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Local — Run Pycora Pro

Now that Pycora Pro is installed, it's time to run it.

Pycora Pro runs with two terminals side by side:

  1. Terminal 1 — the Decap CMS proxy (lets you edit content in a browser)
  2. Terminal 2 — the dev server (builds your site and serves it at localhost:8000)

Both must run at the same time.

Step 1 — Open Two Terminals​

You need two terminal windows, both opened inside the Pycora Pro folder.

How to Open a Terminal in the Project Folder​

Windows:

  1. Open the pycora-pro folder in File Explorer
  2. Click the address bar at the top
  3. Type cmd and press Enter

Mac:

  • Right-click the pycora-pro folder → New Terminal at Folder

Linux:

  • Open Terminal, then: cd ~/pycora-pro

Do this twice — once for each terminal.

Step 2 — Start the Decap CMS Proxy (Terminal 1)​

In the first terminal, run:

npx decap-server

You should see something like:

Decap CMS Proxy Server listening on port 8001

Leave this terminal running. Do not close it.

First time? npx may ask you to install decap-server. Type y and press Enter.

Step 3 — Start the Dev Server (Terminal 2)​

In the second terminal, run:

python dev.py

You should see:

===================================================
  PYTHON SSG BY AXCORA
  PYCORA SSG by Axcora Technology - www.axcora.com
===================================================
  MEDUSA v2.4.6
  Local: http://localhost:8000/
===================================================
  Build complete in 0.87s - injected 41 files [HMR]
  Watching...

The dev server is now running.

Step 4 — Open Your Site​

Open your browser and go to:

http://localhost:8000

You should see your Pycora Pro site.

Step 5 — Open the CMS​

To edit content, open:

http://localhost:8000/admin/

You will see the Decap CMS login page. In local mode, no password is required — just click Login.

For a detailed CMS walkthrough, see Local — CMS Access.

How Live Reload Works​

The dev server watches your files. Every time you change:

  • .md files (content)
  • .yaml files (settings)
  • .html or .pax files (templates)
  • .css or .js files (styles and scripts)

...the site rebuilds automatically, and the browser refreshes.

You do not need to restart anything.

Step 6 — Stop the Servers​

When you are done:

  • In Terminal 1 (Decap server): press Ctrl + C
  • In Terminal 2 (dev server): press Ctrl + C

Both will stop cleanly.

Troubleshooting​

npx: command not found​

Node.js is not installed. See Getting Started — Step 2.

Port 8000 already in use​

Open dev.py in a text editor. Find the line:

port = 8000

Change it to 8081 or another free port. Save and restart.

Port 8001 already in use (Decap server)​

Another process is using port 8001. Close it, or restart your computer.

CMS shows "Cannot connect to localhost:8081"​

The Decap server is not running. Make sure Terminal 1 is still active.

CMS shows "Unrecognized front-matter format"​

The Decap server is not running from the correct folder. Close it and restart from inside the Pycora Pro folder.

Site is blank or 404​

  1. Make sure python ssg.py has been run at least once
  2. Check that output/ folder exists
  3. Refresh the browser with Ctrl + Shift + R

What's Next?​

Your site is running. Now let's open Decap CMS and start editing.

👉 Next: CMS Access →