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274 changes: 132 additions & 142 deletions quickstart.mdx
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---
title: "Quickstart"
description: "Deploy your documentation in minutes"
description: "Build beautiful documentation in under 10 minutes"
icon: "rocket"
---

This quickstart guide shows you how to set up and deploy your documentation site in minutes.
Get your documentation site live in minutes with this step-by-step guide.

After completing this guide, you will have a live documentation site ready to customize and expand.
You'll go from zero to a fully deployed documentation site with custom branding and interactive features.

<Info>

**Prerequisites**: Before you begin, [create an account](https://mintlify.com/start) and complete onboarding.
**What you'll need**: A [Mintlify account](https://mintlify.com/start) and 10 minutes of your time.

</Info>

## Getting started
## Create your site

After you complete the onboarding process, your documentation site automatically deploys to a unique URL with this format:
Sign up for Mintlify and complete the onboarding flow. During setup, you'll:

1. Choose a project name (this becomes your initial URL)
2. Connect your GitHub repository
3. Select your documentation source folder

Your site deploys automatically to:

```
https://<your-project-name>.mintlify.app
https://<project-name>.mintlify.app
```

Find your URL on the Overview page of your [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/).

<Frame>
<img src="/images/quickstart/mintlify-domain-light.png" alt="Mintlify Domain" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/mintlify-domain-dark.png" alt="Mintlify Domain" className="hidden dark:block" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/mintlify-domain-light.png" alt="Your live documentation URL" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/mintlify-domain-dark.png" alt="Your live documentation URL" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

Your site's URL is available immediately. Use this URL for testing and sharing with your team while you are setting up your docs site.
This URL is live immediately - share it with your team while you customize your docs.

### Install the GitHub App
### Connect GitHub

Mintlify provides a GitHub App that automates deployment when you push changes to your repository.
The GitHub integration enables automatic deployments when you push changes.

Install the GitHub App by following the instructions from the onboarding checklist or your dashboard.
From your dashboard:

1. Navigate to **Settings** in your Mintlify dashboard.
2. Select **GitHub App** from the sidebar.
3. Select **Install GitHub App**. This opens a new tab to the GitHub App installation page.
4. Select the organization or user account where you want to install the app.
5. Select the repositories that you want to connect.
1. Go to **Settings** → **GitHub App**
2. Click **Install GitHub App**
3. Select your organization and repositories
4. Authorize the connection

<Frame>
<img src="/images/quickstart/github-app-installation-light.png" alt="GitHub App Installation" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/github-app-installation-dark.png" alt="GitHub App Installation" className="hidden dark:block" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/github-app-installation-light.png" alt="GitHub App setup" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/github-app-installation-dark.png" alt="GitHub App setup" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

<Info>
Update the GitHub App permissions if you move your documentation to a different repository.
</Info>

### Authorize your GitHub account

1. Navigate to **Settings** in your Mintlify dashboard.
2. Select **My Profile** from the sidebar.
3. Select **Authorize GitHub account**. This opens a new tab to the GitHub authorization page.

<Info>
An admin for your GitHub organization may need to authorize your account depending on your organization settings.
</Info>

## Editing workflows
<Tip>
You can change repository permissions later if you move your docs to a different repo.
</Tip>

Mintlify offers two workflows for creating and maintaining your documentation:
## Choose your workflow

<Card title="Code-based workflow" icon="terminal" horizontal href="#code-based-workflow">
For users who prefer working with existing tools in their local environment. Click to jump to this section.
</Card>
Pick the editing experience that fits your team:

<Card title="Web editor workflow" icon="mouse-pointer-2" horizontal href="#web-editor-workflow">
For users who prefer a visual interface in their web browser. Click to jump to this section.
</Card>
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Local development" icon="terminal" href="#local-development">
Edit with your favorite code editor and Git workflow
</Card>
<Card title="Web editor" icon="mouse-pointer-2" href="#web-editor">
Visual editing directly in your browser
</Card>
</CardGroup>

## Code-based workflow
## Local development

The code-based workflow integrates with your existing development environment and Git repositories. This workflow is best for technical teams who want to manage documentation alongside code.
Work with your documentation files locally using familiar development tools.

