Configuration file reference

Read the Docs supports configuring your documentation builds with a configuration file. This file is named .readthedocs.yaml and should be placed in the top level of your Git repository.

The .readthedocs.yaml file can contain a number of settings that are not accessible through the Read the Docs website.

Because the file is stored in Git, the configuration will apply to the exact version that is being built. This allows you to store different configurations for different versions of your documentation.

Below is an example YAML file which shows the most common configuration options:

.readthedocs.yaml
 1# Read the Docs configuration file for Sphinx projects
 2# See https://docs.readthedocs.io/en/stable/config-file/v2.html for details
 3
 4# Required
 5version: 2
 6
 7# Set the OS, Python version and other tools you might need
 8build:
 9  os: ubuntu-22.04
10  tools:
11    python: "3.12"
12    # You can also specify other tool versions:
13    # nodejs: "20"
14    # rust: "1.70"
15    # golang: "1.20"
16
17# Build documentation in the "docs/" directory with Sphinx
18sphinx:
19  configuration: docs/conf.py
20  # You can configure Sphinx to use a different builder, for instance use the dirhtml builder for simpler URLs
21  # builder: "dirhtml"
22  # Fail on all warnings to avoid broken references
23  # fail_on_warning: true
24
25# Optionally build your docs in additional formats such as PDF and ePub
26# formats:
27#   - pdf
28#   - epub
29
30# Optional but recommended, declare the Python requirements required
31# to build your documentation
32# See https://docs.readthedocs.io/en/stable/guides/reproducible-builds.html
33# python:
34#   install:
35#     - requirements: docs/requirements.txt

See also

Configuration file overview

Practical steps to add a configuration file to your documentation project.

Supported settings

Read the Docs validates every configuration file. Any configuration option that isn’t supported will make the build fail. This is to avoid typos and provide feedback on invalid configurations.

Warning

When using a v2 configuration file, the local settings from the web interface are ignored.

version

Required:

true

Example:

version: 2

formats

Additional formats of the documentation to be built, apart from the default HTML.

Type:

list

Options:

htmlzip, pdf, epub, all

Default:

[]

Example:

version: 2

# Default
formats: []

version: 2

# Build PDF & ePub
formats:
  - epub
  - pdf

Note

You can use the all keyword to indicate all formats.

version: 2

# Build all formats
formats: all

Warning

At the moment, only Sphinx supports additional formats. pdf, epub, and htmlzip output is not yet supported when using MkDocs.

With builds from pull requests, only HTML formats are generated. Other formats are resource intensive and will be built after merging.

python

Configuration of the Python environment to be used.

version: 2

python:
  install:
    - requirements: docs/requirements.txt
    - method: pip
      path: .
      extra_requirements:
        - docs
    - method: pip
      path: another/package

python.install

List of installation methods of packages and requirements. You can have several of the following methods.

Type:

list

Default:

[]

Requirements file

Install packages from a requirements file.

The path to the requirements file, relative to the root of the project.

Key:

requirements

Type:

path

Required:

false

Example:

version: 2

python:
  install:
    - requirements: docs/requirements.txt
    - requirements: requirements.txt

Warning

If you are using a Conda environment to manage the build, this setting will not have any effect. Instead add the extra requirements to the environment file of Conda.

Packages

Install the project using pip install (recommended) or python setup.py install (deprecated).

The path to the package, relative to the root of the project.

Key:

path

Type:

path

Required:

false

The installation method.

Key:

method

Options:

pip, setuptools (deprecated)

Default:

pip

Extra requirements section to install in addition to the package dependencies.

Warning

You need to install your project with pip to use extra_requirements.

Key:

extra_requirements

Type:

list

Default:

[]

Example:

version: 2

python:
  install:
    - method: pip
      path: .
      extra_requirements:
        - docs

With the previous settings, Read the Docs will execute the next commands:

pip install .[docs]

conda

Configuration for Conda support.

version: 2

build:
  os: "ubuntu-22.04"
  tools:
    python: "mambaforge-22.9"

conda:
  environment: environment.yml

conda.environment

The path to the Conda environment file, relative to the root of the project.

