typedoc "Conversion failed with 1 errors"

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"

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