diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cab916ab122..5d3337388ac 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -192,3 +192,8 @@ src/ansys/grpc/
 
 # C extensions
 *.so
+
+# Ignore auto-generated API reference
+doc/source/api
+doc/source/examples
+doc/source/images/auto-generated
diff --git a/doc/source/conf.py b/doc/source/conf.py
index 40622c67f3a..b9f6f7810d4 100644
--- a/doc/source/conf.py
+++ b/doc/source/conf.py
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
-import os
-import sys
-from glob import glob
 from datetime import datetime
+from glob import glob
+import os
 
+from ansys_sphinx_theme import (
+    ansys_favicon,
+    get_version_match,
+    pyansys_logo_dark_mode,
+    pyansys_logo_light_mode,
+)
 import numpy as np
 import pyvista
+
 from ansys.dpf.core import __version__, server, server_factory
 from ansys.dpf.core.examples import get_example_required_minimum_dpf_version
-from ansys_sphinx_theme import ansys_favicon, get_version_match, pyansys_logo_light_mode, pyansys_logo_dark_mode
 
 # Manage errors
 pyvista.set_error_output_file("errors.txt")
@@ -161,9 +166,11 @@
 
 
 def reset_servers(gallery_conf, fname, when):
+    import gc
+
     import psutil
+
     from ansys.dpf.core import server
-    import gc
 
     gc.collect()
     server.shutdown_all_session_servers()
@@ -174,7 +181,7 @@ def reset_servers(gallery_conf, fname, when):
         try:
             # check whether the process name matches
             if proc_name in proc.name():
-                # proc.kill()
+                proc.kill()
                 nb_procs += 1
         except psutil.NoSuchProcess:
             pass
@@ -259,7 +266,7 @@ def reset_servers(gallery_conf, fname, when):
 
 # Configuration for Sphinx autoapi
 suppress_warnings = [
-    "autoapi.python_import_resolution", # Todo: remove suppression of this warning in the future
+    "autoapi.python_import_resolution", # TODO: remove suppression of this warning in the future #1967
     "design.grid",
     "config.cache",
     "design.fa-build",
@@ -366,4 +373,4 @@ def reset_servers(gallery_conf, fname, when):
 # epub_uid = ''
 
 # A list of files that should not be packed into the epub file.
-epub_exclude_files = ["search.html"]
+epub_exclude_files = ["search.html"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/requirements/requirements_docs.txt b/requirements/requirements_docs.txt
index 62076874283..2d1c22d2321 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements_docs.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements_docs.txt
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ nbsphinx==0.9.6
 pypandoc==1.15
 pytest-sphinx==0.6.3
 pyvista==0.44.2
-sphinx==7.4.7
+sphinx==8.1.3
 sphinx-copybutton==0.5.2
 sphinx-gallery==0.19.0
 sphinx-notfound-page==1.1.0