Why Self-Host WhatDoc?
Self-hosting WhatDoc gives you complete control over your documentation generation infrastructure. Whether you’re looking for privacy, customization, or simply want to run WhatDoc on your own servers, this guide will help you get started.Benefits of Self-Hosting
Privacy and Control Keep your source code and documentation generation entirely within your infrastructure. Perfect for organizations with strict security requirements or private repositories. Unlimited Generation When you self-host with your own Gemini API key, you’re not subject to any rate limits imposed by the hosted service. Generate as many docs as you need. Customization Full access to modify templates, adjust the code ingestion pipeline, or integrate with your existing toolchain. Cost Management Pay only for the infrastructure you use. With your own Gemini API key and servers, you control the costs.What You’ll Need
Before diving into self-hosting, here’s a quick overview of what’s required:- Node.js 18+ for running both the client and server
- MongoDB for storing user data, projects, and generated documentation
- Gemini API key from Google AI Studio for AI-powered documentation generation
- GitHub OAuth app for authentication and repository access
- Basic server infrastructure with at least 2GB RAM and 10GB storage
Architecture Overview
WhatDoc consists of two main components:- Frontend (Client) - React application built with Vite that provides the user interface
- Backend (Server) - Express API that handles authentication, code ingestion, and LLM integration
Time Commitment
Expect to spend 15-30 minutes on initial setup, including:- Installing dependencies
- Configuring environment variables
- Setting up MongoDB and GitHub OAuth
- Starting both services