Share generated Javadoc as a live link in seconds
Drop your generated Javadoc as a ZIP (up to 25 MB and 100 files) or a folder on ship.page for a free link your team can open, no signup. Links stay up for 30 days without an account, while the $4 a month Pro plan supports up to 10,000 files, 100 MB ZIPs and password protection.
A file. A folder. A fresh start.
Your static site, one link away.
Uploading publishes your file. The link is public but unlisted, not password-protected, so leave out secrets and confidential content.
- Free upload limit for small packages
- 100 files
- Pro upload limit for full Java libraries
- 10,000 files
- Free link lifetime with no account needed
- 30 days
- Pro plan with password protection and stable URLs
- $4/mo
How to generate and share Javadoc HTML
Run your Javadoc build command
Generate the static HTML files using Maven, Gradle or the standard JDK CLI tool. Check the output folder table if you are not sure where your build tool puts the files.
Zip the output folder
Compress the generated directory (such as target/reports/apidocs or build/docs/javadoc) into a .zip archive. Javadoc creates an index.html file at the root of the output, and ship.page automatically unwraps a single top-level folder inside your ZIP, so that page becomes your homepage.
Drop the ZIP onto ship.page
Drag your .zip file into the ship.page uploader, or upload a small folder directly if it is under roughly 7 MB of files. Small packages with up to 100 files work on the free tier with no account, while larger libraries need the $4 a month Pro plan.
Send the link or QR code to your team
Your documentation goes live in seconds on its own HTTPS subdomain. Copy the URL or download the PNG QR code from the success screen to share with teammates or clients.
Commands and default output folders for Java documentation tools
| Tool | Command | Output folder |
|---|---|---|
| javadoc | javadoc -d <directory> | <directory> (or current directory without -d) |
| Maven | mvn javadoc:javadoc | target/reports/apidocs |
| Maven site | mvn site | target/site/apidocs |
| Gradle | ./gradlew javadoc | build/docs/javadoc |
Where Maven, Gradle and the javadoc CLI put the HTML files
Each of these tools writes a full static website with an index.html file at the root, plus stylesheets and search scripts. When you run mvn javadoc:javadoc in Maven, the generated site lands in target/reports/apidocs, while a full mvn site build writes to target/site/apidocs.
In Gradle projects, running ./gradlew javadoc outputs the HTML to build/docs/javadoc. If you run the command-line tool directly with javadoc -d <directory>, it writes the HTML to that directory and creates it if needed; without the -d flag, it writes everything into your current directory.
Once the build finishes, you can host a ZIP file by compressing that output directory and dropping it onto ship.page. You can also drag a folder directly into the browser, though folder uploads are capped at one 10 MB request (roughly 7 MB of files) on every plan, so zipping is safer for documentation.
Why most Javadoc projects need the 10,000-file Pro limit
Javadoc writes one HTML page per class plus index, search and package pages, so most projects produce more than 100 files. A tiny utility module might fit inside the free limit of 100 files and a 25 MB ZIP (100 MB unpacked), but a standard service or client SDK will cross 100 files quickly.
The Pro plan at $4 a month raises the limit to 10,000 files per upload and accepts ZIPs up to 100 MB (400 MB unpacked). No plan meters bandwidth or caps the total number of uploads.
- Free with no account: stays online for 30 days.
- Free account (Google or email sign-in): claim your upload to keep it online for 90 days.
- Pro ($4/mo): pages never expire (or set a custom expiry from 60 seconds).
- Team ($19/mo): everything in Pro plus a vanity subdomain.
How to host API docs for a private Java library
When you build a proprietary SDK for a client or an internal module for your company, you cannot publish the jar to Maven Central just to get documentation hosting. Every page uploaded to ship.page is served with a noindex header so search engines leave it out, and ship.page never lists uploads anywhere public.
Anyone with the link can open a free page, so private libraries should use password-protected previews on the Pro plan. Pro also lets you re-upload your Javadoc when you release a new version and keep the exact same link, whereas free pages cannot be updated in place and get a new URL on every upload.
Tip: You can automate Javadoc publishing from CI using one curl command (POST https://ship.page/deploy), the GitHub Action, or the MCP server at https://ship.page/mcp.
How ship.page compares to javadoc.io and GitHub Pages
If you maintain an open-source library published on Maven Central, javadoc.io is the better fit because it hosts Javadoc for those projects for free. It does not work for unpublished code, internal modules or private client builds.
GitHub Pages is free for public repositories on GitHub Free, supporting published sites up to 1 GB with a 100 GB monthly soft bandwidth limit, a soft limit of 10 builds an hour, and custom domains. However, it requires a GitHub account and a repository, and it is not allowed as free hosting for a commercial, e-commerce or SaaS business.
Use ship.page for free documentation hosting when you want to drop a local build folder or ZIP and get a link in seconds without setting up a repository or pushing HTML commits to a git branch. Note that ship.page does not offer custom domains on any plan.
Questions
Where does mvn javadoc:javadoc put the generated HTML files?
Running mvn javadoc:javadoc writes the HTML files to the target/reports/apidocs folder inside your project. If you run mvn site instead, Maven writes the documentation to target/site/apidocs.
What is the Gradle javadoc output folder?
Running ./gradlew javadoc writes the generated HTML files to build/docs/javadoc. You can zip that javadoc folder and upload it directly to ship.page.
Why did my Javadoc upload hit the 100-file limit?
Javadoc generates one HTML file per Java class along with package summaries, search indexes and stylesheets, so most projects exceed 100 files. The free tier is capped at 100 files per upload, while the $4 a month Pro plan allows up to 10,000 files and a 100 MB ZIP.
Can I password-protect Javadoc for a private Java library?
Yes, on the $4 a month Pro plan and $19 a month Team plan you can add a password to any uploaded page. In addition, all uploads on every plan include a noindex header so search engines do not index them.
Can I update my Javadoc link when I release a new version?
On the Pro and Team plans, you can re-upload a new ZIP to an existing page and keep the same URL. On the free plan, pages cannot be updated in place, so uploading a new build creates a new link.
How long does a free Javadoc link stay online?
An anonymous upload with no signup stays online for 30 days. If you sign in with Google or an email link for a free account and claim the upload, it stays online for 90 days.
Keep reading
- Free documentation hosting
- Share JaCoCo coverage reports
- Host Gradle test reports
- Host a ZIP file
- Password-protected previews
Publish your Javadoc ZIP in seconds
Drop your apidocs or javadoc folder as a ZIP to get a live HTTPS link with no signup required.