For MkDocs & Material for MkDocs

Ask AI for your MkDocs site

Q: Does it understand our Python API reference?

Yes. Biel reads the published API pages generated by mkdocstrings, including signatures, parameters, and descriptions, and links answers to supporting pages.

Q: How long does the install take?

Install mkdocs-biel and add the plugin to mkdocs.yml. Indexing time depends on the size of the site.

Install mkdocs-biel for a source-linked assistant without template overrides. Add Biel page search alongside MkDocs search or in its place. Works with the default theme and Material for MkDocs.

Add Biel to MkDocs See the install code

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docs.acme.dev/api/rate-limits

Acme Docs

HomeGuidesAPI

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Per-route rate limiting

Acme rate-limits requests per route. Each endpoint has its own bucket, configured at deploy time. Limits are enforced at the edge before requests reach your handler.

# Configure rate limit per route
curl -X PATCH https://api.acme.dev/v1/routes/checkout \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_..." \
  -d '{"rate_limit": {"requests": 100, "per": "minute"}}'

Limits apply per project token. Authenticated traffic is metered separately from anonymous traffic, and burst windows can be tuned…

Used by documentation and developer-experience teams

Install

Three ways to ship Biel on MkDocs

A floating Ask AI assistant, a page-search input with an Ask AI handoff in the navbar, or a hosted MCP endpoint Claude and Cursor can query directly.

Full installation guide

Install the native mkdocs-biel plugin

Install mkdocs-biel and add it to mkdocs.yml. It loads the assistant on every page without a custom theme directory or template override. Works with the default theme and Material for MkDocs.

→Floating Ask AI button on every page
→No custom_dir or template override required
→Handles Material keyboard shortcuts automatically
→Coexists with Material's built-in search

mkdocs.yml

# 1. Install the plugin:
# pip install mkdocs-biel

# 2. Add it to mkdocs.yml:
plugins:
  - search
  - biel:
      project: <YOUR_PROJECT_ID>
      header_title: Documentation AI
      button_text: Ask AI
      button_position: bottom-right

Add the search widget with Ask AI

For page search, add a small template override. The plugin already loads the widget assets, and <biel-search-button> renders a search input you can place in a navbar block. It returns matching pages and offers an Ask AI handoff when the reader needs the assistant instead.

→Drop-in search field for the navbar
→Page results with an Ask AI handoff
→Can run alongside Material's search
→Plugin loads the required widget assets

docs/overrides/main.html

{% extends "base.html" %}

{% block extrahead %}
<link rel="stylesheet"
  href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/biel-search/dist/biel-search/biel-search.css">
<script type="module"
  src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/biel-search/dist/biel-search/biel-search.esm.js">
</script>
{% endblock %}

{% block header %}
{{ super() }}
<biel-search-button
  project="<YOUR_PROJECT_ID>"
  header-title="Documentation AI"
  button-style="rounded">
    Search
</biel-search-button>
{% endblock %}

Make your docs queryable by AI agents

Hosted MCP is available from $150/month. Enable it for your Biel project to give compatible AI tools access to the same indexed documentation. Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible assistants can search your MkDocs site directly. Configure once in mcp.json or your editor’s MCP settings.

→Hosted MCP server, no self-hosting
→Same index as the assistant, one source of truth
→Works with Codex, Claude Code, and Cursor
→Private projects require a project-scoped API key

mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "biel-ai": {
      "name": "Biel.ai",
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.biel.ai/v2/YOUR_PROJECT_SLUG/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Biel.ai vs built-in MkDocs search

Honest read. The built-in Lunr search is fast, free, and ships with MkDocs. Biel provides its own page-search widget plus an Ask AI handoff to the assistant. Many MkDocs sites run both.

Dimension	MkDocs search	Biel.ai
Query type	Lunr-based keyword and prefix matching, run client-side.	Semantic page results, with Ask AI for natural-language questions and source-linked answers.
Source attribution	A list of pages and headings where the keyword appears.	Direct answer plus a link to the specific page and section it came from.
mkdocstrings handling	Indexes function names and headings. Docstring bodies appear as raw text.	Reads docstring bodies as documentation. Cites specific functions and parameters.
Versioning (mike)	Each version has its own search; no cross-version awareness.	Index published versions. Use separate projects when answers must stay within one version.
Material keyboard shortcuts	f, s, /, p, n shortcuts hijack input fields globally; can fight third-party widgets.	The mkdocs-biel plugin scopes widget keystrokes automatically, while leaving theme shortcuts available elsewhere.
Analytics	Material exposes a query log via plugins; default theme has none. No content-gap signal.	Unanswered questions, satisfaction trends, and a Content Gaps view that updates daily.
Languages	Lunr language packs cover ~14 languages with stemming.	Answers in 60+ languages, including languages your docs are not written in.
Install	Built into MkDocs. No install required.	Install mkdocs-biel and add one plugin entry to mkdocs.yml. No template override for chat.
Cost	Free, included with MkDocs and Material.	Self-serve. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.

Before you install

Will it work with Material for MkDocs?

Yes. Both the default MkDocs theme and Material for MkDocs are supported. The mkdocs-biel plugin handles Material keyboard shortcuts automatically.

Does it understand our Python API reference?

Yes. Biel reads the published API pages generated by mkdocstrings, including signatures, parameters, and descriptions, and links answers to supporting pages.

Does it support versioned docs?

Yes. Index the published URLs for the versions you need. Use separate projects when answers must stay within one version. Adding versions to one project does not automatically restrict answers by the reader’s current page.

Can we keep MkDocs' built-in search?

Yes. Keep MkDocs search, replace it with Biel's page-search widget, or run both. The Biel assistant remains a separate surface, and Ask AI can carry a search query into it.

Can it use our translated docs?

Index the published URLs for each language you want to include. Readers can ask in 60+ languages, even if your docs are only in English. Use separate projects if answers must use one language only.

How long does the install take?

Install mkdocs-biel and add the plugin to mkdocs.yml. Indexing time depends on the size of the site.

Make your MkDocs site answer questions

Try Biel with your docs Book a demo

14-day free trial · No credit card required

Use a different platform? See our integration pages for Zensical, Docusaurus, Sphinx, Starlight, and Antora.