diff --git a/demos/docxtemplater/README.md b/demos/docxtemplater/README.md
index 800280b7a0..92ea00d078 100644
--- a/demos/docxtemplater/README.md
+++ b/demos/docxtemplater/README.md
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
-# superdoc-docxtemplater-demo
+# Archived: Docxtemplater integration
-A demo of SuperDoc and Docxtemplater working together.
-
+This demo is no longer recommended and has been removed from the demo gallery.
-[Superdoc homepage](https://superdoc.dev/) |
-[Docxtemplater homepage](https://docxtemplater.com/)
+## Why archived
-# to run
-run the following commands in this directory:
-- `npm install`
-- `npm run dev`
+This was a third-party-library integration demo (SuperDoc + Docxtemplater) that pulled a heavy dependency stack (FontAwesome, jQuery, etc.) and was not actively maintained as a supported integration story.
-Boilerplate code generated by `create-vue`
+## Use instead
+
+For template merge workflows on top of SuperDoc, prefer:
+
+- [Document API](https://docs.superdoc.dev/document-api/overview) (`editor.doc.text.rewrite`, `editor.doc.insert`, `editor.doc.contentControls.*`) for programmatic content replacement.
+- [Template Builder](https://docs.superdoc.dev/solutions/template-builder/introduction) for an authoring component on top of content controls.
+- [`demos/contract-templates`](../contract-templates) for the worked content-controls workflow demo.
+
+The source in this directory is kept for archival reference but is not maintained.
diff --git a/demos/loading-from-json/README.md b/demos/loading-from-json/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8d7274dceb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/demos/loading-from-json/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Archived: loading editor JSON
+
+This demo is no longer recommended and has been removed from the demo gallery.
+
+## Why archived
+
+There is no public `editor.loadJSON()` API. The supported path for providing initial document state from JSON is the `jsonOverride` option passed to `SuperDoc` at construction time. This demo predates that surface and never had a README.
+
+## Use instead
+
+- The `jsonOverride` option on `SuperDoc`, set at init time. Documented under the SuperDoc configuration reference.
+- For inserting JSON content into an existing document, `editor.doc.insert` with the structural insert input shape.
+
+The source in this directory is kept for archival reference but is not maintained.
diff --git a/demos/manifest.json b/demos/manifest.json
index a691055459..10f9496866 100644
--- a/demos/manifest.json
+++ b/demos/manifest.json
@@ -156,20 +156,6 @@
"stackblitz": true,
"review": "Candidate for an import/export or Document Engine example."
},
- {
- "id": "docxtemplater",
- "title": "Docxtemplater integration",
- "description": "Use SuperDoc with Docxtemplater.",
- "category": "Integrations",
- "sourceRepo": "superdoc-dev/superdoc",
- "sourcePath": "demos/docxtemplater",
- "docs": null,
- "thumbnail": "demos/docxtemplater/demo-thumbnail.png",
- "liveUrl": null,
- "homepage": false,
- "stackblitz": true,
- "review": "Decide whether this belongs in monorepo demos or live integrations."
- },
{
"id": "fields-source",
"title": "Fields source demo",
@@ -198,20 +184,6 @@
"stackblitz": true,
"review": "Move to Advanced unless document sections become a primary docs surface."
},
- {
- "id": "text-selection",
- "title": "Programmatic text selection",
- "description": "Programmatic selection using low-level editor state.",
- "category": "Advanced",
- "sourceRepo": "superdoc-dev/superdoc",
- "sourcePath": "demos/text-selection",
- "docs": "https://docs.superdoc.dev/editor/custom-ui/selection-and-viewport",
- "thumbnail": "demos/text-selection/demo-thumbnail.png",
- "liveUrl": null,
- "homepage": false,
- "stackblitz": true,
- "review": "Review against the Custom UI selection and viewport APIs."
- },
{
"id": "html-editor",
"title": "HTML editor",
@@ -226,20 +198,6 @@
"stackblitz": true,
"review": "Move to Advanced or archive as a legacy compatibility shim."
},
- {
- "id": "loading-from-json",
- "title": "Load from JSON",
- "description": "Load editor JSON into SuperDoc.",
- "category": "Advanced",
- "sourceRepo": "superdoc-dev/superdoc",
- "sourcePath": "demos/loading-from-json",
- "docs": null,
- "thumbnail": "demos/loading-from-json/demo-thumbnail.png",
- "liveUrl": null,
- "homepage": false,
- "stackblitz": true,
- "review": "Keep only if JSON import remains a supported public path."