Type:

path

Required:

false

Note

When using Conda, it’s required to specify build.tools.python to tell Read the Docs to use whether Conda or Mamba to create the environment.

build

Configuration for the documentation build process. This allows you to specify the base Read the Docs image used to build the documentation, and control the versions of several tools: Python, Node.js, Rust, and Go.

version: 2

build:
  os: ubuntu-22.04
  tools:
    python: "3.12"
    nodejs: "18"
    rust: "1.64"
    golang: "1.19"

build.os

The Docker image used for building the docs. Image names refer to the operating system Read the Docs uses to build them.

Note

Arbitrary Docker images are not supported.

Type:

string

Options:

ubuntu-20.04, ubuntu-22.04, ubuntu-lts-latest

Required:

true

Note

The ubuntu-lts-latest option refers to the latest Ubuntu LTS version of Ubuntu available on Read the Docs, which may not match the latest Ubuntu LTS officially released.

Warning

Using ubuntu-lts-latest may break your builds unexpectedly if your project isn’t compatible with the newest Ubuntu LTS version when it’s updated by Read the Docs.

build.tools

Version specifiers for each tool. It must contain at least one tool.

Type:

dict

Options:

python, nodejs, ruby, rust, golang

Required:

true

Note

Each tool has a latest option available, which refers to the latest version available on Read the Docs, which may not match the latest version officially released. Versions and the latest option are updated at least once every six months to keep up with the latest releases.

Warning

Using latest may break your builds unexpectedly if your project isn’t compatible with the newest version of the tool when it’s updated by Read the Docs.

build.tools.python

Python version to use. You can use several interpreters and versions, from CPython, Miniconda, and Mamba.

Note

If you use Miniconda3 or Mambaforge, you can select the Python version using the environment.yml file. See our How to use Conda as your Python environment guide for more information.

Type:

string

Options:

  • 2.7

  • 3 (alias for the latest 3.x version available on Read the Docs)

  • 3.6

  • 3.7

  • 3.8

  • 3.9

  • 3.10

  • 3.11

  • 3.12

  • latest (alias for the latest version available on Read the Docs)

  • miniconda3-4.7

  • miniconda-latest (alias for the latest version available on Read the Docs)

  • mambaforge-4.10

  • mambaforge-22.9

  • mambaforge-latest (alias for the latest version available on Read the Docs)

build.tools.nodejs

Node.js version to use.

Type:

string

Options:

  • 14

  • 16

  • 18

  • 19

  • 20

  • latest (alias for the latest version available on Read the Docs)

build.tools.ruby

Ruby version to use.

Type:

string

Options:

  • 3.3

  • latest (alias for the latest version available on Read the Docs)

build.tools.rust

Rust version to use.

Type:

string

Options:

  • 1.55

  • 1.61

  • 1.64

  • 1.70

  • 1.75

  • latest (alias for the latest version available on Read the Docs)

build.tools.golang

Go version to use.

Type:

string

Options:

  • 1.17

  • 1.18

  • 1.19

  • 1.20

  • 1.21

  • latest (alias for the latest version available on Read the Docs)

build.apt_packages

List of APT packages to install. Our build servers run various Ubuntu LTS versions with the default set of package repositories installed. We don’t currently support PPA’s or other custom repositories.

Type:

list

Default:

[]

version: 2

build:
  apt_packages:
    - libclang
    - cmake

Note

When possible avoid installing Python packages using apt (python3-numpy for example), use pip or conda instead.

Warning

Currently, it’s not possible to use this option when using build.commands.

build.jobs

Commands to be run before or after a Read the Docs pre-defined build jobs. This allows you to run custom commands at a particular moment in the build process. See Build process customization for more details.

version: 2

build:
  os: ubuntu-22.04
  tools:
    python: "3.12"
  jobs:
    pre_create_environment:
      - echo "Command run at 'pre_create_environment' step"
    post_build:
      - echo "Command run at 'post_build' step"
      - echo `date`

Note

Each key under build.jobs must be a list of strings. build.os and build.tools are also required to use build.jobs.

