What is Retype and what does it do?

Updated

Retype is a Markdown-first documentation website builder. It turns a folder of Markdown files into a production-ready website by running one command, with no design work, no coding, and no proprietary format. It fits you if your content already lives in .md files and you want a shareable documentation site without learning a framework or maintaining a build pipeline.

What Retype actually does

You point it at Markdown files, and it generates an HTML website. The source of truth stays as plain Markdown files that you own and control, so there is no vendor lock-in and no surprise format conversion. According to the site, all you need to start is a single .md file.

The workflow is deliberately short:

  1. Install Retype using npm, Yarn, or the dotnet CLI.
  2. Navigate to any folder containing Markdown files.
  3. Run retype start.

Retype then builds the site and opens it in your browser automatically. When you edit and save an .md file, the site updates almost instantly in the browser through live reload.

Installation options

Method Command
npm npm install retypeapp --global
Yarn yarn global add retypeapp
dotnet CLI dotnet tool install retypeapp --global

After installation, the core command is:

retype start

Expected result: Retype builds your site and opens it in the browser. From there, saving changes to Markdown files refreshes the preview without a manual rebuild.

What you get beyond plain Markdown

  • Components — tabs, callouts, cards, and similar elements to enrich pages without writing code.
  • Project configuration — a retype.yml file unlocks project-level features and customization.
  • Page-level configuration — set things like a custom navigation label or icon per page.
  • CLI reference — all commands, flags, and options are documented for the Retype CLI.

Where you can host it

Retype generates a static HTML website. You can self-host it on any web hosting service, or deploy for free using GitHub Pages, Netlify, or Cloudflare. The site states no special server-side software or external dependencies are required.

Who it is for

Retype is aimed at people who want to write docs, not code. The site frames this directly: "I don't want to write code to write docs, I just want to write docs." It is a reasonable fit when you want:

  • Documentation built from Markdown you already have.
  • No complex build pipeline, framework to learn, or dependencies to maintain.
  • Fast setup and fast builds.
  • Freedom to host anywhere and keep your content portable.

What to check before committing

The site mentions a Pro tier and links to Pro Pricing, so paid features exist alongside the free workflow described above. Pricing details are not covered in the available material, so check the Pro page if advanced features matter to your decision. Also confirm your target host supports static HTML output, which is the format Retype produces.