Zorto’s dev server watches your files, rebuilds automatically, and refreshes the browser — no manual reload needed.

Usage #

zorto preview

This starts a local server (default port 1111). Add --open to automatically open your site in the browser.

What gets watched #

The server monitors all files that affect your site:

DirectoryTriggers rebuild on
content/Any .md file change
templates/Any .html file change
sass/Any .scss file change
static/Any file change (copied to output)
config.tomlConfiguration change

How it works #

SaveEdit a file
→
DetectFilesystem event
→
RebuildSite recompiles (~100ms)
→
PushSSE event sent
→
RefreshBrowser reloads

Uses server-sent events (SSE). No browser extension required.

  1. You save a file.
  2. Zorto detects the change via filesystem events.
  3. The site rebuilds (typically under 100ms).
  4. The server pushes a reload event over SSE (server-sent events).
  5. A small injected script in every page listens for the event and triggers a browser refresh.

Options #

zorto preview --port 8080         # custom port
zorto preview --open              # auto-open browser
zorto preview --interface 0.0.0.0 # expose to local network
zorto --no-exec preview           # skip executable code blocks

Network access #

By default, the server binds to 127.0.0.1 (localhost only). Use --interface 0.0.0.0 to make the preview accessible from other devices on your network — useful for testing on phones or tablets.

Further reading #