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GraphDoc can be installed globally via npm, run directly with npx, or built from source. Choose the installation method that best fits your workflow.

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Prerequisites

Before installing GraphDoc, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Node.js: Version 10 or higher recommended
  • npm: Comes bundled with Node.js
You can verify your Node.js and npm versions by running:
node --version
npm --version
The easiest way to use GraphDoc is to install it globally via npm. This makes the graphdoc command available system-wide. 
npm install -g @2fd/graphdoc
After installation, verify that GraphDoc is installed correctly: 
graphdoc --version
You should see output like: 
graphdoc v2.4.0
The package name is @2fd/graphdoc, but the command is just graphdoc.

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Global vs local installation

You can also install GraphDoc locally in your project: 
npm install --save-dev @2fd/graphdoc
Then run it via npm scripts or npx: 
{
  "scripts": {
    "docs": "graphdoc -e http://localhost:8080/graphql -o ./docs"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@2fd/graphdoc": "^2.4.0"
  }
}

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Run with npx

If you don’t want to install GraphDoc permanently, you can run it directly with npx. This downloads and executes the package in a single command: 
npx @2fd/graphdoc -e http://localhost:8080/graphql -o ./docs
This approach is useful for:
  • One-time documentation generation: When you don’t need GraphDoc installed permanently
  • CI/CD pipelines: Ensures you always use the latest version without managing dependencies
  • Quick testing: Try GraphDoc without committing to an installation
Using npx will download the package each time unless it’s cached. For repeated use, installing globally or locally is more efficient.

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Install from source

For development or to use the latest unreleased features, you can install GraphDoc from the GitHub repository.
1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/2fd/graphdoc.git
cd graphdoc
2

Install dependencies

npm install
3

Compile TypeScript

GraphDoc is written in TypeScript and must be compiled before use:
npm run compile
4

Link for global use (optional)

To use your local build globally:
npm link
Now you can run graphdoc from anywhere on your system.

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Running from source

Without linking, you can run GraphDoc directly from the repository: 
node bin/graphdoc.js -e http://localhost:8080/graphql -o ./docs
The GraphDoc repository includes several helpful npm scripts:
  • npm run compile - Compile TypeScript to JavaScript
  • npm run declaration - Generate TypeScript declaration files
  • npm test - Run the test suite with Jest
  • npm run doc.github - Generate GitHub API documentation example
  • npm run doc.pokemon - Generate Pokemon API documentation example
  • npm run doc.shopify - Generate Shopify API documentation example

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Verify installation

Regardless of your installation method, verify that GraphDoc is working correctly: 
graphdoc --version

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Update GraphDoc

To update to the latest version of GraphDoc: 
npm update -g @2fd/graphdoc

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Uninstall GraphDoc

If you need to remove GraphDoc: 
npm uninstall -g @2fd/graphdoc

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Troubleshooting

On Unix-based systems, you might encounter permission errors when installing globally. You have two options:Option 1: Use npx instead (recommended)
npx @2fd/graphdoc -e http://localhost:8080/graphql -o ./docs
Option 2: Fix npm permissions Follow npm’s official guide to resolve permission issues.
If graphdoc command is not found after global installation:
  1. Verify the installation: 
    npm list -g @2fd/graphdoc
  2. Check your npm global bin path is in your PATH: 
    npm config get prefix
  3. Add npm’s bin directory to your PATH if needed: 
    export PATH="$(npm config get prefix)/bin:$PATH"
Ensure you’re using a compatible TypeScript version:
npm install
npm run compile
If errors persist, try cleaning and reinstalling:
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install
npm run compile
GraphDoc is an MIT-licensed open-source project. For issues, bug reports, or feature requests, visit the GitHub repository.

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