### Install the CLI

To work locally with your documentation, install the Command Line Interface (CLI), called [mint](https://www.npmjs.com/package/mint), by running this command in your terminal:
Install the Mintlify CLI to preview changes locally:

<CodeGroup>
```bash npm
npm i -g mint
npm install -g mint
```

```bash yarn
yarn global add mint
```

```bash pnpm
pnpm add -g mint
```
</CodeGroup>

<Info>
You need Node.js installed on your machine. If you encounter installation issues, check the troubleshooting guide.
</Info>
<Warning>
Requires Node.js 18 or higher. Check your version with `node --version`.
</Warning>

### Edit the documentation
### Make your first edit

After setting up your environment, you can start editing your documentation files. For example, update the title of the introduction page:
Let's update your homepage:

1. Open your repository created during onboarding.
2. Open `index.mdx` and locate the top of the file:
1. Clone your connected repository
2. Open `index.mdx` in your editor
3. Change the title in the frontmatter:

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```mdx index.mdx
---
title: "Introduction"
description: "This is the introduction to the documentation"
title: "Welcome to our docs"
description: "Everything you need to get started"
---
```

3. Update the `title` field to `"Hello World"`.
# Getting started

```mdx index.mdx {2}
---
title: "Hello World"
description: "This is the introduction to the documentation"
---
Your documentation content goes here...
```

### Preview the changes
### Preview locally

To preview the changes locally, run the following command:
Start the development server:

```bash
mint dev
```

Your preview will be available at `localhost:3000`.
Open `http://localhost:3000` to see your changes in real-time.

<Frame>
<img src="/images/quickstart/mintlify-dev-light.png" alt="Mintlify Dev" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/mintlify-dev-dark.png" alt="Mintlify Dev" className="hidden dark:block" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/mintlify-dev-light.png" alt="Local preview" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/mintlify-dev-dark.png" alt="Local preview" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

### Push the changes
### Deploy changes

When you are ready to publish your changes, push them to your repository.
Push your changes to GitHub:

Mintlify automatically detects the changes, builds your documentation, and deploys the updates to your site. Monitor the deployment status in your GitHub repository commit history or the [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com).

After the deployment completes, your latest update will be available at `<your-project-name>.mintlify.app`.

<Card title="Jump to adding a custom domain" icon="arrow-down" href="#adding-a-custom-domain" horizontal>
Optionally, skip the web editor workflow and jump to adding a custom domain.
</Card>
```bash
git add .
git commit -m "Update homepage title"
git push
```

## Web editor workflow
Mintlify automatically builds and deploys your updates. Check the deployment status in your dashboard or GitHub Actions.

The web editor workflow provides a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) interface for creating and editing documentation. This workflow is best for people who want to work in their web browser without additional local development tools.
## Web editor

### Access the web editor
Edit your documentation visually without leaving your browser.

1. Log in to your [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com).
2. Select **Editor** on the left sidebar.
### Open the editor

<Info>
If you have not installed the GitHub App, you will be prompted to install the app when you open the web editor.
</Info>
1. Go to your [Mintlify dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com)
2. Click **Editor** in the sidebar

<Frame>
<img alt="The Mintlify web editor in the visual editor mode" src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-light.png" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img alt="The Mintlify web editor in the visual editor mode" src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-dark.png" className="hidden dark:block" />
<img alt="Web editor interface" src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-light.png" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img alt="Web editor interface" src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-dark.png" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

### Edit the documentation

In the web editor, you can navigate through your documentation files in the sidebar. Let's update the introduction page:
### Edit content

Find and select `index.mdx` in the file explorer.
Navigate to any page in the file tree and start editing:

Then, in the editor, update the title field to "Hello World".
- Rich text formatting with the toolbar
- Live preview as you type
- Drag-and-drop components

<Frame>
<img alt="Editing in Web Editor" src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-editing-light.png" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img alt="Editing in Web Editor" src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-editing-dark.png" className="hidden dark:block" />
<img alt="Editing content" src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-editing-light.png" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img alt="Editing content" src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-editing-dark.png" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

<Tip>
The editor provides a rich set of formatting tools and components. Type <kbd>/</kbd> in the editor to open the command menu and access these tools.
Press <kbd>/</kbd> to open the component menu and add callouts, code blocks, and more.

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</Tip>

### Publish your changes
### Publish instantly

When you're satisfied with your edits, select the **Publish** button in the top-right corner. Your changes are immediately deployed to your documentation site.
Click **Publish** to deploy your changes immediately. No Git commands required.

<Tip>
Use branches to preview and review changes through pull requests before deploying to your live site.
</Tip>
For team workflows, create branches and pull requests directly in the editor.

For more details about using the web editor, including using branches and pull requests to collaborate and preview changes, see our [web editor documentation](/editor/getting-started).
Learn more in our [web editor guide](/editor/getting-started).

## Adding a custom domain
## Add a custom domain

While your `<your-project-name>.mintlify.app` subdomain works well for testing and development, most teams prefer using a custom domain for production documentation.
Replace your `.mintlify.app` URL with your own domain.

To add a custom domain, navigate to the [Domain Setup](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/settings/deployment/custom-domain) page in your dashboard.

<Frame>
<img src="/images/quickstart/custom-domain-light.png" alt="Custom Domain" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/custom-domain-dark.png" alt="Custom Domain" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

Enter your domain (for example, `docs.yourcompany.com`) and follow the provided instructions to configure DNS settings with your domain provider.
1. Go to **Settings** → **Custom Domain** in your dashboard
2. Enter your domain (e.g., `docs.company.com`)
3. Add this DNS record with your domain provider:

<Table>
| Record Type | Name | Value | TTL |
|-------------|------|-------|-----|
| CNAME | docs (or subdomain) | cname.mintlify.app | 3600 |
| Type | Name | Value | TTL |
|------|------|-------|-----|
| CNAME | docs | cname.mintlify.app | 3600 |
</Table>

<Frame>
<img src="/images/quickstart/custom-domain-light.png" alt="Custom domain setup" className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/quickstart/custom-domain-dark.png" alt="Custom domain setup" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

<Info>
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, though changes often complete much sooner.
DNS changes typically take 5-30 minutes but can take up to 48 hours.
</Info>

## Next steps

Congratulations! You have successfully deployed your documentation site with Mintlify. Here are suggested next steps to enhance your documentation:
## What's next?

<Card title="Configure your global settings" icon="settings" href="settings" horizontal>
Configure site-wide styling, navigation, integrations, and more with the `docs.json` file.
</Card>
<Card title="Customize your theme" icon="paintbrush" href="themes" horizontal>
Learn how to customize colors, fonts, and the overall appearance of your documentation site.
</Card>
<Card title="Organize navigation" icon="map" href="navigation" horizontal>
Structure your documentation with intuitive navigation to help users find what they need.
</Card>
<Card title="Add interactive components" icon="puzzle" href="/components/accordions" horizontal>
Enhance your documentation with interactive components like accordions, tabs, and code samples.
</Card>
<Card title="Set up API references" icon="code" href="/api-playground/overview" horizontal>
Create interactive API references with OpenAPI and AsyncAPI specifications.
</Card>
Your documentation site is live! Here's how to make it even better:

## Troubleshooting
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Customize your brand" icon="palette" href="themes">
Colors, fonts, and logos that match your company
</Card>
<Card title="Structure navigation" icon="sitemap" href="navigation">
Organize pages with groups, tabs, and sections
</Card>
<Card title="Add components" icon="blocks" href="/components/accordions">
Interactive elements like tabs, callouts, and code blocks

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</Card>
<Card title="API documentation" icon="code" href="/api-playground/overview">
Auto-generated API references from OpenAPI specs
</Card>
</CardGroup>

If you encounter issues during the setup process, check these common troubleshooting solutions:
## Need help?

<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Local preview not working">
Make sure you have Node.js v19+ installed and that you run the `mint dev` command from the directory containing your `docs.json` file.
<Accordion title="Preview not loading locally">
Ensure you're running `mint dev` from the folder containing `docs.json` and that Node.js 18+ is installed.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Changes not reflecting on live site">
Deployment can take upwards to a few minutes. Check your GitHub Actions (for code-based workflow) or deployment logs in the Mintlify dashboard to ensure there are no build errors.
<Accordion title="Changes not appearing on live site">
Check your GitHub Actions tab for build errors. Deployments typically take 1-3 minutes.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Custom domain not connecting">
Verify that your DNS records are set up correctly and allow sufficient time for DNS propagation (up to 48 hours). You can use tools like [DNSChecker](https://dnschecker.org) to verify your CNAME record.
<Accordion title="Custom domain not working">
Verify your CNAME record is correct and wait for DNS propagation. Use [DNS Checker](https://dnschecker.org) to verify.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="GitHub App permissions">
Update permissions in your GitHub organization settings if you can't access certain repositories.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Still stuck? [Contact our support team](mailto:[email protected]) - we're here to help.