zod-openapi

A TypeScript library which uses Zod schemas to generate OpenAPI v3.1x documentation.

Installation

Install via npm, yarn, or pnpm:

1npm install zod zod-openapi
2# or
3yarn add zod zod-openapi
4# or
5pnpm install zod zod-openapi

Usage

.meta()

Use the .meta() method to add OpenAPI metadata to a Zod schema. It accepts an object with the following options:

You can also set standard OpenAPI properties directly in the .meta() method, such as:

1z.string().meta({
2  description: 'A text field',
3  example: 'Example value',
4});

createDocument

Generates an OpenAPI documentation object.

1import * as z from 'zod/v4';
2import { createDocument } from 'zod-openapi';
3
4const jobId = z.string().meta({
5  description: 'A unique identifier for a job',
6  example: '12345',
7  id: 'jobId',
8});
9
10const title = z.string().meta({
11  description: 'Job title',
12  example: 'My job',
13});
14
15const document = createDocument({
16  openapi: '3.1.0',
17  info: {
18    title: 'My API',
19    version: '1.0.0',
20  },
21  paths: {
22    '/jobs/{jobId}': {
23      put: {
24        requestParams: { path: z.object({ jobId }) },
25        requestBody: {
26          content: {
27            'application/json': { schema: z.object({ title }) },
28          },
29        },
30        responses: {
31          '200': {
32            description: '200 OK',
33            content: {
34              'application/json': { schema: z.object({ jobId, title }) },
35            },
36          },
37        },
38      },
39    },
40  },
41});

1{
2  "openapi": "3.1.0",
3  "info": {
4    "title": "My API",
5    "version": "1.0.0"
6  },
7  "paths": {
8    "/jobs/{jobId}": {
9      "put": {
10        "parameters": [
11          {
12            "in": "path",
13            "name": "jobId",
14            "description": "A unique identifier for a job",
15            "schema": {
16              "$ref": "#/components/schemas/jobId"
17            }
18          }
19        ],
20        "requestBody": {
21          "content": {
22            "application/json": {
23              "schema": {
24                "type": "object",
25                "properties": {
26                  "title": {
27                    "type": "string",
28                    "description": "Job title",
29                    "example": "My job"
30                  }
31                },
32                "required": ["title"]
33              }
34            }
35          }
36        },
37        "responses": {
38          "200": {
39            "description": "200 OK",
40            "content": {
41              "application/json": {
42                "schema": {
43                  "type": "object",
44                  "properties": {
45                    "jobId": {
46                      "$ref": "#/components/schemas/jobId"
47                    },
48                    "title": {
49                      "type": "string",
50                      "description": "Job title",
51                      "example": "My job"
52                    }
53                  },
54                  "required": ["jobId", "title"]
55                }
56              }
57            }
58          }
59        }
60      }
61    }
62  },
63  "components": {
64    "schemas": {
65      "jobId": {
66        "type": "string",
67        "description": "A unique identifier for a job",
68        "example": "12345"
69      }
70    }
71  }
72}

createDocument takes an optional options argument which can be used to modify how the document is created

1createDocument(doc, {
2  override: ({ jsonSchema, zodSchema, io }) => {
3    // Customize the schema generation
4    if (io === 'output') {
5      jsonSchema.type = 'string';
6    }
7  },
8});

CreateDocumentOptions

createSchema

Creates an OpenAPI Schema Object along with any registered components. OpenAPI 3.1.0 Schema Objects are fully compatible with JSON Schema.

1import * as z from 'zod/v4';
2import { createSchema } from 'zod-openapi';
3
4const jobId = z.string().meta({
5  description: 'A unique identifier for a job',
6  example: '12345',
7  id: 'jobId',
8});
9
10const title = z.string().meta({
11  description: 'Job title',
12  example: 'My job',
13});
14
15const job = z.object({
16  jobId,
17  title,
18});
19
20const { schema, components } = createSchema(job);

1{
2  "schema": {
3    "type": "object",
4    "properties": {
5      "jobId": {
6        "$ref": "#/components/schemas/jobId"
7      },
8      "title": {
9        "type": "string",
10        "description": "Job title",
11        "example": "My job"
12      }
13    },
14    "required": ["jobId", "title"]
15  },
16  "components": {
17    "jobId": {
18      "type": "string",
19      "description": "A unique identifier for a job",
20      "example": "12345"
21    }
22  }
23}

