diff --git a/content/index.md b/content/index.md
index 9b60cff..ff51dab 100644
--- a/content/index.md
+++ b/content/index.md
@@ -30,4 +30,3 @@ For a comprehensive list of features, visit the [features page](/features). You
 
 ### 🚧 Troubleshooting
 Having trouble with Quartz? Try searching for your issue using the search feature. If you're still having trouble, feel free to [submit an issue](https://github.com/jackyzha0/quartz/issues) if you feel you found a bug or ask for help in our [Discord Community](https://discord.gg/cRFFHYye7t).
-
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 45ad89e..6ec3910 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,18 +1,19 @@
 {
   "name": "@jackyzha0/quartz",
-  "version": "4.0.4",
+  "version": "4.0.5",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@jackyzha0/quartz",
-      "version": "4.0.4",
+      "version": "4.0.5",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@clack/prompts": "^0.6.3",
         "@floating-ui/dom": "^1.4.0",
         "@napi-rs/simple-git": "^0.1.8",
         "chalk": "^4.1.2",
+        "chokidar": "^3.5.3",
         "cli-spinner": "^0.2.10",
         "d3": "^7.8.5",
         "esbuild-sass-plugin": "^2.9.0",
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@
         "unist-util-visit": "^4.1.2",
         "vfile": "^5.3.7",
         "workerpool": "^6.4.0",
+        "ws": "^8.13.0",
         "yargs": "^17.7.2"
       },
       "bin": {
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@
         "@types/pretty-time": "^1.1.2",
         "@types/serve-handler": "^6.1.1",
         "@types/workerpool": "^6.4.0",
+        "@types/ws": "^8.5.5",
         "@types/yargs": "^17.0.24",
         "esbuild": "^0.18.11",
         "tsx": "^3.12.7",
@@ -1498,6 +1501,15 @@
         "@types/node": "*"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/@types/ws": {
+      "version": "8.5.5",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/ws/-/ws-8.5.5.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-lwhs8hktwxSjf9UaZ9tG5M03PGogvFaH8gUgLNbN9HKIg0dvv6q+gkSuJ8HN4/VbyxkuLzCjlN7GquQ0gUJfIg==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@types/node": "*"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/@types/yargs": {
       "version": "17.0.24",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/yargs/-/yargs-17.0.24.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 622c38a..8b0af9c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     "@floating-ui/dom": "^1.4.0",
     "@napi-rs/simple-git": "^0.1.8",
     "chalk": "^4.1.2",
+    "chokidar": "^3.5.3",
     "cli-spinner": "^0.2.10",
     "d3": "^7.8.5",
     "esbuild-sass-plugin": "^2.9.0",
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@
     "unist-util-visit": "^4.1.2",
     "vfile": "^5.3.7",
     "workerpool": "^6.4.0",
+    "ws": "^8.13.0",
     "yargs": "^17.7.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@
     "@types/pretty-time": "^1.1.2",
     "@types/serve-handler": "^6.1.1",
     "@types/workerpool": "^6.4.0",
+    "@types/ws": "^8.5.5",
     "@types/yargs": "^17.0.24",
     "esbuild": "^0.18.11",
     "tsx": "^3.12.7",
diff --git a/quartz/bootstrap-cli.mjs b/quartz/bootstrap-cli.mjs
index 411a70e..b4bf3a9 100755
--- a/quartz/bootstrap-cli.mjs
+++ b/quartz/bootstrap-cli.mjs
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ const BuildArgv = {
   serve: {
     boolean: true,
     default: false,
-    describe: 'run a local server to preview your Quartz'
+    describe: 'run a local server to live-preview your Quartz'
   },
   port: {
     number: true,
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ See the [documentation](https://quartz.jzhao.xyz) for how to get started.
           setup(build) {
             build.onLoad({ filter: /\.inline\.(ts|js)$/ }, async (args) => {
               let text = await promises.readFile(args.path, 'utf8')
+
               // remove default exports that we manually inserted
               text = text.replace('export default', '')
               text = text.replace('export', '')
diff --git a/quartz/build.ts b/quartz/build.ts
index de3f547..2ab7654 100644
--- a/quartz/build.ts
+++ b/quartz/build.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import 'source-map-support/register.js'
 import path from "path"
 import { PerfTimer } from "./perf"
 import { rimraf } from "rimraf"
-import { globby } from "globby"
+import { globby, isGitIgnored } from "globby"
 import chalk from "chalk"
 import http from "http"
 import serveHandler from "serve-handler"
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ import { filterContent } from "./processors/filter"
 import { emitContent } from "./processors/emit"
 import cfg from "../quartz.config"
 import { FilePath } from "./path"
+import chokidar from "chokidar"
+import { ProcessedContent } from './plugins/vfile'
+import WebSocket, { WebSocketServer } from 'ws'
 
 interface Argv {
   directory: string
@@ -51,10 +54,53 @@ export default async function buildQuartz(argv: Argv, version: string) {
   const filePaths = fps.map(fp => `${argv.directory}${path.sep}${fp}` as FilePath)
   const parsedFiles = await parseMarkdown(cfg.plugins.transformers, argv.directory, filePaths, argv.verbose)
   const filteredContent = filterContent(cfg.plugins.filters, parsedFiles, argv.verbose)
-  await emitContent(argv.directory, output, cfg, filteredContent, argv.verbose)
+  await emitContent(argv.directory, output, cfg, filteredContent, argv.serve, argv.verbose)
   console.log(chalk.green(`Done processing ${fps.length} files in ${perf.timeSince()}`))
 
