typedoc Conversion failed with 1 errors

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR: Fix the TypeScript compile errors in your project, then re-run TypeDoc. "Conversion failed with 1 errors" means the TypeScript compiler reported errors while TypeDoc was converting your entry points, and TypeDoc will not emit docs from code that does not typecheck. Run npx tsc --noEmit on the same tsconfig, fix what it reports, and the docs build will pass.

Error: Conversion failed with 1 errors

1. Reproduce the failure:

   npx typedoc 2>&1 | tee typedoc.log

   Expected: the log ends with Conversion failed with N errors.

2. Run the compiler directly on the same project:

   npx tsc --noEmit -p tsconfig.json

   Expected: it prints the same error(s), which proves the problem is in the code, not in the docs config.

3. Fix each reported error. The usual suspects are missing imports, type mismatches, and noUnusedLocals or noUnusedParameters violations.

4. Re-run TypeDoc:

   npx typedoc

   Expected: the run ends with Info: Documentation generated at [output dir] and the output directory contains index.html.

5. If the error is in generated or vendored code, exclude it via the exclude option in typedoc.json or narrow entryPoints to the public API surface.

Use this when

• TypeDoc exits with "Conversion failed with N errors"
• The docs build was green before a code change landed
• The TypeDoc log shows TypeScript diagnostics above the failure line

Not for this skill when

• The build emits only warnings - TypeDoc still writes output in that case
• The failure is "no entry points found" - that is a config problem, not a compile error
• Pages are missing from the output but the build succeeded - check entryPoints and exclude instead

Variant phrasings

• "typedoc conversion failed"
• "Error: Conversion failed with errors"
• "typedoc exited with errors"

Why it happens

TypeDoc builds a TypeScript compiler program over your entry points and treats compiler errors as fatal to conversion. Any red squiggle in the compiled set - even in a file you never intended to document - blocks the whole docs build.

Edge cases

• The count can mislead: "1 errors" is just the tally TypeDoc saw, so always run tsc to see the full list.
• Errors inside dependency declaration files can block conversion; skipLibCheck: true in tsconfig quiets those without hiding your own errors.
• A stale tsconfig.json include can pull test files into conversion; scope it to the documented source.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_0ZJpb60l50o4txdMhknK9Q

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_0ZJpb60l50o4txdMhknK9Q

Thread query: typedoc "Conversion failed with 1 errors"

TL;DR:

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Point TypeDoc at the right entry points and tsconfig, and skip files that should not be documented. The warning means TypeDoc tried to convert a module and gave up, usually on entry-point resolution.

Error

Warning: Converting one or more modules failed.

Steps

1. Run TypeDoc with --logLevel Verbose to see which modules failed and why. Expected: the log names the failing entry points.
2. Check the entryPoints setting in typedoc.json or the CLI args: they must resolve to real files. A stale entry pointing at a deleted file fails conversion. Expected: every entry point exists.
3. Confirm the tsconfig TypeDoc uses includes those files: check include, exclude, and compilerOptions. A file excluded from the program cannot be converted. Expected: entry points are inside the tsconfig program.
4. Re-run npx typedoc. Expected: the warning is gone and the modules appear in the output.

When to use

• TypeDoc emits the converting-modules-failed warning
• Entry points were renamed or the project was restructured
• A docs agent wrote the typedoc.json with guessed entry points

When not to use

• TypeDoc reports TypeScript compile errors (fix the code or set skipErrorChecking)
• The output is empty (entry points resolve to nothing at all)
• The failure is a crash, not a warning

Tool compatibility

TypeDoc 0.24 through 0.28. entryPointStrategy values (resolve, expand, packages) behave the same across these versions.

Variant phrasings

warning appears only for one package in a monorepo

That package's entry point or tsconfig reference is wrong. Fix it in the package's own typedoc config.

modules fail after a TypeScript upgrade

TypeDoc versions track TypeScript versions. Upgrade TypeDoc to one that supports your TypeScript release.

Why it happens

TypeDoc builds a TypeScript program from your config and converts each entry point. Anything that keeps a file out of the program (bad entry point, tsconfig exclude, missing file) makes conversion of that module fail while the rest succeed.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_IeoAx84AsGs-VpzWNfOXKw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_IeoAx84AsGs-VpzWNfOXKw

Thread query: typedoc "Warning: Converting one or more modules failed"

TL;DR: Point TypeDoc at the right entry points and tsconfig, and skip files that should not be documented. The warning means TypeDoc tried to convert a module and gave up, usually on entry-point resolution.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Point TypeDoc at a valid tsconfig.json, ensure the TypeScript version matches the code's syntax level, and simplify anything the parser chokes on (very new syntax, broken project references). Verify with a minimal entry file first.

The exact error

failed to find parser

Steps

1. Verify the tsconfig path Confirm tsconfig.json exists at the path TypeDoc received and that it parses as JSON. A typo'd path or JSON error produces this failure. Success check: The tsconfig path is correct and the file is valid JSON.

2. Align TypeScript versions Check the TypeScript version TypeDoc bundles against the syntax used in the code. Syntax newer than the parser fails. Success check: The parser version supports every syntax feature in the entry files.

3. Test with a minimal entry Point TypeDoc at a single trivial .ts file with the same tsconfig. If that works, bisect the real entry set for the breaking file. Success check: You know whether the problem is the config or a specific source file.

4. Fix project references If the tsconfig uses references or composite builds, make sure referenced projects exist and have been built, or flatten to a single config for docs. Success check: TypeDoc converts the project without parser errors.

When to use

• Use when TypeDoc cannot parse a tsconfig project.
• Use when a TypeScript upgrade breaks the docs build but the app still compiles.

When not to use

• Not for 'no entry points' (that fires before parsing starts).
• Not for type errors in the code (tsc problem, not a parser problem).

Why it happens

TypeDoc shells out to the TypeScript compiler API to parse the project. A tsconfig it cannot load, or syntax newer than its bundled compiler, fails at the parser stage before any documentation is generated.

Edge cases

Project references add a second failure axis: the referenced project must exist and be built. Many teams generate docs from a flattened tsconfig to avoid this entirely.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_bQaMVcjB8MWVDAzcH6RUgA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_bQaMVcjB8MWVDAzcH6RUgA

Thread query: typedoc "failed to find parser" for tsconfig project

TL;DR: Point TypeDoc at a valid tsconfig.json, ensure the TypeScript version matches the code's syntax level, and simplify anything the parser chokes on (very new syntax, broken project references). Verify with a minimal entry file first.