--- title: API Explorer description: The API Explorer renders OpenAPI specifications as interactive API documentation. When you configure it in your content set, docs-builder automatically... url: https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/pull/3804/data/openapi/api-explorer products: - Elastic Docs Builder --- # API Explorer The API Explorer renders OpenAPI specifications as interactive API documentation. When you configure it in your content set, `docs-builder` automatically generates pages for each API operation, request and response schemas, shared type definitions, and inline examples. This feature is still under development and the functionality described on this page might change. ## Configure the API Explorer Add the `api` key to your `docset.yml` file to enable the API Explorer. Each product key takes a single-entry sequence with a required `spec:` and `product:`, and optional `repository:` and `children:`: ```yaml api: elasticsearch: - spec: elasticsearch-openapi.json product: elasticsearch kibana: - spec: kibana-openapi.json product: kibana ``` Each product key produces its own section of API documentation. For example, `elasticsearch` generates pages under `/api/elasticsearch/` and `kibana` generates pages under `/api/kibana/`. The `api` key is only valid in `docset.yml`. You can't use it in `toc.yml` files. ### `spec:` (required) A path to an OpenAPI spec file, relative to the folder that contains `docset.yml`. `spec:` serves two purposes at once: - If a file exists at that path, docs-builder renders it directly. This is the common setup for a docset that carries its own spec file. - Its basename (for example `elasticsearch-openapi.json`) is always used to look up this API's entry in the remote version index, whether or not the file exists locally. See [Remote spec resolution](#remote-spec-resolution). ### `product:` (required) A product id defined in `products.yml`. This binds the API to that product's versioning system and display name. The build fails with a suggestion if `product:` doesn't match a known product id. ### `repository:` (optional) An `org/repo` override (for example `elastic/elasticsearch-specification`) used to look up this API in the remote version index, instead of the current checkout's own GitHub remote. Set this whenever the repository that publishes the OpenAPI spec differs from the repository the docset itself builds from: ```yaml api: elasticsearch: - spec: elasticsearch-openapi.json product: elasticsearch repository: elastic/elasticsearch-specification ``` Most docsets omit `repository:` — it's only needed for this cross-repo case. When omitted, docs-builder derives the repository from the current checkout's GitHub remote. ### `children:` (optional) Explicit hand-written pages rendered under `api//`, in the declared order: ```yaml api: kibana: - spec: kibana-openapi.json product: kibana children: - file: kibana-api-overview.md ``` `children:` is the only way to inject hand-written content into an API reference section: - Child pages are fully rendered Markdown with access to all MyST directives, substitutions, and cross-links. - Child files are automatically excluded from normal HTML generation — you do not need to add them to the `exclude:` list. **What you cannot do today:** there is no way to override or augment an individual operation, tag, schema, or parameter description using a local Markdown file. Every description for generated operations, tags, and schema types comes verbatim from the OpenAPI JSON. For per-operation and per-parameter enrichment see the [CLI reference](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/pull/3804/data/cli-schema), which provides a fine-grained supplemental mechanism as a reference model for what future API augmentation could look like. #### Child file naming and validation A file's URL slug is derived from its filename: lowercase, with spaces and underscores replaced by hyphens, and the `.md` extension removed. For example, `Getting-Started.md` becomes the slug `getting-started`. The following slugs are reserved and cannot be used as child file names: | Reserved slug | Reason | |---------------|---------------------------------------------------| | `types` | API Explorer uses this path for schema type pages | | `tags` | API Explorer uses this path for tag landing pages | Additionally, the slug must not match any operation moniker already generated by the spec. The build fails with a descriptive error if either collision occurs, naming the conflicting file and the reserved or operation