pdoc
API Documentation for Python Projects
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. pdoc is production-stable, actively maintained, permissively licensed, and has low install friction. Install it if you need quick, zero-configuration HTML documentation from Python docstrings and type hints. Skip it only if your project requires the advanced customization or cross-project linking that heavier documentation frameworks provide.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or newer.
- Low friction install with four runtime dependencies (Jinja2, pygments, MarkupSafe, markdown2).
- Actively maintained with recent commits; last release 291 days ago and repository shows 2511 stars.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT-0 (permissive) — MIT-0 (public domain equivalent) means you can use, modify, and distribute pdoc with no restrictions or attribution requirements.
last release 2025-10-27 (291 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-01 · 2,511 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 2,209,751 downloads/mo, #3,208 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pdoc
pdoc your_python_module
# or
pdoc ./my_project.py
# View pdoc's own docs:
pdoc pdoc- Whether customizable HTML templates support all common documentation layouts without additional tooling.
- Performance characteristics when documenting very large codebases or deeply nested module hierarchies.
What it is and what it does
pdoc is a command-line tool that generates standalone HTML API documentation directly from Python source code and docstrings. It parses type annotations, docstrings (including numpydoc and Google styles), and module structure to produce browsable documentation without requiring external build systems. The tool includes a built-in web server with live reloading for development, and outputs self-contained HTML that requires no additional runtime dependencies.
It's designed around simplicity: parse your module, generate docs, done. pdoc respects `__all__` declarations, automatically links identifiers in docstrings to their definitions, and handles forward references in type annotations. For projects with straightforward documentation needs, it offers a lightweight alternative to heavier frameworks, though the description notes that substantially more complex documentation needs may be better served by other tools.
Use it for
- Generate quick API reference docs for a Python library during development with live-reload feedback.
- Publish standalone HTML documentation for a package without setting up Sphinx or other build infrastructure.
- Create browsable docs for internal tools or scripts where type annotations and docstrings already exist.
- Automatically document class constructors and inherited members by traversing the abstract syntax tree.
- Host API docs on a simple web server during development to review documentation alongside code changes.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
pdoc is production-stable, actively maintained, permissively licensed, and has low install friction. Install it if you need quick, zero-configuration HTML documentation from Python docstrings and type hints. Skip it only if your project requires the advanced customization or cross-project linking that heavier documentation frameworks provide.
Install
pdoc on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction install with four runtime dependencies (Jinja2, pygments, MarkupSafe, markdown2). Actively maintained with recent commits; last release 291 days ago and repository shows 2511 stars.
Requires Python 3.10 or newer.
License in practice
MIT-0 (public domain equivalent) means you can use, modify, and distribute pdoc with no restrictions or attribution requirements.
Quickstart
pip install pdoc
pdoc your_python_module
# or
pdoc ./my_project.py
# View pdoc's own docs:
pdoc pdocVerify before relying
- Whether customizable HTML templates support all common documentation layouts without additional tooling.
- Performance characteristics when documenting very large codebases or deeply nested module hierarchies.
Package facts
| License | MIT-0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagesJinja2pygmentsMarkupSafemarkdown2 |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 291 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 2,209,751 / month, #3,208 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: Public DomainOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Topic :: DocumentationTopic :: Software Development :: DocumentationTopic :: UtilitiesTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: pdoc-16.0.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pdoc3 · docstring-parser · sphinx-autodoc2 · mkdocstrings-python · numpydoc · docstring-to-markdown · mkdocstrings-python-legacy · docstring-parser-fork · pydoctor · quartodoc