and edit manually. Contact support@docsbook.io.

Support & Issues#

Q: How do I contact support?

A: Email: support@docsbook.io

PRO and PRO+ customers get priority.

Q: Is there Docsbook documentation?

A: Yes, you're reading it. See the other sections.

Q: What should I do if something is broken?

A: Write to support@docsbook.io with a description of the issue.

Q: Where can I see updates?

A: Follow twitter.com/docsbook for product updates and incident reports.

Technical Questions#

Q: What is Docsbook built with?

A: Next.js 16, React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS 4, Vercel, Neon Postgres, Paddle (billing), GitHub API.

Q: Where is data stored?

A: On Vercel (servers in the US and other countries) and Neon Postgres.

Q: What markdown parser is used?

A: Remark + Rehype. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) is supported.

Q: Does site search work?

A: Yes. Docsbook has built-in full-text search across every page. Click the search icon in the header or press Cmd+K / Ctrl+K to open it.

Q: Is there a dark theme?

A: Yes. Light, dark and system-follow themes are all supported. Workspace owners pick the default in the branding settings; readers can switch via the theme toggle in the header.

Q: How many concurrent visitors can it handle?

A: Vercel scales automatically.

Q: Is there a Terms of Service?

A: Yes, see Terms.

Q: What about a Privacy Policy?

A: Yes, see Privacy.

Q: What if I violate the rules?

A: We'll reach out to you. Usually we give a chance to fix things.

Don't see an answer to your question?#

Write to support@docsbook.io — we're happy to help.

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