CLI Overview

The stx CLI is your primary interface for working with Syntext documentation. It handles project initialization, local development, building, and deployment.

Installation

curl -fsSL https://get.syntext.dev | sh

brew install syntext-dev/tap/stx

npm install -g @syntext/cli

Verify installation:

stx --version

Quick Reference

Command	Description
`stx init`	Initialize a new docs project
`stx dev`	Start the development server
`stx build`	Build on the Syntext backend and download the static site
`stx deploy`	Deploy to Syntext CDN
`stx generate`	Generate API docs from OpenAPI/code
`stx check`	Validate configuration and content

Global Flags

All commands support these global flags:

Flag	Alias	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help for a command
`--version`	`-v`	Show CLI version
`--config`	`-c`	Path to config file (default: `syntext.json`)
`--cwd`		Working directory (default: current directory)
`--verbose`		Enable verbose output
`--json`		Output as JSON (for scripting)

Configuration Files

The CLI looks for configuration in these locations (in order):

.syntext/syntext.json or .syntext/stx.json
.syntext/syntext.yaml or .syntext/stx.yaml
.stx/syntext.json or .stx/stx.json
.stx/syntext.yaml or .stx/stx.yaml
syntext.json or stx.json (project root)
syntext.yaml or stx.yaml (project root)

The first matching file is used. JSON and YAML formats are functionally equivalent — use whichever you prefer. For monorepos, place configuration in .syntext/ to keep the root clean.

Project Detection

The CLI auto-detects your project layout:

Standalone — Config at repository root:

docs-repo/
├── syntext.json
├── docs/
└── public/

Embedded — Config inside .syntext/ or .stx/:

my-api/
├── src/
├── package.json
└── .syntext/
    ├── syntext.json
    └── docs/

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
`SYNTEXT_API_KEY`	API key for authenticated operations
`SYNTEXT_PROJECT_ID`	Override project ID
`SYNTEXT_ENV`	Environment: `production`, `staging`
`NO_COLOR`	Disable colored output

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
`0`	Success
`1`	General error
`2`	Configuration error
`3`	Validation error
`4`	Network error
`5`	Authentication error

Command Details

Initialize a new documentation project

Start the development server

Build static site for production

Deploy to Syntext CDN

Generate docs from OpenAPI or code

Validate configuration and content