Preview Mode / Dry run mode
Preview mode allows you to see what documentation changes UptoDocs would make without actually opening a pull request. This is perfect for testing your configuration or reviewing potential updates before they're applied.
Overview
When you run UptoDocs in preview mode, you get all the benefits of the analysis without making any changes to your repository. Think of it as a "what-if" scenario for your documentation updates.
How to Use Preview Mode
To activate preview mode, simply in your .github/uptodocs.yml configuration file, set the dry_run flag to true:
dry_run: trueWhat Happens in Preview Mode
When you trigger preview mode, UptoDocs performs the following steps:
- Analyzes Recent Changes - Scans your recent code commits, pull requests, and repository activity
- Generates Documentation Updates - Creates the documentation changes based on detected modifications
- Posts Summary Comment - Instead of opening a PR, posts a detailed comment showing what would change
- No Repository Changes - Your repository remains untouched—no branches, commits, or pull requests are created
When to Use Preview Mode
Preview mode is especially useful when you want to:
- Test new configuration settings before applying them
- Verify UptoDocs is detecting the right changes
- Review the quality and accuracy of generated documentation
- Demonstrate how UptoDocs works to your team
- Debug issues with documentation generation
Plan Availability
| Plan | Preview Mode Available |
|---|---|
| Free | ❌ Not available |
| Pro | ✅ Available |
| Enterprise | ✅ Available |
Benefits
Safety First - Test changes without affecting your repository
Quick Feedback - See results immediately without waiting for PR reviews
Configuration Testing - Perfect for iterating on your UptoDocs setup
Team Collaboration - Share preview results with teammates before committing
What's Included in the Preview
The preview summary comment includes:
- List of files that would be modified
- Preview of the actual documentation changes
- Summary of what triggered the updates
- Confidence scores for suggested changes
Next Steps
Once you're satisfied with the preview results, you can run UptoDocs normally to create the actual pull request with your documentation updates.
/uptodocsPreview mode is available on Pro and Enterprise plans. Upgrade your plan to access this feature.