diff --git a/docs/api/README.md b/docs/api/README.md
index e181bc898..2b5d9a298 100644
--- a/docs/api/README.md
+++ b/docs/api/README.md
@@ -1,108 +1,60 @@
-# Pipecat Documentation
+# Pipecat API Documentation
 
-This directory contains the source files for auto-generating Pipecat's server API reference documentation.
-
-## Setup
-
-1. Install documentation dependencies:
-
-```bash
-pip install -r requirements.txt
-```
-
-2. Make the build scripts executable:
-
-```bash
-chmod +x build-docs.sh rtd-test.py
-```
+This directory contains the source files for auto-generating Pipecat's API reference documentation.
 
 ## Building Documentation
 
-From this directory, you can build the documentation in several ways:
-
-### Local Build
+From this directory:
 
 ```bash
-# Using the build script (automatically opens docs when done)
-./build-docs.sh
+# Build docs (warnings shown but don't fail the build)
+cd docs/api && uv run ./build-docs.sh
 
-# Or directly with sphinx-build
-sphinx-build -b html . _build/html -W --keep-going
+# Build with strict mode (warnings treated as errors)
+cd docs/api && uv run ./build-docs.sh --strict
 ```
 
-### ReadTheDocs Test Build
+The build script will:
 
-To test the documentation build process exactly as it would run on ReadTheDocs:
-
-```bash
-./rtd-test.py
-```
-
-This script:
-
-- Creates a fresh virtual environment
-- Installs all dependencies as specified in requirements files
-- Handles conflicting dependencies (like grpcio versions for Riva)
-- Builds the documentation in an isolated environment
-- Provides detailed logging of the build process
-
-Use this script to verify your documentation will build correctly on ReadTheDocs before pushing changes.
-
-## Viewing Documentation
-
-The built documentation will be available at `_build/html/index.html`. To open:
-
-```bash
-# On MacOS
-open _build/html/index.html
-
-# On Linux
-xdg-open _build/html/index.html
-
-# On Windows
-start _build/html/index.html
-```
+1. Install documentation dependencies via `uv sync --group docs`
+2. Clean previous build output
+3. Run `sphinx-build` to generate HTML documentation
+4. Open the result in your browser (macOS)
 
 ## Directory Structure
 
 ```
 .
-├── api/            # Auto-generated API documentation
-├── _build/         # Built documentation
-├── _static/        # Static files (images, css, etc.)
-├── conf.py         # Sphinx configuration
+├── api/            # Auto-generated API documentation (created during build)
+├── _build/         # Built documentation output
+├── conf.py         # Sphinx configuration (mock imports, extensions, etc.)
 ├── index.rst       # Main documentation entry point
-├── requirements-base.txt    # Base documentation dependencies
-├── requirements-riva.txt    # Riva-specific dependencies
 ├── build-docs.sh   # Local build script
-└── rtd-test.py     # ReadTheDocs test build script
+└── rtd-test.sh     # ReadTheDocs test build script (uses pip, not uv)
 ```
 
-## Notes
+## How It Works
 
-- Documentation is auto-generated from Python docstrings
-- Service modules are automatically detected and included
-- The build process matches our ReadTheDocs configuration
-- Warnings are treated as errors (-W flag) to maintain consistency
-- The --keep-going flag ensures all errors are reported
-- Dependencies are split into multiple requirements files to handle version conflicts
+- `conf.py` runs `sphinx-apidoc` during Sphinx's `setup()` phase to generate `.rst` files from Python source
+- Sphinx autodoc imports each module to extract docstrings
+- Modules with unavailable dependencies are listed in `autodoc_mock_imports` in `conf.py`
+- Napoleon extension converts Google-style docstrings to reStructuredText
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
-If you encounter missing service modules:
+**Module not appearing in docs:**
 
-1. Verify the service is installed with its extras: `pip install pipecat-ai[service-name]`
-2. Check the build logs for import errors
-3. Ensure the service module is properly initialized in the package
-4. Run `./rtd-test.py` to test in an isolated environment matching ReadTheDocs
+1. Check the build output for `autodoc: failed to import` warnings
+2. If the module has an unresolvable import dependency, add it to `autodoc_mock_imports` in `conf.py`
+3. Verify the module is importable: `uv run python -c "import pipecat.module.name"`
 
-For dependency conflicts:
+**Duplicate object warnings:**
 
-1. Check the requirements files for version specifications
-2. Use `rtd-test.py` to verify dependency resolution
-3. Consider adding service-specific requirements files if needed
+These come from re-export modules or Sphinx discovering the same class through multiple import paths. Usually cosmetic.
 
-For more information:
+**Docstring formatting warnings:**
 
-- [ReadTheDocs Configuration](.readthedocs.yaml)
-- [Sphinx Documentation](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/)
+Docstrings use reStructuredText, not Markdown. Common issues:
+- Use `Example::` with indented code blocks, not `` ```python ``
+- Ensure blank lines between directive content and subsequent sections
+- Use `Parameters:` (not `Attributes:`) for dataclass field documentation to avoid duplicate entries
diff --git a/docs/api/build-docs.sh b/docs/api/build-docs.sh
index 3a7f6bd20..ad0c1b609 100755
--- a/docs/api/build-docs.sh
+++ b/docs/api/build-docs.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+# Usage: ./build-docs.sh [--strict]
+#   --strict: Treat warnings as errors (default: warnings only)
+
+SPHINX_OPTS=""
+if [ "$1" = "--strict" ]; then
+    SPHINX_OPTS="-W --keep-going"
+fi
+
 # Build docs using uv
 echo "Installing dependencies with uv..."
 uv sync --group docs --all-extras --no-extra gstreamer --no-extra local_smart_turn --no-extra moondream --no-extra mlx-whisper
@@ -14,8 +22,7 @@ fi
 rm -rf _build
 
 echo "Building documentation..."
-# Build docs matching ReadTheDocs configuration
-uv run sphinx-build -b html -d _build/doctrees . _build/html -W --keep-going
+uv run sphinx-build -b html -d _build/doctrees . _build/html $SPHINX_OPTS
 
 if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
     echo "Documentation built successfully!"