> Fetch clean Markdown by appending `.md` to any page URL under https://signalwire.com/docs or requesting it with the HTTP header `Accept: text/markdown`. The root index at https://signalwire.com/docs/llms.txt lists the available documentation indexes.

# serve

> Start the HTTP server (Python-compat alias for run).

[ref-run]: /docs/server-sdks/reference/typescript/agents/swml-service/run

[ref-asrouter]: /docs/server-sdks/reference/typescript/agents/swml-service/as-router

Start the HTTP server that serves the SWML document. This is a Python-compat
alias for [`run()`][ref-run] and forwards all
arguments unchanged. Use either name interchangeably -- pick `serve()` when
porting code from the Python SDK.

> **Note**
>
> Returns immediately when `SWAIG_CLI_MODE=true` is set, so the CLI testing
> tool can load the service without opening a port.

> **Warning**
>
> `serve()` (and `run()`) start a `@hono/node-server` instance that runs until
> explicitly stopped. For embedding into an existing application, use
> [`asRouter()`][ref-asrouter] to get a mountable Hono sub-app instead.

## **Parameters**

**`host`** `string`

Hostname to bind to. Defaults to the `host` passed to the constructor, or
`"0.0.0.0"`.

---

**`port`** `number`

Port number to listen on. Defaults to the `port` passed to the constructor,
which itself falls back to the `PORT` environment variable or `3000`.

---

**`opts`** `object`

Optional SSL/TLS overrides. Each field falls back to the matching value on
the service instance.

---

**`opts.sslCert`** `string`

Path to the SSL certificate file.

---

**`opts.sslKey`** `string`

Path to the SSL private key file.

---

**`opts.sslEnabled`** `boolean`

Override whether SSL/HTTPS is enabled for this run.

---

**`opts.domain`** `string`

Domain name associated with the SSL certificate.

---

## **Returns**

`Promise<void>` -- resolves once the listener is bound.

## **Example**

```typescript {8}
import { SWMLService } from '@signalwire/sdk';

const service = new SWMLService({ name: 'my-service', route: '/swml' });
service.addVerb('answer', {});
service.addVerb('play', { url: 'https://example.com/welcome.mp3' });

// Start on default host/port (0.0.0.0:3000)
await service.serve();

// Or override host and port
// await service.serve('127.0.0.1', 8080);
```

> Start the HTTP server (Python-compat alias for run).