Programmatic API Added in v1.0.0

Starting in Eleventy 1.0, you can run Eleventy in your own Node script. (This is how the Eleventy Serverless plugin works, behind the scenes)

Examples Jump to heading #

Write to the file system Jump to heading #

Don’t forget to install Eleventy into your local project first!

Now create a file called my-node-script.js with the following contents:

const Eleventy = require("@11ty/eleventy");

(async function() {
  let elev = new Eleventy();
  await elev.write();
})();

Then run your new script from the command line. Don’t include ~ $ when you run this command.

node my-node-script.js

Don’t write to the file system Jump to heading #

Using .write() will write your output to the file system. If, instead, you want to retrieve the content programmatically without writing, use .toJSON() or .toNDJSON().

JSON Output Jump to heading #

const Eleventy = require("@11ty/eleventy");

(async function() {
  let elev = new Eleventy();
  let json = await elev.toJSON();
  // All results
  console.log( json );
})();

ndjson Output Jump to heading #

const Eleventy = require("@11ty/eleventy");

(async function() {
  let elev = new Eleventy();
  let stream = await elev.toNDJSON();
  stream.on("data", (entry) => {
    // Stream one output result at a time
    let json = JSON.parse(entry.toString());
    console.log( json );
  });
})();

Changing the Input and Output Directories Jump to heading #

The first argument is the input directory. The second argument is the output directory.

const Eleventy = require("@11ty/eleventy");

(async function() {
  let elev = new Eleventy( ".", "_site" );

  // Use `write` or `toJSON` or `toNDJSON`
})();

Full Options List Jump to heading #

The third argument to Eleventy is an options object.

(This documentation section is a work in progress but you’re welcome to dig into the Eleventy class source code in v2.0.1 to learn more)

const Eleventy = require("@11ty/eleventy");

(async function() {
  let elev = new Eleventy( ".", "_site", {
    // --quiet
    quietMode: true,

    // --config
    configPath: ".eleventy.js",

    config: function(eleventyConfig) {
      // Do some custom Configuration API stuff
      // Works great with eleventyConfig.addGlobalData
    },
  });

  // Use `write` or `toJSON` or `toNDJSON`
})();

Other pages in Getting Started:

• Command Line Usage
  • Debug Mode
• Tutorials
  • Quick Tips
• Starter Projects
• Programmatic API
• Deployment
• Using a CMS