---
title: "Usage"
canonical_url: "https://tiptap.dev/docs/hocuspocus/server/usage"
---

# Usage

## Usage

There are two ways on how you can use hocuspocus. Either with the built-in server. Or with another framework, for
example with [Express](https://tiptap.dev/docs/hocuspocus/server/examples.md#express).

Since v4 Hocuspocus supports multiple runtimes: Node.js (with `ws` or `uWebSockets.js`), Bun, Deno, and Cloudflare Workers. The built-in `Server` class works as before for Node.js; for other runtimes use `Hocuspocus` directly and pass any `WebSocketLike` instance to `handleConnection()`. Node.js 22+ is required.

### Hocuspocus Server

Using the built-in server make sure to import `Server` from `@hocuspocus/server`. You configure the server as described
under [configuration](https://tiptap.dev/docs/hocuspocus/server/configuration.md). The built-in server spins up a webserver and a websocket server.

```js
import { Server } from "@hocuspocus/server";

const server = new Server({
  port: 1234,
});

server.listen();
```

You can access the instance of hocuspocus through the webserver to call its [methods](https://tiptap.dev/docs/hocuspocus/server/usage.md#methods).

```js
// …

server.hocuspocus.getDocumentsCount();
```

#### Stopping the server

Call `server.destroy()` to shut the server down cleanly — for example from a `SIGINT` / `SIGTERM` handler, in tests, or when hot-reloading during development.

```js
server.destroy();
```

### Hocuspocus

As mentioned earlier, you can use hocuspocus without the built-in server. Make sure to import `Hocuspocus` from the
`@hocuspocus/server` package.

```js
import { Hocuspocus } from "@hocuspocus/server";

// Configure hocuspocus
const hocuspocus = new Hocuspocus({
  name: "hocuspocus-fra1-01",
})

// …
```

Check out the [examples](https://tiptap.dev/docs/hocuspocus/server/examples.md) to learn more.

## Methods

### Server

| Method                   | Description       |
| ------------------------ | ----------------- |
| `listen(port, callback)` | Start the server. |
| `destroy()`              | Stop the server.  |

### Hocuspocus

| Method                                         | Description                                       |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| `configure(configuration)`                     | Pass custom settings.                             |
| `handleConnection(incoming, request, context)` | Bind the server to an existing server instance.   |
| `getDocumentsCount()`                          | Get the total number of active documents          |
| `getConnectionsCount()`                        | Get the total number of active connections        |
| `closeConnections(documentName?)`              | Close all connections, or to a specific document. |
| `openDirectConnection(documentName, context)`  | Creates a local connection to a document.         |