gitbook

name	gitbook
description	GitBook documentation platform - creating docs, publishing sites, Git sync, API references, and collaboration

GitBook Skill

Use when working with GitBook documentation platform, generated from official documentation (107 pages).

When to Use This Skill

This skill should be triggered when:

• Creating or managing GitBook documentation spaces
• Setting up Git synchronization (GitHub/GitLab)
• Publishing documentation sites with custom domains
• Working with GitBook's block-based editor
• Configuring OpenAPI/API reference documentation
• Managing team collaboration and change requests
• Migrating content to GitBook
• Customizing site appearance and branding

Quick Reference

Core Concepts

Concept	Description
Space	A documentation project (like a book or wiki)
Collection	A group of related spaces
Site	Published documentation accessible via URL
Change Request	Draft changes for review before publishing
Live Edits	Direct changes without change request workflow

Content Blocks

GitBook uses a block-based editor. Common blocks:

Block	Shortcut	Description
Paragraph	Just type	Default text block
Heading	#, ##, ###	Section headers (H1, H2, H3)
Code Block	``` or /code	Syntax-highlighted code
Quote	> or /quote	Blockquote
List	-, 1.	Unordered/ordered lists
Task List	- [ ]	Checkbox items
Table	/table	Data tables
Image	/image	Upload or embed images
Tabs	/tabs	Tabbed content
Expandable	/expandable	Collapsible sections
Cards	/cards	Visual link cards
Hint	/hint	Info, warning, danger, success boxes
API Reference	/openapi	OpenAPI spec integration

Inline Content (/) Palette

Press / in any text block to access:

• Link - Relative (internal) or absolute (external) links
• Image - Inline images
• Emoji - :emoji_name: syntax
• Math - LaTeX/KaTeX formulas: $$formula$$
• Annotation - Footnote-style explanations

Common Patterns

Create a hint/callout box

{% hint style="info" %}
This is an info hint
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
This is a warning
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="danger" %}
This is a danger/error hint
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
This is a success hint
{% endhint %}

Create tabs

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="JavaScript" %}
console.log("Hello");
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Python" %}
print("Hello")
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

Create expandable section

{% expandable title="Click to expand" %}
Hidden content here
{% endexpandable %}

Create stepper (numbered steps)

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
First step content
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Second step content
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

Create cards

{% cards %}
{% card title="Card 1" href="/page1" %}
Description here
{% endcard %}
{% card title="Card 2" href="/page2" %}
Another description
{% endcard %}
{% endcards %}

Git Sync Configuration

Enable GitHub Sync

1. Go to space settings → Git Sync
2. Connect GitHub account
3. Select repository and branch
4. Configure sync direction:
   • GitBook → GitHub: GitBook is source of truth
   • GitHub → GitBook: Git repo is source of truth
   • Two-way: Bidirectional sync

Directory structure for Git

docs/
├── README.md          # Space landing page
├── SUMMARY.md         # Table of contents
├── .gitbook.yaml      # GitBook configuration
├── page-one.md
├── group/
│   ├── README.md      # Group landing page
│   └── nested-page.md
└── .gitbook/
    └── assets/        # Images and files

SUMMARY.md structure

# Table of contents

* [Introduction](README.md)
* [Getting Started](getting-started.md)

## Section Title

* [Page One](section/page-one.md)
* [Page Two](section/page-two.md)

.gitbook.yaml configuration

root: ./docs/          # Documentation root directory

structure:
  readme: README.md    # Landing page file
  summary: SUMMARY.md  # Table of contents file

redirects:
  old-path: new-path   # URL redirects

Custom Domain Setup

1. Go to site settings → Custom domain
2. Add your domain (e.g., docs.example.com)
3. Configure DNS:
   • CNAME record: Point to hosting.gitbook.io
   • Or A record for apex domains
4. Enable HTTPS (automatic via Let's Encrypt)

Subdirectory publishing (with Cloudflare/Vercel)

example.com/docs → GitBook site

OpenAPI Integration

Add OpenAPI specification

1. Upload OpenAPI/Swagger file (JSON or YAML)
2. Or link to hosted spec URL
3. GitBook auto-generates interactive API docs

Customize API reference

{% openapi src="./api.yaml" /%}

Publishing Options

Type	Description
Public	Accessible to everyone
Unlisted	No search indexing, URL access only
Share links	Private with token-based access
Authenticated	SSO/login required

Collaboration

Change Requests

• Create a change request for non-breaking changes
• Request reviews from team members
• Merge when approved
• Automatic conflict detection

Live Edits

• Direct editing for quick fixes
• No approval workflow
• Immediate publishing

Comments

• Inline comments on any block
• @mention team members
• Resolve when addressed

Migration to GitBook

From other platforms

1. Import panel: Confluence, Notion, Docusaurus, Markdown
2. Git Sync: Connect existing Git repo with markdown files
3. Manual: Copy/paste with formatting preserved

Import via Git Sync

# Prepare your repo
mkdir docs
echo "# Welcome" > docs/README.md
echo "* [Welcome](README.md)" > docs/SUMMARY.md
git add . && git commit -m "Initial docs"

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Command palette	⌘/Ctrl + K
Bold	⌘/Ctrl + B
Italic	⌘/Ctrl + I
Link	⌘/Ctrl + K (with selection)
Code	⌘/Ctrl + E
Search	⌘/Ctrl + /

Reference Files

This skill includes comprehensive documentation in references/:

• llms-txt.md - Full GitBook documentation (107 pages, 456 KB)
• llms-full.md - Complete llms.txt source
• llms.md - Condensed reference (95 KB)

Use view to read specific reference files when detailed information is needed.

Content Categories

The reference documentation covers:

Creating Content

• Blocks (code, tables, images, tabs, cards, etc.)
• Inline content (links, emojis, math, annotations)
• Formatting and layout
• Page structure and navigation

Publishing

• Sites and custom domains
• Public vs private publishing
• Share links and authentication
• Redirects and SEO

Collaboration

• Change requests and live edits
• Comments and reviews
• Team management
• Merge rules

Integration

• Git Sync (GitHub, GitLab)
• OpenAPI/API documentation
• Translations
• Extensions

Configuration

• Site structure and theming
• Icons, colors, and branding
• Content configuration
• Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Git Sync not working

• Check repository permissions
• Verify branch exists
• Ensure SUMMARY.md is valid
• Check for merge conflicts

Custom domain issues

• Verify DNS propagation (can take 24-48 hours)
• Check CNAME points to hosting.gitbook.io
• Ensure no conflicting records

Content not updating

• Check for pending change requests
• Verify Git sync status
• Clear browser cache
• Check for merge conflicts

Notes

• This skill was generated from official GitBook documentation via llms.txt
• Reference files contain 107 pages of comprehensive documentation
• Content is current as of January 2026

Resources

• GitBook Documentation
• GitBook Status
• GitBook Community