Now that DeepWiki-Open is running, let’s generate your first repository wiki! This guide walks you through the complete process from entering a repository URL to exploring the generated documentation.

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Quick Start

1

Open DeepWiki Interface

Navigate to http://localhost:3000 in your browser.You should see the main DeepWiki interface with:
  • Repository URL input field
  • Model provider selection
  • Generate Wiki button
The interface loads without errors and shows all input fields.
2

Choose a Test Repository

For your first wiki, start with a small, well-structured repository:
https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World
https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript-Node-Starter
https://github.com/expressjs/express
Start with repositories under 100 files for faster initial generation and testing.
3

Configure AI Model

Select your AI model provider and specific model:
  • Provider: OpenAI
  • Model: gpt-4o (default)
  • Why: High-quality, detailed documentation
  • Best for: Complex codebases requiring detailed analysis
  • Provider: OpenRouter
  • Model: openai/gpt-4o or anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet
  • Why: Access to multiple providers through one API
  • Best for: Experimenting with different models
Ensure you have valid API keys configured for your chosen provider.
4

Generate the Wiki

Click the “Generate Wiki” button and watch the progress:
  1. Repository Analysis: DeepWiki clones and analyzes the repository structure
  2. Code Processing: Creates embeddings for intelligent code understanding
  3. AI Generation: Generates documentation using your selected AI model
  4. Diagram Creation: Creates Mermaid diagrams for visualization
  5. Wiki Assembly: Organizes everything into a structured wiki
Generation typically takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes for small repos, 5-10 minutes for larger ones.

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Understanding the Generated Wiki

Once generation completes, you’ll see your interactive wiki with several key sections:

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Wiki Structure

What you’ll see:
  • Repository summary and purpose
  • Key features and functionality
  • Architecture overview
  • Main technologies used
Example content:
  • Project description
  • Installation instructions
  • Usage examples
  • Contributing guidelines

Wiki Tree View

Hierarchical navigation showing all wiki pages and sections

Search Functionality

Full-text search across all generated documentation

Cross-References

Links between related pages and code sections

File References

Direct links to source files and line numbers

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Using the Ask Feature

The Ask feature lets you chat with your repository using RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation):
1

Access Ask Interface

Look for the “Ask” or chat interface in your generated wiki.
2

Ask Questions

Try these example questions:
What is the main purpose of this repository?
How do I install and run this project?
What are the key features?
3

Review Responses

The AI will provide answers based on your actual repository code, including:
  • Direct code references
  • File locations
  • Relevant context
  • Example usage

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Deep Research Mode

For complex analysis, try the Deep Research feature:
1

Enable Deep Research

Toggle the “Deep Research” switch in the Ask interface.
2

Ask Complex Questions

Deep Research is perfect for questions like:
  • “Analyze the security implementation across the entire codebase”
  • “How is performance optimized in this application?”
  • “Explain the complete data flow from user input to database”
3

Review Multi-Turn Analysis

Deep Research conducts multiple investigation rounds:
  1. Initial Analysis: Basic research and findings
  2. Deep Dive: Detailed investigation of specific aspects
  3. Cross-References: Analysis of relationships and dependencies
  4. Final Synthesis: Comprehensive conclusion with recommendations

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Customizing Your Wiki

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Model Selection

You can change models and regenerate sections:
  1. Go to model configuration
  2. Select a different provider/model
  3. Regenerate specific sections
  4. Compare results from different models
For advanced users, you can adjust:
  • Temperature (creativity vs. consistency)
  • Top-p (response diversity)
  • Max tokens (response length)
  • Custom model names (for compatible providers)

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Private Repository Access

1

Generate Personal Access Token

  1. Go to GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens
  2. Generate new token (classic)
  3. Select scopes: repo (for private repos)
  4. Copy the generated token
2

Add Token to DeepWiki

  1. Click ”+ Add access tokens” in the DeepWiki interface
  2. Paste your personal access token
  3. The token is stored locally and used for repository access
3

Generate Private Repo Wiki

Now you can generate wikis for your private repositories using the same process.
Tokens are stored locally in your browser. Never share your access tokens.

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Troubleshooting Your First Wiki

Common causes:
  • Invalid repository URL
  • Private repository without access token
  • API key issues
  • Repository too large
Solutions:
  1. Verify the repository URL is accessible
  2. Check API key configuration
  3. Try a smaller repository first
  4. Check the browser developer console for errors
Possible issues:
  • Wrong model selected
  • Repository has unusual structure
  • Limited code documentation
Improvements:
  1. Try a different AI model
  2. Use OpenAI GPT-4 for complex repositories
  3. Enable Deep Research mode
  4. Ask specific questions to get better answers
Normal for:
  • Large repositories (1000+ files)
  • Complex codebases
  • Detailed analysis requests
Speed tips:
  1. Start with smaller repositories
  2. Use faster models like gemini-2.0-flash
  3. Avoid Deep Research for initial testing
  4. Check your internet connection

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Example Walkthrough

Let’s generate a wiki for the Express.js repository:
1

Setup

  • Repository: https://github.com/expressjs/express
  • Model: Google Gemini 2.0 Flash
  • No authentication needed (public repo)
2

Expected Results

The generated wiki should include:
  • Express.js framework overview
  • Middleware architecture explanation
  • Router and route handling
  • Request/response cycle diagrams
  • API reference for core methods
3

Testing Ask Feature

Try asking:
  • “How does Express.js middleware work?”
  • “Show me how to create a simple server”
  • “Explain the routing system”
You should get detailed answers with code examples from the actual Express.js codebase.

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Next Steps

Explore Advanced Features

Learn about advanced wiki generation options and customization

Set Up Multiple Models

Configure multiple AI providers to compare results

Production Deployment

Deploy DeepWiki for team or production use

API Integration

Integrate DeepWiki into your development workflow
Congratulations! You’ve successfully generated your first repository wiki with DeepWiki-Open. The AI-powered analysis and documentation generation should give you a comprehensive understanding of any codebase in minutes rather than hours of manual exploration.