CreateSchemaOptions

createSchema takes an optional CreateSchemaOptions parameter which includes all options from CreateDocumentOptions plus the following:

1const { schema, components } = createSchema(job, {
2  // Input/Output context - controls how schemas are generated
3  io: 'input', // 'input' for request bodies/params, 'output' for responses
4  // Component handling
5  schemaComponents: { jobId: z.string() }, // Pre-defined components to use
6  schemaComponentRefPath: '#/definitions/', // Custom path prefix for component references
7  opts: {}, // Create Document Options,
8});

Request Parameters

Query, Path, Header & Cookie parameters can be created using the requestParams key under the method key as follows:

1createDocument({
2  paths: {
3    '/jobs/{a}': {
4      put: {
5        requestParams: {
6          path: z.object({ a: z.string() }),
7          query: z.object({ b: z.string() }),
8          cookie: z.object({ cookie: z.string() }),
9          header: z.object({ 'custom-header': z.string() }),
10        },
11      },
12    },
13  },
14});

If you would like to declare parameters in a more traditional way you may also declare them using the parameters key. The definitions will then all be combined.

1createDocument({
2  paths: {
3    '/jobs/{a}': {
4      put: {
5        parameters: [
6          z.string().meta({
7            param: {
8              name: 'job-header',
9              in: 'header',
10            },
11          }),
12        ],
13      },
14    },
15  },
16});

Request Body

Where you would normally declare the media type, set the schema as your Zod Schema as follows.

1createDocument({
2  paths: {
3    '/jobs': {
4      get: {
5        requestBody: {
6          content: {
7            'application/json': { schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }) },
8          },
9        },
10      },
11    },
12  },
13});

If you wish to use OpenAPI syntax for your schemas, simply add an OpenAPI schema to the schema field instead.

Responses

Similarly to the Request Body, simply set the schema as your Zod Schema as follows. You can set the response headers using the headers key.

1createDocument({
2  paths: {
3    '/jobs': {
4      get: {
5        responses: {
6          200: {
7            description: '200 OK',
8            content: {
9              'application/json': { schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }) },
10            },
11            headers: z.object({
12              'header-key': z.string(),
13            }),
14          },
15        },
16      },
17    },
18  },
19});

Callbacks

1createDocument({
2  paths: {
3    '/jobs': {
4      get: {
5        callbacks: {
6          onData: {
7            '{$request.query.callbackUrl}/data': {
8              post: {
9                requestBody: {
10                  content: {
11                    'application/json': { schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }) },
12                  },
13                },
14                responses: {
15                  200: {
16                    description: '200 OK',
17                    content: {
18                      'application/json': {
19                        schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }),
20                      },
21                    },
22                  },
23                },
24              },
25            },
26          },
27        },
28      },
29    },
30  },
31});

Creating Components

OpenAPI allows you to define reusable components and this library allows you to replicate that in two separate ways.

1. Auto registering schema
2. Manually registering schema

Schema

If we take the example in createDocument and instead create title as follows

Auto Registering Schema

1const title = z.string().meta({
2  description: 'Job title',
3  example: 'My job',
4  id: 'jobTitle', // <- new field
5});

Wherever title is used in schemas across the document, it will instead be created as a reference.

1{ "$ref": "#/components/schemas/jobTitle" }

title will then be outputted as a schema within the components section of the documentation.

1{
2  "components": {
3    "schemas": {
4      "jobTitle": {
5        "type": "string",
6        "description": "Job title",
7        "example": "My job"
8      }
9    }
10  }
11}

This is a great way to create less repetitive Open API documentation. There are some Open API features like discriminator mapping which require all schemas in the union to contain a ref.

Manually Registering Schema

Another way to register schema instead of adding a ref is to add it to the components directly. This will still work in the same way as ref. So whenever we run into that Zod type we will replace it with a reference.

eg.