- },
{
"id": "nextjs-ssr",
"title": "Next.js SSR",
@@ -254,48 +212,6 @@
"stackblitz": false,
"review": "Compare with examples/getting-started/nextjs before keeping."
},
- {
- "id": "nodejs",
- "title": "Node.js headless server",
- "description": "Headless Node server using legacy Editor commands.",
- "category": "Document Engine",
- "sourceRepo": "superdoc-dev/superdoc",
- "sourcePath": "demos/nodejs",
- "docs": "https://docs.superdoc.dev/document-engine/overview",
- "thumbnail": "demos/nodejs/demo-thumbnail.png",
- "liveUrl": null,
- "homepage": false,
- "stackblitz": false,
- "review": "Rewrite or replace with Document Engine SDK/CLI examples."
- },
- {
- "id": "replace-content",
- "title": "Replace content",
- "description": "Replace document or selection content with HTML or JSON.",
- "category": "Document Engine",
- "sourceRepo": "superdoc-dev/superdoc",
- "sourcePath": "demos/replace-content",
- "docs": "https://docs.superdoc.dev/document-api/common-workflows",
- "thumbnail": "demos/replace-content/demo-thumbnail.png",
- "liveUrl": null,
- "homepage": false,
- "stackblitz": true,
- "review": "Update to Document API before moving."
- },
- {
- "id": "toolbar",
- "title": "Toolbar customization",
- "description": "Built-in toolbar custom button plus custom node authoring.",
- "category": "Advanced",
- "sourceRepo": "superdoc-dev/superdoc",
- "sourcePath": "demos/toolbar",
- "docs": "https://docs.superdoc.dev/editor/built-in-ui/toolbar",
- "thumbnail": "demos/toolbar/demo-thumbnail.png",
- "liveUrl": null,
- "homepage": false,
- "stackblitz": true,
- "review": "Split toolbar configuration from custom node authoring."
- },
{
"id": "shim-react",
"title": "React starter shim",
diff --git a/demos/nodejs/README.md b/demos/nodejs/README.md
index c1a73ff77f..77a97212b6 100644
--- a/demos/nodejs/README.md
+++ b/demos/nodejs/README.md
@@ -1,30 +1,15 @@
-# SuperDoc: Node.js Example
+# Archived: headless Node.js Editor
-A headless Node.js example using SuperDoc's Editor class with Express.
+This demo is no longer recommended and has been removed from the demo gallery.
-> Requires Node >= 20. Earlier versions are missing the `File` object. If you must use Node < 20, see the file polyfill in this example.
+## Why archived
-## Quick start
+This demo wrapped SuperDoc's `Editor` class directly behind an Express server, which predates the supported server-side path. Headless Document API operations now run through the Node SDK and the CLI, which keep the same `editor.doc.*` surface as the browser editor.
-```bash
-npm install && npm run dev
-```
+## Use instead
-Runs an Express server at `http://localhost:3000` with a single root endpoint that returns a `.docx` file.
+- [`examples/editor/collaboration/backends/node-sdk`](../../examples/editor/collaboration/backends/node-sdk) for a headless Node client that mutates documents through the Document API.
+- [`examples/document-engine/ai-redlining`](../../examples/document-engine/ai-redlining) for a server-side AI-driven flow with the same engine.
+- [Document Engine SDKs](https://docs.superdoc.dev/document-engine/sdks) for the full surface.
-## Usage
-
-```
-# Returns the unchanged .docx template
-http://localhost:3000
-
-# Insert text
-http://localhost:3000?text=hello world!
-
-# Insert HTML
-http://localhost:3000?html=I am a paragraph
I AM BOLD!
-```
-
-## Additional docs
-
-See the [SuperDoc docs](https://docs.superdoc.dev/advanced/supereditor/methods) for all available editor commands and hooks.
+The source in this directory is kept for archival reference but is not maintained.
diff --git a/demos/replace-content/README.md b/demos/replace-content/README.md
index 363c66360c..25dec73fd2 100644
--- a/demos/replace-content/README.md
+++ b/demos/replace-content/README.md
@@ -1,26 +1,15 @@
-# Replace Content Example
+# Archived: replace content
-A React example demonstrating how to replace document content with HTML or JSON using SuperDoc.
+This demo is no longer recommended and has been removed from the demo gallery.
