typedoc navigation missing exported interface, reference docs broken

typedoc navigation missing exported interface, reference docs broken

TL;DR

Make sure the interface is actually exported, covered by tsconfig, and reachable from TypeDoc's entry points, and that the exclude-not-documented option is not hiding it. Then rebuild and confirm the interface shows in the nav. Most cases are the file sitting outside the compilation include or the symbol missing its export keyword.

The error

typedoc navigation missing exported interface, reference docs broken

Steps

1. Confirm the interface is exported. Search the source for the declaration:

grep -rn "export interface INTERFACE_NAME" src/

Expected: exactly one exported declaration. If the export keyword is missing, add it.

2. Check that tsconfig includes the file. Run the compiler in config-dump mode:

npx tsc --showConfig

Expected: the interface's file matches one of the include globs. If it is excluded, widen the include or move the file.

3. Check the TypeDoc config. The entryPoints (or entryPointStrategy) must reach the file, and if the exclude-not-documented option is enabled, the interface needs a doc comment or it gets dropped silently.

Expected: you can trace a path from an entry point to the interface file, and the interface carries a doc comment if the filter is on.

4. Rebuild and verify in the output:

npx typedoc

Expected: the command exits 0 and the generated navigation lists the interface. Open its page and confirm it renders with its members.

Use this when

• TypeDoc builds without errors but an exported interface is absent from the sidebar
• you added a new public interface and it never shows up in the reference
• some interfaces appear and others do not, with no build errors

Not for this skill when

• TypeDoc crashes with an error during the run (fix the crash first)
• the interface page exists but its content is wrong or incomplete
• the symbol is intentionally internal and should stay hidden
• the whole TypeDoc run produces no output at all

Variant phrasings

typedoc not showing interface in sidebar

Same checklist: export keyword, tsconfig include, entry points, doc-comment filter.

exported type missing from typedoc output

Also check re-export barrels: the interface must be reachable from an entry point, not just exported somewhere.

typedoc entry point not picking up new file

Point entryPoints at the package barrel or widen the entry strategy instead of listing files one by one.

Why it happens

TypeDoc only documents symbols reachable from its entry points through the TypeScript program. Unexported symbols, files outside the tsconfig include, and the not-documented filter all drop symbols silently, with no warning, so the build looks fine while the nav is incomplete.

Edge cases

• Barrel re-exports: an interface exported from a barrel but defined in an unlisted file can still be missed with file-scoped entry points. Point entryPoints at the barrel or the package.
• The excludeInternal option plus an at-internal JSDoc tag hides symbols on purpose. Remove the tag if the symbol should be public.
• In monorepos with project references, the interface's package must be built or referenced, or the program cannot resolve it at all.
• Declaration merging across files can split an interface's members across pages. Check that all merged parts are reachable.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_GaipoJZKxQGA3upaJ0NLVA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_GaipoJZKxQGA3upaJ0NLVA

Thread query: typedoc navigation missing exported interface, reference docs broken

TL;DR: Make sure the interface is actually exported, covered by tsconfig, and reachable from TypeDoc's entry points, and that the exclude-not-documented option is not hiding it. Then rebuild and confirm the interface shows in the nav. Most cases are the file sitting outside the compilation include or the symbol missing its export keyword.