Introduction
helpbase is an open-source help center built with Next.js, MDX, and shadcn/ui. You write articles in markdown, and they render as a polished, searchable help center.
Tip
helpbase.dev itself is built with helpbase. Every article you're reading was written in MDX and deployed with the same tools you'll use.
Why helpbase?
Most help center tools are either closed-source SaaS (Mintlify, GitBook) or generic wikis that don't feel like a product. helpbase gives you:
- AI content generation from any URL or product page
- 8 MDX components designed for help center content
- shadcn/ui integration so it matches your existing design system
- Self-hosted or hosted at company.helpbase.dev
- Open source with no lock-in
Quick start
1
Scaffold a new project
Run the scaffolder to create a new help center project with sample content:
npx create-helpbase my-docs
cd my-docs
2
Start the dev server
The project uses Next.js with Turbopack for instant hot reload:
pnpm dev
Open http://localhost:3000 to see your help center.
3
Generate articles with AI
Point the CLI at your product URL to generate articles automatically:
npx helpbase generate --url https://your-product.com
Project structure
After scaffolding, your project looks like this:
my-docs/
content/
getting-started/
_category.json # Category metadata
introduction.mdx # This article
customization/
_category.json
theming.mdx
app/
(main)/
(docs)/ # Article routes
layout.tsx # Root layout
page.tsx # Homepage
components/
header.tsx
docs-sidebar.tsx
search-dialog.tsx
lib/
content.ts # Content pipeline
search.ts # Search index