1const title = z.string().meta({
2  description: 'Job title',
3  example: 'My job',
4});
5createDocument({
6  components: {
7    schemas: {
8      jobTitle: title, // this will register this Zod Schema as jobTitle unless `id` in `.meta()` is specified on the type
9    },
10  },
11});

Parameters

Query, Path, Header & Cookie parameters can be similarly registered:

1// Easy auto registration
2const jobId = z.string().meta({
3  description: 'Job ID',
4  example: '1234',
5  param: { id: 'jobRef' },
6});
7
8createDocument({
9  paths: {
10    '/jobs/{jobId}': {
11      put: {
12        requestParams: {
13          header: z.object({
14            jobId,
15          }),
16        },
17      },
18    },
19  },
20});
21
22// or more verbose auto registration
23const jobId = z.string().meta({
24  description: 'Job ID',
25  example: '1234',
26  param: { in: 'header', name: 'jobId', id: 'jobRef' },
27});
28
29createDocument({
30  paths: {
31    '/jobs/{jobId}': {
32      put: {
33        parameters: [jobId],
34      },
35    },
36  },
37});
38
39// or manual registration
40const otherJobId = z.string().meta({
41  description: 'Job ID',
42  example: '1234',
43  param: { in: 'header', name: 'jobId' },
44});
45
46createDocument({
47  components: {
48    parameters: {
49      jobRef: jobId,
50    },
51  },
52});

Response Headers

Response headers can be similarly registered:

1const header = z.string().meta({
2  description: 'Job ID',
3  example: '1234',
4  header: { id: 'some-header' },
5});
6
7// or
8
9const jobIdHeader = z.string().meta({
10  description: 'Job ID',
11  example: '1234',
12});
13
14createDocument({
15  components: {
16    headers: {
17      someHeaderRef: jobIdHeader,
18    },
19  },
20});

Responses

Entire Responses can also be registered

1const response: ZodOpenApiResponseObject = {
2  description: '200 OK',
3  content: {
4    'application/json': {
5      schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }),
6    },
7  },
8  id: 'some-response',
9};
10
11//or
12
13const response: ZodOpenApiResponseObject = {
14  description: '200 OK',
15  content: {
16    'application/json': {
17      schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }),
18    },
19  },
20};
21
22createDocument({
23  components: {
24    responses: {
25      'some-response': response,
26    },
27  },
28});

Callbacks

Callbacks can also be registered

1const callback: ZodOpenApiCallbackObject = {
2  id: 'some-callback'
3  post: {
4    responses: {
5      200: {
6        description: '200 OK',
7        content: {
8          'application/json': {
9            schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }),
10          },
11        },
12      },
13    },
14  },
15};
16
17//or
18
19const callback: ZodOpenApiCallbackObject = {
20  post: {
21    responses: {
22      200: {
23        description: '200 OK',
24        content: {
25          'application/json': {
26            schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }),
27          },
28        },
29      },
30    },
31  },
32};
33
34createDocument({
35  components: {
36    callbacks: {
37      'some-callback': callback,
38    },
39  },
40});

Path Items

Path Items can also be registered

1const pathItem: ZodOpenApiPathItemObject = {
2  id: 'some-path-item',
3  get: {
4    responses: {
5      200: {
6        description: '200 OK',
7        content: {
8          'application/json': {
9            schema: z.object({ a: z.string() }),
10          },
11        },
12      },
13    },
14  },
15};
16
17// or
18
19createDocument({
20  components: {
21    pathItems: {
22      'some-path-item': pathItem,
23    },
24  },
25});

Security Schemes

Security Schemes can be registered for authentication methods:

1createDocument({
2  components: {
3    securitySchemes: {
4      bearerAuth: {
5        type: 'http',
6        scheme: 'bearer',
7        bearerFormat: 'JWT',
8        description: 'JWT Authentication',
9      },
10    },
11  },
12});

Links

Links can be registered to describe relationships between operations:

1const link: ZodOpenApiLinkObject = {
2  id: 'getUserById',
3  operationId: 'getUser',
4  parameters: {
5    userId: '$request.path.id',
6  },
7  description: 'Link to get user by id',
8};
9
10// or
11
12createDocument({
13  components: {
14    links: {
15      getUserById: {
16        operationId: 'getUser',
17        parameters: {
18          userId: '$request.path.id',
19        },
20        description: 'Link to get user by id',
21      },
22    },
23  },
24});

