docs: generate hierarchical per-module API reference pages (modelcontextprotocol#2103)

jonathanhefner · web-flow · commit 5388bea53ad7 · 2026-03-18T18:15:17.000Z
diff --git a/docs/api.md b/docs/api.md
diff --git a/docs/hooks/gen_ref_pages.py b/docs/hooks/gen_ref_pages.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+"""Generate the code reference pages and navigation."""
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import mkdocs_gen_files
+
+nav = mkdocs_gen_files.Nav()
+
+root = Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent
+src = root / "src"
+
+for path in sorted(src.rglob("*.py")):
+    module_path = path.relative_to(src).with_suffix("")
+    doc_path = path.relative_to(src).with_suffix(".md")
+    full_doc_path = Path("api", doc_path)
+
+    parts = tuple(module_path.parts)
+
+    if parts[-1] == "__init__":
+        parts = parts[:-1]
+        doc_path = doc_path.with_name("index.md")
+        full_doc_path = full_doc_path.with_name("index.md")
+    elif parts[-1].startswith("_"):
+        continue
+
+    nav[parts] = doc_path.as_posix()
+
+    with mkdocs_gen_files.open(full_doc_path, "w") as fd:
+        ident = ".".join(parts)
+        fd.write(f"::: {ident}")
+
+    mkdocs_gen_files.set_edit_path(full_doc_path, path.relative_to(root))
+
+with mkdocs_gen_files.open("api/SUMMARY.md", "w") as nav_file:
+    nav_file.writelines(nav.build_literate_nav())
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
@@ -64,4 +64,4 @@ npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
 
 ## API Reference
 
-Full API documentation is available in the [API Reference](api.md).
+Full API documentation is available in the [API Reference](api/mcp/index.md).
diff --git a/docs/migration.md b/docs/migration.md
@@ -883,6 +883,6 @@ The lowlevel `Server` also now exposes a `session_manager` property to access th
 
 If you encounter issues during migration:
 
-1. Check the [API Reference](api.md) for updated method signatures
+1. Check the [API Reference](api/mcp/index.md) for updated method signatures
 2. Review the [examples](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/tree/main/examples) for updated usage patterns
 3. Open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/issues) if you find a bug or need further assistance
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ nav:
           - Introduction: experimental/tasks.md
           - Server Implementation: experimental/tasks-server.md
           - Client Usage: experimental/tasks-client.md
-  - API Reference: api.md
+  - API Reference: api/
 
 theme:
   name: "material"
@@ -115,19 +115,22 @@ plugins:
   - social:
       enabled: !ENV [ENABLE_SOCIAL_CARDS, false]
   - glightbox
+  - gen-files:
+      scripts:
+        - docs/hooks/gen_ref_pages.py
+  - literate-nav:
+      nav_file: SUMMARY.md
   - mkdocstrings:
       handlers:
         python:
-          paths: [src/mcp]
+          paths: [src]
           options:
             relative_crossrefs: true
             members_order: source
             separate_signature: true
             show_signature_annotations: true
             signature_crossrefs: true
             group_by_category: false
-            # 3 because docs are in pages with an H2 just above them
-            heading_level: 3
           inventories:
             - url: https://docs.python.org/3/objects.inv
             - url: https://docs.pydantic.dev/latest/objects.inv
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ dev = [
 ]
 docs = [
     "mkdocs>=1.6.1",
+    "mkdocs-gen-files>=0.5.0",
     "mkdocs-glightbox>=0.4.0",
+    "mkdocs-literate-nav>=0.6.1",
     "mkdocs-material[imaging]>=9.5.45",
     "mkdocstrings-python>=2.0.1",
 ]
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock

Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -64,4 +64,4 @@ npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector`
`64`	`64`
`65`	`65`	`## API Reference`
`66`	`66`
`67`		`-Full API documentation is available in the [API Reference](api.md).`
	`67`	`+Full API documentation is available in the [API Reference](api/mcp/index.md).`
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ dev = [`
`74`	`74`	`]`
`75`	`75`	`docs = [`
`76`	`76`	`"mkdocs>=1.6.1",`
	`77`	`+ "mkdocs-gen-files>=0.5.0",`
`77`	`78`	`"mkdocs-glightbox>=0.4.0",`
	`79`	`+ "mkdocs-literate-nav>=0.6.1",`
`78`	`80`	`"mkdocs-material[imaging]>=9.5.45",`
`79`	`81`	`"mkdocstrings-python>=2.0.1",`
`80`	`82`	`]`