Getting Started with MkDocs Material¶
In this tutorial, we will create your first documentation page and see it in action. By the end, you will have a working documentation site running locally.
!!! note "What you'll learn" - How to start the development server - How to create your first documentation page - How to see your changes in real-time - How to use basic formatting
Prerequisites¶
This tutorial assumes you have already:
- Installed Python and
uv - Cloned or set up this documentation project
Step 1: Start the Development Server¶
First, let's start the development server. In your terminal, run:
You should see output similar to:
INFO - Building documentation...
INFO - Cleaning site directory
INFO - Documentation built in 0.50 seconds
INFO - [10:00:00] Watching paths for changes: 'docs', 'mkdocs.yml'
INFO - [10:00:00] Serving on http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Server is running!
Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:8000. You should see the documentation homepage.
Step 2: Create Your First Page¶
Now, let's create a new page. With the server still running, create a new file called my-first-page.md in the docs/ directory:
Notice that your browser automatically refreshes and you can now see the new file listed.
Step 3: Add Some Content¶
Let's add some formatted content to your page. Open docs/my-first-page.md in your editor and replace its content with:
# My First Page
Welcome to my first documentation page!
## Basic Formatting
This is a paragraph with **bold text** and _italic text_.
### Code Example
Here's a simple Python code block:
\```python
def greet(name):
return f"Hello, {name}!"
print(greet("World"))
\```
### An Important Note
!!! tip
This is a tip admonition. It helps highlight important information!
Save the file and watch your browser - it should automatically refresh with the new content.
Step 4: Explore the Formatting¶
Try adding different formatting elements:
- Create a numbered list (like this one)
- Add an unordered list with
- - Try creating a code block with syntax highlighting
- Experiment with admonitions using
!!! note,!!! warning, etc.
What You've Accomplished¶
You've successfully:
- ✅ Started the MkDocs development server
- ✅ Created your first documentation page
- ✅ Used basic Markdown formatting
- ✅ Seen live reloading in action
Next Steps¶
Now that you're familiar with the basics, you can:
- Explore the Formatting Reference for all available options
- Learn How to Add New Pages
- Learn How to Customize Colors
- Read about Documentation Architecture to understand best practices