> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.blode.md/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# blodemd dev

Start a local development server for real-time preview.

Run the full Blode.md rendering engine locally so you can preview your documentation as you write.

```bash
blodemd dev
```

## How it works

The dev server starts a local Next.js instance that renders your documentation with the same engine used in production. A file watcher monitors your docs directory and triggers automatic browser refreshes when content changes. Changes to `docs.json` trigger a full server reload.

## Options

- `--no-open` (type: boolean, default: false): Do not open the browser automatically when the server starts.

## Examples

```bash title="Start with defaults"
blodemd dev
```

```bash title="Custom port"
blodemd dev --port 4000
```

```bash title="Specific directory, no browser"
blodemd dev --dir ./my-docs --no-open
```

## File watching

The dev server watches all files in your docs directory for changes:

- **Content changes** (`.mdx`, `.md`, `.json` files) trigger a hot reload in the browser.
- **Config changes** (`docs.json`) trigger a full server reload to pick up navigation, branding, and API config updates.

> [!INFO]
> The dev server requires a valid `docs.json` in your docs directory. Run
>   `blodemd new` first if you are starting from scratch.