sitemd.cc

Getting Started

From zero to a running site in under a minute. sitemd works with any AI coding agent that uses skills, MCP, or CLI — Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, OpenClaw, VS Code, etc.

Install Method

Pick whichever method suits your workflow. All three produce the same project structure with a sitemd/ directory containing the binary, theme, templates, and a working demo site on localhost.

Scaffold a new project with a single command:

npx @sitemd-cc/sitemd init my-site
cd my-site
sitemd launch

GitHub

Clone the repo and run the install script to download the binary for your platform:

git clone https://github.com/sitemd-cc/sitemd.git my-site
cd my-site
./sitemd/install
./sitemd/sitemd launch

Download

Grab a .tar.gz or .zip archive from sitemd.cc/install, extract it, and run:

cd my-site
./sitemd/install
./sitemd/sitemd launch

Requirements

sitemd ships as a compiled binary with no runtime dependencies. The npm method requires Node.js; the GitHub and Download methods do not. Optional npm dependencies (icons, image processing) are auto-installed when you first launch the dev server.

New project vs existing project

Starting fresh

Every install method above creates a self-contained project with a sitemd/ directory containing a blank-slate homepage, default settings, and a ready-to-use theme. Run the dev server and start adding pages.

To reset an existing project back to this blank state at any time:

sitemd scratch

This replaces sitemd/pages/ and sitemd/settings/ with the blank-slate defaults. Engine, theme, and media are preserved.

Adding sitemd to an existing project

Run sitemd init from outside your project, then move the sitemd/ directory into your existing project root:

npx @sitemd-cc/sitemd init temp-sitemd
mv temp-sitemd/sitemd ./sitemd

Then run sitemd setup to create the agent integration files (.mcp.json, CLAUDE.md, skills). Once a sitemd/settings/ directory exists, sitemd recognizes the project and all CLI commands work.

Full site vs partial site

Full site on sitemd

The default. Every .md file in sitemd/pages/ becomes a page on your domain. sitemd handles the homepage, navigation, blog, docs, and everything else. This is the simplest setup — one build system, one deploy.

Only certain sections on sitemd

Use Selective Deployment when another system already manages your domain and you want sitemd to power specific sections like /blog or /docs.

Add a deployPages list to sitemd/settings/deploy.md:

---
deployPages:
  - blog
  - docs
  - /changelog
---

Only matching pages are included in the build output, sitemap, and deploy. Everything else is excluded. Your hosting platform routes these paths to sitemd's output while the rest of your domain stays on its existing system.

See Selective Deployment for matching rules, hosting setup, and common patterns.

Connect your agent

sitemd exposes all its functionality through an MCP server that any MCP-capable agent can use. The setup depends on your agent:

Claude Code

Install the sitemd plugin:

/plugin install sitemd

This gives Claude Code the knowledge and commands to build your site.

Cursor, VS Code

The .mcp.json file at your project root is read automatically. Run sitemd setup if the file doesn't exist yet. No extra setup — open the project and your agent has access to all sitemd tools.

Codex CLI

Install the sitemd plugin:

codex plugin install sitemd

Gemini CLI

The gemini-extension.json at the project root is read automatically. Open the project and start building.

Other agents

Any agent that supports MCP can use sitemd. Point it at the MCP server via ./sitemd/sitemd mcp — see MCP Server for details.

Set up your project

Ask your agent to set up a new sitemd site. It will call sitemd_status and walk you through the setup — site name, description, which sections you want — and create your project structure. See Project Structure for the full directory reference.

Or run it directly from the CLI:

sitemd setup

Write your first page

Open sitemd/pages/home.md. You'll see frontmatter at the top and content below:

---
title: My Site
description: A short description of my site.
slug: /
layout: default
---

# Welcome to my site

Your content goes here. Write in markdown.

The frontmatter controls metadata — title, description, URL slug, and layout. The body is your content, written in standard markdown.

Build and preview

Ask your agent to build and launch the dev server. It will call the right MCP tools automatically.

Or run it from the CLI:

sitemd launch

Your site is now running at http://localhost:4747. Open it in your browser. Press ⌘/ to open the Dev Panel and start editing directly in the browser.

What's next