Examples

Examples can be registered to provide sample values for schemas:

1const example: ZodOpenApiExampleObject = {
2  id: 'userExample',
3  summary: 'A sample user',
4  value: {
5    id: '123',
6    name: 'Jane Doe',
7    email: 'jane@example.com',
8  },
9};
10
11// or
12
13createDocument({
14  components: {
15    examples: {
16      userExample: {
17        summary: 'A sample user',
18        value: {
19          id: '123',
20          name: 'Jane Doe',
21          email: 'jane@example.com',
22        },
23      },
24    },
25  },
26});

Zod Types

Zod types are composed of two different parts: the input and the output. This library decides which type to create based on if it is used in a request or response context.

Input:

• Request Parameters (query, path, header, cookie)
• Request Body

Output:

• Response Body
• Response Headers

In general, you want to avoid using a registered input schema in an output context and vice versa. This is because the rendered input and output schemas of a simple Zod schema will differ, even with a simple Zod schema like z.object().

1const schema = z.object({
2  name: z.string(),
3});

Input schemas (request bodies, parameters):

1{
2  "type": "object",
3  "properties": {
4    "name": {
5      "type": "string"
6    }
7  },
8  "required": ["name"]
9}

Output schemas (responses):

1{
2  "type": "object",
3  "properties": {
4    "name": {
5      "type": "string"
6    }
7  },
8  "required": ["name"],
9  "additionalProperties": false
10}

When the same schema is referenced in both input and output contexts, the library generates two separate component schemas. This happens automatically when a schema with an ID is used in both contexts.

You can customize the output schema name by providing an outputId:

1const schema = z
2  .object({
3    name: z.string(),
4  })
5  .meta({
6    id: 'MyObject',
7    outputId: 'MyObjectResponse', // Customize the output schema name
8  });

You can also set a global suffix for output schemas or use z.looseObject() and z.strictObject() to have explicit control over the schema behavior.

⚠️ Note: If your registered schema contains dynamically created lazy components, they won't be reused between input and output schemas.

Supported OpenAPI Versions

Currently the following versions of OpenAPI are supported

• 3.1.0 (minimum version)
• 3.1.1

Setting the openapi field will change how the some of the components are rendered.

1createDocument({
2  openapi: '3.1.0',
3});

As an example z.string().nullable() will be rendered differently

3.0.0

1{
2  "type": "string",
3  "nullable": true
4}

3.1.0

1{
2  "type": ["string", "null"]
3}

Examples

See the library in use in the examples folder.

• Simple - setup | openapi.yml | redoc documentation

Ecosystem

• fastify-zod-openapi - Fastify plugin for zod-openapi. This includes type provider, Zod schema validation, Zod schema serialization and Swagger UI support.

• eslint-plugin-zod-openapi - Eslint rules for zod-openapi. This includes features which can autogenerate Typescript comments for your Zod types based on your description, example and deprecated fields.

Version Information

For information about changes and migration from v4 to v5, see the v5 migration guide.

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js LTS
• pnpm

1pnpm
2pnpm build

Test

1pnpm test

Lint

1# Fix issues
2pnpm format
3
4# Check for issues
5pnpm lint

Release

To release a new version

1. Create a new GitHub Release
2. Select 🏷️ Choose a tag, enter a version number. eg. v1.2.0 and click + Create new tag: vX.X.X on publish.
3. Click the Generate release notes button and adjust the description.
4. Tick the Set as the latest release box and click Publish release. This will trigger the Release workflow.
5. Check the Pull Requests tab for a PR labelled Release vX.X.X.
6. Click Merge Pull Request on that Pull Request to update master with the new package version.

To release a new beta version

1. Create a new GitHub Release
2. Select 🏷️ Choose a tag, enter a version number with a -beta.X suffix eg. v1.2.0-beta.1 and click + Create new tag: vX.X.X-beta.X on publish.
3. Click the Generate release notes button and adjust the description.
4. Tick the Set as a pre-release box and click Publish release. This will trigger the Prerelease workflow.