Type:

dict

Allowed keys:

post_checkout, pre_system_dependencies, post_system_dependencies, pre_create_environment, post_create_environment, pre_install, post_install, pre_build, post_build

Required:

false

Default:

{}

build.commands

Specify a list of commands that Read the Docs will run on the build process. When build.commands is used, none of the pre-defined build jobs will be executed. (see Build process customization for more details). This allows you to run custom commands and control the build process completely. The $READTHEDOCS_OUTPUT/html directory will be uploaded and hosted by Read the Docs.

Warning

This feature is in a beta phase and could suffer incompatible changes or even removed completely in the near feature. We are currently testing the new addons integrations we are building on projects using build.commands configuration key. Use it under your own responsibility.

version: 2

build:
  os: ubuntu-22.04
  tools:
    python: "3.12"
  commands:
    - pip install pelican
    - pelican --settings docs/pelicanconf.py --output $READTHEDOCS_OUTPUT/html/ docs/

Note

build.os and build.tools are also required when using build.commands.

Type:

list

Required:

false

Default:

[]

sphinx

Configuration for Sphinx documentation (this is the default documentation type).

version: 2

sphinx:
  builder: html
  configuration: conf.py
  fail_on_warning: true

Note

If you want to pin Sphinx to a specific version, use a requirements.txt or environment.yml file (see Requirements file and conda.environment). If you are using a metadata file to describe code dependencies like setup.py, pyproject.toml, or similar, you can use the extra_requirements option (see Packages). This also allows you to override the default pinning done by Read the Docs if your project was created before October 2020.

sphinx.builder

The builder type for the Sphinx documentation.

Type:

string

Options:

html, dirhtml, singlehtml

Default:

html

Note

The htmldir builder option was renamed to dirhtml to use the same name as sphinx. Configurations using the old name will continue working.

sphinx.configuration

The path to the conf.py file, relative to the root of the project.

Type:

path

Default:

null

If the value is null, Read the Docs will try to find a conf.py file in your project.

sphinx.fail_on_warning

Turn warnings into errors (-W and --keep-going options). This means the build fails if there is a warning and exits with exit status 1.

Type:

bool

Default:

false

mkdocs

Configuration for MkDocs documentation.

version: 2

mkdocs:
  configuration: mkdocs.yml
  fail_on_warning: false

Note

If you want to pin MkDocs to a specific version, use a requirements.txt or environment.yml file (see Requirements file and conda.environment). If you are using a metadata file to describe code dependencies like setup.py, pyproject.toml, or similar, you can use the extra_requirements option (see Packages). This also allows you to override the default pinning done by Read the Docs if your project was created before March 2021.

mkdocs.configuration

The path to the mkdocs.yml file, relative to the root of the project.

Type:

path

Default:

null

If the value is null, Read the Docs will try to find a mkdocs.yml file in your project.

mkdocs.fail_on_warning

Turn warnings into errors. This means that the build stops at the first warning and exits with exit status 1.

Type:

bool

Default:

false

submodules

VCS submodules configuration.

Note

Only Git is supported at the moment.

Warning

You can’t use include and exclude settings for submodules at the same time.

version: 2

submodules:
  include:
    - one
    - two
  recursive: true

submodules.include

List of submodules to be included.

Type:

list

Default:

[]

Note

You can use the all keyword to include all submodules.

version: 2

submodules:
  include: all

submodules.exclude

List of submodules to be excluded.

Type:

list

Default:

[]

Note

You can use the all keyword to exclude all submodules. This is the same as include: [].

version: 2

submodules:
  exclude: all

submodules.recursive

Do a recursive clone of the submodules.

Type:

bool

Default:

false

Note

This is ignored if there aren’t submodules to clone.

Schema

You can see the complete schema here. This schema is available at Schema Store, use it with your favorite editor for validation and autocompletion.