segment. If the same slug is produced by two different child files in the same product, the build also fails with a duplicate-slug error. ### One spec per product Each product key in the `api:` block must have **exactly one** entry, with **exactly one** `spec:`. The build fails if a product sequence is empty or has more than one entry. Multiple specs per product are not currently supported. ## Remote spec resolution Remote spec resolution through the shared version index is tracked in [docs-eng-team#719](https://github.com/elastic/docs-eng-team/issues/719). Until that ships, every docset must carry a local spec file at the declared `spec:` path. When no local file exists, docs-builder skips that API and emits a warning. A docset will not need to carry its OpenAPI spec file locally once #719 ships. When `spec:` does not resolve to a file on disk, docs-builder will resolve the current (`main`) version of that spec remotely, through a CloudFront-backed version index shared by every Elastic repository that publishes OpenAPI specs. ### How specs are published Each repository publishes its OpenAPI spec under a stable object key in a shared bucket: ``` ///. ``` For example, Elasticsearch's spec is published from a separate specification repository, at keys like `elastic/elasticsearch-specification/main/elasticsearch.json` and `elastic/elasticsearch-specification/8.19/elasticsearch.json`. ### The version index A single root `index.json` manifest maps every published spec to its highest-minor branch per major. It is keyed by `org/repo`, then by spec basename (matching `spec:`'s basename), then by version moniker (`main`, `9`, `8`, ...): ```json { "elastic/elasticsearch-specification": { "elasticsearch.json": { "main": { "version": "main" }, "9": { "version": "9.5" }, "8": { "version": "8.19" } } } } ``` docs-builder will fetch this manifest once per build from `https://d29hkgsdo66d1n.cloudfront.net/index.json`, then look up the `org/repo` (from `repository:`, falling back to the current checkout's GitHub remote) and the `spec:` basename to find this API's versions. Spec objects are fetched at `{base}/{org}/{repo}/{version}/{spec-basename}`. Today only the `main` moniker is rendered — there is no version-prefixed output or version switcher yet. ## Place your spec files To carry a spec locally, place the OpenAPI specification file in the same folder as your `docset.yml` (or in a subfolder of it). The path you specify in `spec:` is resolved relative to the `docset.yml` location. For example, if your content set is structured like this: ``` docs/ docset.yml elasticsearch-openapi.json kibana-openapi.json index.md ... ``` Your `docset.yml` references the specs as follows: ```yaml api: elasticsearch: - spec: elasticsearch-openapi.json product: elasticsearch kibana: - spec: kibana-openapi.json product: kibana ``` ## When the API Explorer runs The API Explorer generates documentation in two scenarios: - **`docs-builder build`**: API docs are generated as part of the standard build. Use `--skip-api` to skip generation for faster iteration on content. - **`docs-builder serve`**: API docs are generated on startup and regenerated automatically when spec files change. API generation is skipped when running `docs-builder serve --watch`. This is a performance optimization for `dotnet watch` workflows. Run `serve` without `--watch` to include API docs in your local preview. ## Link to API pages in navigation You can reference API pages in your `toc.yml` or `docset.yml` navigation using cross-link syntax: ```yaml toc: - file: index.md - title: Elasticsearch API Reference crosslink: elasticsearch://api/elasticsearch/ ``` ## What the API Explorer renders The API Explorer generates the following types of pages from your OpenAPI spec: - **Landing page**: An overview of the API grouped by tag - **Tag landing pages**: One page per tag that lists operations in that tag, with the tag's display name, optional OpenAPI `description` (CommonMark), and optional `externalDocs` link - **Operation pages**: One page per API operation, with the HTTP method, path, parameters, request body, response schemas, and examples - **Schema type pages**: Dedicated pages for complex shared types such as `QueryContainer` and `AggregationContainer` ## OpenAPI extensions The API Explorer supports some OpenAPI specification extensions to enhance navigation and display: - [x-codeSamples](#x-codesamples) - [x-displayName](#x-displayname) - [x-req-auth](#x-req-auth) - [x-tagGroups](#x-taggroups) For background on OpenAPI vendor extensions, refer