-## Features
+## Why archived
-- Load DOCX documents
-- Replace entire document or selection with custom content
-- Switch between HTML and JSON input formats
-- Side panel with content replacement controls
+This demo replaced document content via the pre-Document-API editor commands. The supported path is the `editor.doc.*` Document API, which gives you typed inputs, dry-run previews, and the same operation IDs across browser, Node SDK, and CLI.
-## Usage
+## Use instead
-1. Load a document using "Load Document" button
-2. Open the side panel using the tab on the right
-3. Choose replacement scope (Document or Selection)
-4. Select content type (HTML or JSON)
-5. Enter your content in the textarea
-6. Click "Replace content" to apply changes
+- `editor.doc.text.rewrite`, `editor.doc.insert`, `editor.doc.delete`, `editor.doc.replace` for content mutations.
+- [`examples/document-api/content-controls/tagged-inline-text`](../../examples/document-api/content-controls/tagged-inline-text) and [`examples/document-api/metadata-anchors`](../../examples/document-api/metadata-anchors) for primitive-led Document API examples.
+- [Document API overview](https://docs.superdoc.dev/document-api/overview).
-## Running
-
-```bash
-npm install
-npm run dev
-```
\ No newline at end of file
+The source in this directory is kept for archival reference but is not maintained.
diff --git a/demos/text-selection/README.md b/demos/text-selection/README.md
index f99f7f993d..e1e29a8323 100644
--- a/demos/text-selection/README.md
+++ b/demos/text-selection/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
-# SuperDoc - Programmatic Text Selection Example
+# Archived: programmatic text selection
-This React-based example shows how SuperDoc can select text in a document relative to the cursor's position.
+This demo is no longer recommended and has been removed from the demo gallery.
-- [Based on character count](https://github.com/superdoc-dev/superdoc/blob/main/demos/text-selection/src/App.jsx)
-- [Or, just grab the whole line](https://github.com/superdoc-dev/superdoc/blob/main/demos/text-selection/src/App.jsx)
+## Why archived
+
+This demo reached into ProseMirror's `TextSelection` and `activeEditor.view` directly, which predates the supported Custom UI selection surface. The recommended path is the `ui.selection.*` and `ui.viewport.*` handles, which give you capture, restore, anchor rects, and viewport-relative geometry without reaching into editor internals.
+
+## Use instead
+
+- [`examples/editor/custom-ui/selection-capture`](../../examples/editor/custom-ui/selection-capture) for the smallest selection-capture/restore lesson.
+- [Custom UI: selection and viewport](https://docs.superdoc.dev/editor/custom-ui/selection-and-viewport) for the conceptual guide.
+- `ui.selection.capture`, `ui.selection.restore`, `ui.selection.getAnchorRect`, `ui.viewport.scrollIntoView` for the supported APIs.
+
+The source in this directory is kept for archival reference but is not maintained.
diff --git a/demos/toolbar/README.md b/demos/toolbar/README.md
index 8259750058..012a71ea2a 100644
--- a/demos/toolbar/README.md
+++ b/demos/toolbar/README.md
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-# SuperDoc: Customizing the Toolbar
+# Archived: customizing the toolbar
-An example of how to add a custom button to the SuperDoc toolbar. This custom button inserts a random cat GIF into the document.
+This demo is no longer recommended and has been removed from the demo gallery.
-[We define the custom button in the `modules.toolbar.customButtons` option](https://github.com/superdoc-dev/superdoc/blob/main/demos/toolbar/src/main.js)
+## Why archived
-The button's action is to insert a custom `catNode`. [The custom node and its Prosemirror click-handler plugin are defined in the same file](https://github.com/superdoc-dev/superdoc/blob/main/demos/toolbar/src/main.js).
+This demo bundled two unrelated lessons into one workspace: configuring a custom toolbar button, and authoring a custom ProseMirror node (a "cat GIF" node). Each lesson is now covered cleanly by its own focused example.
-It is also possible to fully replace the toolbar with your own: [Headless Toolbar](https://docs.superdoc.dev/editor/built-in-ui/toolbar/overview#learn-more)
+## Use instead
-More customization options here: https://docs.superdoc.dev/editor/built-in-ui/toolbar/overview
+- [`examples/editor/custom-ui/configurable-toolbar`](../../examples/editor/custom-ui/configurable-toolbar) for the toolbar configuration lesson.
+- [`examples/advanced/extensions/custom-node`](../../examples/advanced/extensions/custom-node) for the custom-node authoring lesson.
+
+The source in this directory is kept for archival reference but is not maintained.