diff --git a/.github/workflows/json_api.yml b/.github/workflows/json_api.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7a321a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/json_api.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+name: Dev API
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  push:
+    branches: [ dev, ci/** ]
+
+jobs:
+  macbuild:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: flucoma/actions/env@v4
+      - uses: flucoma/actions/docs@v4
+        with:
+          target: 'MAKE_RAW_REF'
+
+      - uses: dev-drprasad/delete-tag-and-release@v0.2.0
+        with:
+          delete_release: true # default: false
+          tag_name: api # tag name to delete
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: package and upload
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
+        with:
+          name: FluCoMa Max Nightly Release
+          body: "This is a nightly build of the FluCoMa Max package. As such, be warned there may be bugs or other unexpected behaviour. The build hash is ${{ github.sha }}"
+          files: 'build/flucoma.api.json'
+          prerelease: false
+          tag_name: api
+          draft: false
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 035a75a..4da7db2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ set(MAX_DOC_OUT "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/max_ref" CACHE PATH "")
 set(PD_DOC_OUT  "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pd_ref" CACHE PATH "")
 set(CLI_DOC_OUT  "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/cli_ref" CACHE PATH "") 
 set(SC_DOC_OUT  "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/sc_ref" CACHE PATH "") 
+set(RAW_DOC_OUT  "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}" CACHE PATH "") 
 # option(TESTS,"Run tests?")
 include(FetchContent)
 
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ add_ref_target(max "Making Max ref")
 add_ref_target(pd "Making PD ref")
 add_ref_target(cli "Making CLI ref")
 add_ref_target(sc "Making SC ref")
+add_ref_target(raw "Making raw API JSON")
 
 enable_testing()
 
diff --git a/flucoma/MakeRef.py b/flucoma/MakeRef.py
index 720b16e..bbe07ba 100644
--- a/flucoma/MakeRef.py
+++ b/flucoma/MakeRef.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def main(passed_args):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description='Generate FluCoMa documentation for a given host, using input JSON and YAML data and a jinja template')
 
-    parser.add_argument('host', choices=['max','pd','cli','sc'])
+    parser.add_argument('host', choices=['max','pd','cli','sc','raw'])
 
     parser.add_argument('json_path', type=Path,
                         help='Path to generated JSON client data')
@@ -84,16 +84,19 @@ def main(passed_args):
                     **host_settings)
                 )
             ) for c in clients     
-    }    
+    }
 
-    for c in index: 
-        render.client(c, index, args, host_settings)
+    if host_settings.get('template'): 
+         for c in index: 
+             render.client(c, index, args, host_settings)
 
-    if host_settings['post']: host_settings['post'](index,args)
-    
-    topics = list(Path('topics/').resolve().glob('*.yaml'))
-    for t in topics:
-        render.topic(load_topic_data(t),index, args, host_settings)
+    if host_settings['post']: 
+        host_settings['post'](index,args)
+
+    if host_settings.get('topic_template'):
+         topics = list(Path('topics/').resolve().glob('*.yaml'))
+         for t in topics: 
+           render.topic(load_topic_data(t),index, args, host_settings)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     main(sys.argv[1:])
diff --git a/flucoma/doc/raw/driver.py b/flucoma/doc/raw/driver.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9bcbc87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flucoma/doc/raw/driver.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# Part of the Fluid Corpus Manipulation Project (http://www.flucoma.org/)
+# Copyright 2017-2019 University of Huddersfield.
+# Licensed under the BSD-3 License.
+# See license.md file in the project root for full license information.
+# This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC)
+# under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
+# (grant agreement No 725899).
+
+import json
+from .. transformers import default_transform
+
+def transform_data(client, data):
+    return default_transform(client, data)
+
+def write_index(idx,program_args):
+    
+    path = program_args.output_path 
+    path.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    apifile = path / 'flucoma.api.json'
+    with open(apifile,'w') as f:
+        json.dump(idx,f,sort_keys=True, indent=4)
+    
+    maxdb_objs = {'maxdb':{'externals':{}}}
+
+settings = {   
+    'glob': '**/*.json', 
+    'transform': default_transform, 
+    'post': write_index, 
+    'defaults': None, 
+}