to [OpenAPI Specification](https://spec.openapis.org/oas/latest.html#specification-extensions). ### Multi-language code examples When an OpenAPI operation includes the `x-codeSamples` extension, the API Explorer renders the code samples with a language selector tab. This lets users switch between available languages such as Console, cURL, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, PHP, and Java. The `x-codeSamples` extension is a JSON array of objects, each with a `lang` and `source` field: ```json "x-codeSamples": [ { "lang": "Console", "source": "GET /_search" }, { "lang": "curl", "source": "curl -X GET ..." }, { "lang": "Python", "source": "resp = client.search()" } ] ``` The code samples appear in a standalone "Code Examples" section on every operation page that has the extension, regardless of HTTP method. This means GET, DELETE, and other operations without a request body also display language tabs when `x-codeSamples` are present. When multiple languages are available, they appear as tabs. The selected language persists across operations and page navigations. When only one language is available, the example renders without a tab selector. Console is treated as the default language and appears first in the tab order when present. ### Prerequisites Add the operation-level `x-req-auth` extension to list authentication or privilege requirements that users must satisfy before calling the API. The API Explorer renders these lines in a **Prerequisites** section on the operation page. `x-req-auth` is a JSON array of strings. Each non-empty string becomes one item in the prerequisites list (leading and trailing whitespace is trimmed). ```json { "get": { "operationId": "get-snapshot", "responses": { "200": { "description": "ok" } }, "x-req-auth": [ "Cluster privilege: `cluster:admin/snapshot`" ] } } ``` When prerequisites are present, **Prerequisites** also appears in the on-page table of contents (after **Paths**). When the extension is missing, empty, or not a JSON array, the section is omitted. Malformed values are skipped and the build may log a warning. ### Tag labels Use the `x-displayName` extension (from [Redocly](https://redocly.com/docs-legacy/api-reference-docs/specification-extensions/x-display-name)) on tag objects to provide user-friendly display names in navigation and landing pages while maintaining stable URLs based on the canonical tag name. ```json { "tags": [ { "name": "tasks", "description": "The task management APIs enable you to get information about tasks currently running.", "x-displayName": "Task management" }, { "name": "ml_anomaly", "description": "Machine learning anomaly detection APIs.", "x-displayName": "Machine Learning Anomaly Detection" } ] } ``` **Behavior:** - When `x-displayName` is present, it's used for navigation titles, tag landing page titles, and section headings on the main API overview - When `x-displayName` is absent, the canonical tag `name` is used as a fallback - Tag landing page URLs and tag URL segments are derived from the canonical tag `name` If two different canonical tag names normalize to the same tag landing page URL, the build fails with an error that names both tags and the colliding segment so the spec can be fixed. ### Tag groups Use the document-level `x-tagGroups` extension (from [Redocly](https://redocly.com/docs-legacy/api-reference-docs/specification-extensions/x-tag-groups)) to define how tags are grouped in the API Explorer sidebar. Each group has a display `name` and a list of tag `name` values that belong to it. Group order in the array is the order of top-level sections in the navigation. ```json { "openapi": "3.0.3", "info": { "title": "Example", "version": "1.0.0" }, "paths": {}, "x-tagGroups": [ { "name": "Search & Document APIs", "tags": ["search", "document", "eql", "esql", "sql"] }, { "name": "Cluster Management", "tags": ["indices", "cluster", "snapshot"] } ] } ``` **Behavior:** - When `x-tagGroups` is present and valid, the API Explorer uses it as an additional level of grouping in the sidebar. - In the navigation tree, a group's section title links to the **main API overview** for that product (it is not a separate page and does not point at the first tag in the group; tag landings stay under `.../tags/...` only for tags). - When `x-tagGroups` is absent, tags are listed directly under the API root in a single flat layer. - Any operation tag that is not listed under any group is still included: it appears under a fallback section named `unknown`, and the build logs a warning so you can fix the spec.