Kukui Overview

Kukui is a static site publisher that turns your Obsidian vault (and assets) into a fast, modern website. You write in Markdown with wikilinks and custom directives; Kukui builds a Next.js static site you can deploy to S3/CloudFront, rsync, or any static host. This Overview is built from the same markdown — every diagram, embed, and block below is a live example of what you can do in your own notes.

How it works

Highlight features

• Obsidian-native content — Write in Markdown; wikilinks [[Page Name]] and transclusion *[Transclusion target not found]* work out of the box. Use index.md or readme.md for folder intros.
• Rich directives — Embed YouTube, Vimeo, Mermaid diagrams, SVG, photos, audio, and carousels (showcase, album) with a simple ::directive[...]{...} syntax.
• Albums and audio — Photo albums (with masonry and carousel views), audio playlists, and optional podcast RSS feeds from your assets folder.
• Static and fast — Next.js static export; incremental navigation for large vaults; deploy to S3/CloudFront, rsync, or any static host.
• Editorial focus — Content-first layout, readable line length, nav on demand, and accessibility (skip link, reduced motion).
• Multi-site and config — One repo, multiple sites; three-file config (system, sites, content) and an interactive yarn wizard for setup.

A taste of directives

The logo and carousel below are embedded with Kukui directives — the same syntax you'll use in your content. See Authors-Guide and Developers-Reference for full examples.

Choose a guide

• Quick-Start-Guide — Get running and deploy in minutes. For anyone who has never run Kukui.
• Authors-Guide — Create and structure content: posts, albums, playlists, directives, and editorial best practices. For writers and editors.
• Developers-Reference — Config, build pipeline, CLI, and a live showcase of markdown capabilities. For developers extending or maintaining the app.
• Deployment-Guide — Deploy to AWS S3/CloudFront or rsync, use the deploy tool, and set up CI/CD. For DevOps and operators.
• Troubleshooting — Common problems and fixes for setup, build, content, and deployment.

New here? Start with Quick-Start-Guide.