mdBook
A Markdown-based book and documentation generator for material organized in chapter order.
About mdBook
mdBook is a command line tool that builds books from Markdown files organized in chapter order. The source describes it as suited to product or API documentation, tutorials, course materials, and other content that needs a clean, easily navigable, and customizable presentation. It is written in Rust and is free and open source under the Mozilla Public License v2.0.
The homepage lists integrated search, syntax highlighting for code blocks in many languages, theme files for customizing output formatting, preprocessors for custom syntax, and backends that render output to multiple formats. The project states that it is used by the Rust programming language project.
Key features
- Builds books from Markdown files organized in chapter order
- Integrated search support within the generated book
- Syntax highlighting for code blocks in many languages
- Theme files for customizing output formatting
- Preprocessors for custom syntax and content modification
- Backends that render output to multiple formats
Best for: Teams or individuals who need to publish product or API documentation, tutorials, or course materials from Markdown and are comfortable using a command line tool.
Good for
- Free and open source, with source code available on GitHub
- Written in Rust, and the homepage describes it as built for speed, safety, and simplicity
- Used by the Rust programming language project
mdBook at a glance
- Website
- rust-lang.github.io/mdBook
- Category
- Development › Developer Tools
- Type
- Online tool
- Pricing
- Free
- Open source
- Yes
- Last checked
- Oct 9, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 9, 2026
Guides for Developer Tools
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mdBook FAQ
How can I contribute to mdBook?
The homepage says contributors should read the CONTRIBUTING guide and consider opening a pull request. Bugs and feature requests can be posted on the GitHub issue tracker.
What license does mdBook use?
The mdBook source and documentation are released under the Mozilla Public License v2.0.
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