diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 39e1ce73b1..8569443881 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -259,44 +259,3 @@ jobs:
                 version: "${{ needs.init.outputs.tag }}",
               }
             })
-
-  deploy-api-docs:
-    if: github.repository == 'esphome/esphome' && needs.init.outputs.branch_build == 'false'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [init]
-    environment: ${{ needs.init.outputs.deploy_env }}
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repo
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4.1.7
-
-      - name: Set up Node.js
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v4.4.0
-        with:
-          node-version: "22"
-
-      - name: Generate docs
-        uses: mattnotmitt/doxygen-action@v1.12.0
-
-      - name: Deploy to netlify ${{ needs.init.outputs.deploy_env }}
-        if: needs.init.outputs.deploy_env != 'production'
-        env:
-          NETLIFY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NETLIFY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
-          NETLIFY_SITE_ID: ${{ secrets.NETLIFY_SITE_ID }}
-        run: |
-          npx netlify-cli deploy \
-            --dir api-docs \
-            --no-build \
-            --alias "${{ needs.init.outputs.deploy_env }}" \
-            --message "Deploy API docs for ${{ needs.init.outputs.tag }}"
-
-      - name: Deploy to netlify production
-        if: needs.init.outputs.deploy_env == 'production'
-        env:
-          NETLIFY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NETLIFY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
-          NETLIFY_SITE_ID: ${{ secrets.NETLIFY_SITE_ID }}
-        run: |
-          npx netlify-cli deploy \
-            --dir api-docs \
-            --no-build \
-            --prod \
-            --message "Deploy API docs for ${{ needs.init.outputs.tag }}"
diff --git a/.netlify/netlify.toml b/.netlify/netlify.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7783414a91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.netlify/netlify.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[build]
+  command = "script/build-api-docs"
+  publish = "api-docs"
diff --git a/script/build-api-docs b/script/build-api-docs
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..dbd215c9ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/build-api-docs
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+DOXYGEN_VERSION="1.12.0"
+DOXYGEN_TAG="Release_${DOXYGEN_VERSION//./_}"
+
+DOXYGEN_PATH="doxygen"
+
+download_doxygen() {
+  TEMP_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+  trap 'rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"' EXIT
+  pushd "$TEMP_DIR" >/dev/null
+  echo "downloading doxygen..."
+  curl -o doxygen.tar.gz -L "https://github.com/doxygen/doxygen/releases/download/${DOXYGEN_TAG}/doxygen-${DOXYGEN_VERSION}.linux.bin.tar.gz"
+  tar -xzf doxygen.tar.gz
+  rm doxygen.tar.gz
+  DOXYGEN_PATH="$TEMP_DIR/doxygen-${DOXYGEN_VERSION}/bin/doxygen"
+  popd >/dev/null
+  echo "doxygen downloaded successfully"
+}
+
+# if doxygen command not found or version not as above, download it
+if command -v doxygen &>/dev/null; then
+  DOXYGEN_VERSION_INSTALLED=$(doxygen --version)
+  if [[ $DOXYGEN_VERSION_INSTALLED != $DOXYGEN_VERSION ]]; then
+    echo "doxygen version $DOXYGEN_VERSION_INSTALLED found, but not the expected version $DOXYGEN_VERSION"
+    download_doxygen
+  else
+    echo "doxygen version $DOXYGEN_VERSION_INSTALLED found, using it"
+  fi
+else
+  download_doxygen
+fi
+
+exec $DOXYGEN_PATH