diff --git a/.github/workflows/openfe-doc-build.yaml b/.github/workflows/openfe-doc-build.yaml
index 7b8b044..77c334d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/openfe-doc-build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/openfe-doc-build.yaml
@@ -2,26 +2,58 @@ name: Test openfe doc build
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  schedule:
+    # nightly tests, 2 am
+    - cron: "0 2 * * *"
+
+concurrency:
+  group: "${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}"
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+defaults:
+  run:
+    shell: bash -leo pipefail {0} 
 
 jobs:
   test-conda-build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout ExampleNotebooks repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          path: openfe/docs/
-      
       - name: Checkout conda-forge feedstock
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           repository: OpenFreeEnergy/openfe
           path: openfe
 
-      - name: Test file layout
+      - name: Checkout ExampleNotebooks repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          path: openfe/docs/ExampleNotebooks
+
+      - name: Get current date
+        id: date
+        run: echo "date=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+      
+      - name: Install doc environment
+        uses: mamba-org/setup-micromamba@v2
+        with:
+          environment-file: openfe/docs/environment.yaml
+          cache-environment: true
+          cache-downloads: true
+          cache-environment-key: environment-${{ steps.date.outputs.date }}
+          cache-downloads-key: downloads-${{ steps.date.outputs.date }}
+          init-shell: bash
+
+      - name: Build the docs
         run: |
-          pwd
-          ls -l
-          ls -l *
-          ls -l openfe/docs
+          cd openfe
+          # install so that we can get a version metadata we use in docs
+          pip install . --no-deps
+          cd docs
+          make html