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Guide · Open source

How to use BookStack: install, organise books and pages

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

BookStack is an open-source platform for storing and organising information and documentation. It is written in PHP, released under the MIT licence and hosted on Codeberg. This guide explains how its content structure works, how to get the code, and whether it suits your team, so you can decide what to set up next.

BookStackBookStackApp/BookStack · ★ 19.1k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Read the installation instructions. Open the official BookStack installation docs to confirm what your server needs before you begin.
  2. 2Clone the repository. Run the git clone command from the README to download the BookStack source from Codeberg.
  3. 3Build and install. Follow the official installation guide to build the project and set it up on your server.
  4. 4Plan your structure. Decide on your top-level books and the chapters and pages you will need inside them.
  5. 5Create your first book. Add a book, then chapters and pages, and write content with basic formatting.
  6. 6Check the customisation options. Use the Hacking BookStack page for changes that do not require editing the source code.

What BookStack is designed to do

BookStack is an opinionated documentation platform. Its project definition says it aims for a pleasant, simple out-of-the-box experience, where new users should find it intuitive and only basic word-processing skills should be needed to create content.

The platform is also described as not designed to be extended for purposes that differ from documentation. Advanced features are meant to be available to those who want them without getting in the way of the core experience.

  • Opinionated: it makes structural choices so you do not have to.
  • Documentation-focused: built for storing and organising information.
  • Simple editing: the README says basic word-processing skills are enough.

How content is organised: books, chapters and pages

Content in BookStack is arranged in a hierarchy of books, chapters and pages. A book is the top-level container, chapters group related pages inside a book, and pages hold the actual content.

Thinking in this three-level structure before you start writing makes it easier to find things later.

  • Book: the top level, for a major subject area.
  • Chapter: a grouping of related pages within a book.
  • Page: where the content itself lives.

Get the BookStack source code

The README's install method is to clone the repository and build it. To download the source, run the clone command from the README. The project's documentation holds the full installation instructions, which are linked from the README on the official website.

The README does not list prerequisites, so check the official installation instructions for what your server needs before you start.

  • Installation instructions are on the official BookStack website under the admin docs.
  • Source is hosted on Codeberg, not GitHub.
git clone https://codeberg.org/bookstack/bookstack.git

Where to get help and find documentation

The official site has a documentation section, a blog, screenshots and a demo instance you can look at before installing. For questions and discussion, there is a community forum, and bug reports and feature requests go to the Codeberg issue list.

The README asks people to use the issue templates when reporting problems or requesting features. Reading an existing issue first can save time.

  • Documentation: bookstackapp.com/docs
  • Demo instance: demo.bookstackapp.com
  • Community discussions: community.bookstackapp.com
  • Issues: codeberg.org/bookstack/bookstack/issues

Customise BookStack without editing the source

If you only want to customise or extend your own instance, the README points to a Hacking BookStack documentation page. It describes options for doing this without altering the BookStack source code.

Keeping your changes outside the core code makes upgrades easier, which the project says it aims to keep stable.

What people use it for

  • An internal knowledge base for a team that wants to host its own documentation.
  • Onboarding guides and how-to documents organised into books and chapters.
  • Simple project or process documentation written by people who are not technical writers.
  • A self-hosted alternative to larger wiki systems for everyday documentation.

Frequently asked questions

Is BookStack free?

BookStack is released under the MIT licence, as shown in the project's README and licence badge. The source is available to clone from Codeberg. Check the licence file for the exact terms.

What programming language is BookStack written in?

BookStack is written in PHP, according to the project's summary. The source is hosted on Codeberg.

Does BookStack have a hosted version?

The README does not offer a first-party hosted option in this text. It points to third-party hosting providers, and says those services are not tested or supported by the official project.

How do I install BookStack?

The README's install method is to clone the repository from Codeberg and build it. Full installation steps are in the official BookStack installation documentation, which the README links to.

Can I extend BookStack for other uses?

No. The README says BookStack is not designed as an extensible platform for purposes that differ from documentation. It does offer ways to customise an instance without changing the source code.

What are the alternatives to BookStack?

Projects comparable to BookStack include Wiki.js, Outline, DokuWiki and MediaWiki. Choose based on whether you want a simple documentation tool or a more customisable platform.

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Our verdict

BookStack suits teams that want a self-hosted, simple documentation tool organised into books, chapters and pages. It is a poor fit if you need a hosted service with no setup, or if you want to extend the platform for uses beyond documentation.

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