   if (argv.serve) {
+    const wss = new WebSocketServer({ port: 3001 })
+    const connections: WebSocket[] = []
+    wss.on('connection', ws => connections.push(ws))
+
+    const ignored = await isGitIgnored()
+    const contentMap = new Map<FilePath, ProcessedContent>()
+    for (const content of parsedFiles) {
+      const [_tree, vfile] = content
+      contentMap.set(vfile.data.filePath!, content)
+    }
+
+    async function rebuild(fp: string, action: 'add' | 'change' | 'unlink') {
+      perf.addEvent('rebuild')
+      if (!ignored(fp)) {
+        console.log(chalk.yellow(`Detected change in ${fp}, rebuilding...`))
+        const fullPath = `${argv.directory}${path.sep}${fp}` as FilePath
+        if (action === 'add' || action === 'change') {
+          const [parsedContent] = await parseMarkdown(cfg.plugins.transformers, argv.directory, [fullPath], argv.verbose)
+          contentMap.set(fullPath, parsedContent)
+        } else if (action === 'unlink') {
+          contentMap.delete(fullPath)
+        }
+
+        await rimraf(output)
+        const parsedFiles = [...contentMap.values()]
+        const filteredContent = filterContent(cfg.plugins.filters, parsedFiles, argv.verbose)
+        await emitContent(argv.directory, output, cfg, filteredContent, argv.serve, argv.verbose)
+        console.log(chalk.green(`Done rebuilding in ${perf.timeSince('rebuild')}`))
+        connections.forEach(conn => conn.send('rebuild'))
+      }
+    }
+
+    const watcher = chokidar.watch('.', {
+      persistent: true,
+      cwd: argv.directory,
+      ignoreInitial: true,
+    })
+
+    watcher
+      .on('add', fp => rebuild(fp, 'add'))
+      .on('change', fp => rebuild(fp, 'change'))
+      .on('unlink', fp => rebuild(fp, 'unlink'))
+
     const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
       await serveHandler(req, res, {
         public: output,
@@ -62,10 +108,10 @@ export default async function buildQuartz(argv: Argv, version: string) {
       })
       const status = res.statusCode
       const statusString = (status >= 200 && status < 300) ?
-        chalk.green(`[${status}]`) : 
+        chalk.green(`[${status}]`) :
         (status >= 300 && status < 400) ?
-        chalk.yellow(`[${status}]`) :
-        chalk.red(`[${status}]`) 
+          chalk.yellow(`[${status}]`) :
+          chalk.red(`[${status}]`)
       console.log(statusString + chalk.grey(` ${req.url}`))
     })
     server.listen(argv.port)
diff --git a/quartz/processors/emit.ts b/quartz/processors/emit.ts
index 0276ad4..2b9fe92 100644
--- a/quartz/processors/emit.ts
+++ b/quartz/processors/emit.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import { EmitCallback } from "../plugins/types"
 import { ProcessedContent } from "../plugins/vfile"
 import { FilePath, QUARTZ, slugifyFilePath } from "../path"
 import { globbyStream } from "globby"
-import chalk from "chalk"
 
 // @ts-ignore
 import spaRouterScript from '../components/scripts/spa.inline'
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ import { QuartzLogger } from "../log"
 import { googleFontHref } from "../theme"
 import { trace } from "../trace"
 
-function addGlobalPageResources(cfg: GlobalConfiguration, staticResources: StaticResources, componentResources: ComponentResources) {
+function addGlobalPageResources(cfg: GlobalConfiguration, reloadScript: boolean, staticResources: StaticResources, componentResources: ComponentResources) {
   staticResources.css.push(googleFontHref(cfg.theme))
 
   // popovers
@@ -64,9 +63,20 @@ function addGlobalPageResources(cfg: GlobalConfiguration, staticResources: Stati
       document.dispatchEvent(event)`
     )
   }
+
+  if (reloadScript) {
+    staticResources.js.push({
+      loadTime: "afterDOMReady",
+      contentType: "inline",
+      script: `
+        const socket = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:3001')
+        socket.addEventListener('message', () => document.location.reload())
+      `
+    })
+  }
 }
 
-export async function emitContent(contentFolder: string, output: string, cfg: QuartzConfig, content: ProcessedContent[], verbose: boolean) {
+export async function emitContent(contentFolder: string, output: string, cfg: QuartzConfig, content: ProcessedContent[], reloadScript: boolean, verbose: boolean) {
   const perf = new PerfTimer()
   const log = new QuartzLogger(verbose)
 
@@ -88,18 +98,18 @@ export async function emitContent(contentFolder: string, output: string, cfg: Qu
   // important that this goes *after* component scripts 
   // as the "nav" event gets triggered here and we should make sure 
   // that everyone else had the chance to register a listener for it
-  addGlobalPageResources(cfg.configuration, staticResources, componentResources)
+  addGlobalPageResources(cfg.configuration, reloadScript, staticResources, componentResources)
 
-  // emit in one go
+  let emittedFiles = 0
   const emittedResources = await emitComponentResources(cfg.configuration, componentResources, emit)
   if (verbose) {
     for (const file of emittedResources) {
+      emittedFiles += 1
       console.log(`[emit:Resources] ${file}`)
     }
   }
 
   // emitter plugins
-  let emittedFiles = 0
   for (const emitter of cfg.plugins.emitters) {
     try {
       const emitted = await emitter.emit(contentFolder, cfg.configuration, content, staticResources, emit)