diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 7f743db3b4a..8bb224d395f 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -43,35 +43,7 @@ Make sure you have the following prerequisites installed on your operating syste
   go version
   ```
 
-- [Hugo](https://gohugo.io/installation/) 
-
-
-  - Install a recent release of the Hugo "extended" version. If you install from
-    the [Hugo release page](https://github.com/gohugoio/hugo/releases), make sure
-    you download the `extended` version, which supports SCSS.
-
-    To verify run:
-
-    ```
-    hugo version
-    ```
-
-  - Install `PostCSS` so that the site build can create the final CSS assets. You
-    can install it locally by running the following commands from the root
-    directory of your project:
-
-    ```sh
-    npm install --save-dev autoprefixer
-    npm install --save-dev postcss-cli
-    ```
-
-    Starting in
-    [version 8 of `postcss-cli`](https://github.com/postcss/postcss-cli/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md),
-    you must also separately install `postcss`:
-
-    ```sh
-    npm install -D postcss
-    ```
+**Note:** The extended Hugo version and PostCSS are automatically managed via npm when you run `make setup`, so you do not need to install them globally.
 
 **Note:** If you're on a _Windows environment_ then it is highly recommended that you install [Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) both for performance and ease of use.
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 05a333703ef..199bd297fce 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -14,28 +14,34 @@
 
 include .github/build/Makefile.show-help.mk
 
+.PHONY: setup check-deps check-go build site clean docker format
+
 ## Install docs.layer5.io dependencies on your local machine.
 ## See https://gohugo.io/categories/installation
 setup:
 	npm install
 
 ## Run docs.layer5.io on your local machine with draft and future content enabled.
-site: check-go
-	hugo server -D -F
+site: check-deps check-go
+	npm run dev:site
 
 ## Build docs.layer5.io on your local machine.
-build:
-	hugo
+build: check-deps check-go
+	npm run dev:build
 
 docs-build-production:
 	npm run build:production
 
 ## Empty build cache and run docs.layer5.io on your local machine.
-clean: 
-	hugo --cleanDestinationDir
-	make site
-
-.PHONY: setup build site clean check-go docker
+clean:
+	npm run clean
+	$(MAKE) site
+
+check-deps:
+	@echo "Checking if 'npm' and local 'hugo' binary are present..."
+	@command -v npm > /dev/null || { echo "Error: 'npm' not found. Please install Node.js and npm."; exit 1; }
+	@test -x node_modules/.bin/hugo || { echo "Error: Hugo binary not found in node_modules. Please run 'make setup' first."; exit 1; }
+	@echo "Dependencies check passed."
 
 check-go:
 	@echo "Checking if Go is installed..."
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ee16b7c50a6..2de94885493 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ Explore tutorials and documentation by product in the https://docs.layer5.io web
 <details>
 
 <summary><h3>Build Docs with Golang</h3></summary>
-If your local development environment has a supported version (v1.21.0+) of Golang installed, next you'll need to install extended Hugo version as it has necessary SCSS/SASS support. Find all the Hugo packages here: <https://github.com/gohugoio/hugo/releases/tag/v0.120.4>
+If your local development environment has a supported version (v1.21.0+) of Golang installed, you are ready to proceed. The extended Hugo version (which has necessary SCSS/SASS support) is automatically managed by npm, so you do not need to install it globally.
 
 Now to setup and run the site locally execute:
 
-1. `make setup`
+1. `make setup` (This installs local dependencies, including Hugo)
 2. `make site`
 3. visit http://localhost:1313
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 42c0c0f47a2..05e06fbc1f9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@
   "bugs": "https://github.com/layer5io/docs/issues",
   "spelling": "cSpell:ignore HTMLTEST precheck postbuild -",
   "scripts": {
-    "_build": "npm run _hugo-dev",
+    "dev:site": "npm run _hugo-dev -- server",
+    "dev:build": "npm run _hugo-dev --",
+    "_build": "npm run _hugo-dev --",
     "_check:links": "echo IMPLEMENTATION PENDING for check-links; echo",
     "_hugo": "hugo --cleanDestinationDir",
-    "_hugo-dev": "npm run _hugo -- -e dev -DFE",
+    "_hugo-dev": "hugo --cleanDestinationDir -e dev -DFE",
     "_serve": "npm run _hugo-dev -- --minify serve",
     "build:preview": "npm run _hugo-dev -- --minify --baseURL \"${BASE_URL:-${DEPLOY_PRIME_URL:-/}}\"",
     "build:production": "npm run _hugo -- --minify --baseURL \"${BASE_URL:-/}\"",