diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b1115b5..d234114 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ This repository:
 
 - holds issues for new and general information for improving existing templates
 - downloads each template listed in the [data](./data) folder
-- deploys an API to https://api.mystmd.org
+- implements a lightweight API that serves an index of template metadata
+  - deploys that API to https://api.mystmd.org
 - automatically updates the organization readme
 
 ## Contributing a LaTeX or Typst Template
@@ -32,7 +33,46 @@ However, data-driven options specified by a `template.yml` are still passed to t
 
 [Fork this repo](https://github.com/myst-templates/templates/fork), make your change and open a PR.
 
-## Development
+## Modifying the Template Index
 
-Install the mini CLI tool using `npm install` and `npm run dev` (puts this in watch mode, so you can kill after the output is complete).
-Then call `myst-templates-api index data/tex.yml` from the main folder, which will create an index file and update the organization Readme.
+To add, remove or update a template in the index, you need to build and run the CLI tool.
+
+1. Install the mini CLI tool using `npm install`
+2. Run `npm run build:cli`
+3. Run `npm run link`
+
+After you have made your changes to a specific index file(s), call `myst-templates-api index data/tex.yml` from the main folder, which will create an index file and update the organization Readme.
+
+## Source locations
+
+- `./cli`: CLI for generating JSON data files from `data/x.yml` and template clone.
+- `./src`: Server for JSON data files.
+
+## Local deployment
+
+To run the API server locally for development and testing:
+
+0. `npm install`
+
+1. `git clone git@github.com:myst-templates/.github.git readme`
+
+The tool wants to populate a README with a list of templates. Provide
+it with an example.
+
+2. `npm run build`
+
+- Build CLI into `./dist`.
+- Build API server into `./api`.
+
+2. `node dist/myst-templates-api.cjs index data/*.yml`
+
+Combine JSON data files in `data/*.yml` with template information,
+obtained from cloned template repos.
+
+3. `npm run copy:data`
+
+Copy JSON data into `src/data`.
+
+4. `node server.js`
+
+Serve data on `https://localhost:10000`.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1c70a87..8aef582 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     "dev": "npm run link && esbuild cli/index.ts --bundle --outfile=dist/myst-templates-api.cjs --platform=node --watch",
     "build:cli": "esbuild cli/index.ts --bundle --outfile=dist/myst-templates-api.cjs --platform=node",
     "build:api": "esbuild src/index.ts src/utils.ts --outdir=api --platform=node --format=cjs",
-    "copy:data": "mkdir api && mkdir api/data && copyfiles -f src/data/*.json api/data",
+    "copy:data": "mkdir -p api/data && copyfiles -f src/data/*.json api/data",
     "build": "npm-run-all -l clean copy:data -p build:cli build:api",
     "compile": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "npm run compile",
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6aeaa4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+const app = require('./api/index.js');
+
+const PORT = process.env.PORT || 10000;
+app.listen(PORT, () => console.log(`Listening on ${PORT}`));