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Rewrite quickstart page with modern structure and improved content #1169

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263 changes: 116 additions & 147 deletions quickstart.mdx
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---
title: "Quickstart"
description: "Deploy your documentation in minutes"
description: "Get your documentation site live in under 10 minutes"
icon: "rocket"
---

This quickstart guide shows you how to set up and deploy your documentation site in minutes.

After completing this guide, you will have a live documentation site ready to customize and expand.
Build and deploy beautiful documentation in minutes. This guide walks you through creating your first documentation site from setup to deployment.

<Info>

**Prerequisites**: Before you begin, [create an account](https://mintlify.com/start) and complete onboarding.

**Before you start**: You'll need a [Mintlify account](https://mintlify.com/start). The onboarding process creates your first project automatically.
</Info>

## Getting started
## Your site is already live

After you complete the onboarding process, your documentation site automatically deploys to a unique URL with this format:
Once you complete onboarding, your documentation site is automatically deployed at:

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

Find your URL on the Overview page of your [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/).
You can find this URL on your [dashboard overview](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" />
</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.
## Connect your GitHub repository

### Install the GitHub App

Mintlify provides a GitHub App that automates deployment when you push changes to your repository.
Link your GitHub repository to enable automatic deployments when you push changes.

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

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** in your dashboard
2. Click **Install GitHub App**
3. Select your organization and repositories
4. Complete the installation

<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" />
</Frame>

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

### Authorize your GitHub account
### Authorize your 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>
1. Navigate to **Settings** → **My Profile**
2. Click **Authorize GitHub account**
3. Complete the authorization flow

## Editing workflows
<Tip>
Organization admins may need to approve the authorization depending on your GitHub settings.
</Tip>

Mintlify offers two workflows for creating and maintaining your documentation:
## Choose your editing 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 workflow that matches how you prefer to work:

<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 files locally with your favorite tools and Git workflow
</Card>
<Card title="Web editor" icon="mouse-pointer-2" href="#web-editor">
Edit directly in your browser with a visual interface
</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
```
```bash npm
npm i -g mint
```

```bash pnpm
pnpm add -g 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 v19 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. Open `index.mdx` in your repository
2. Change the title in the frontmatter:

Check warning on line 94 in quickstart.mdx

View check run for this annotation

Mintlify / Mintlify Validation (mintlify) - vale-spellcheck

quickstart.mdx#L94 

Did you really mean 'frontmatter'?

```mdx index.mdx
---
title: "Introduction"
description: "This is the introduction to the documentation"
---
```

3. Update the `title` field to `"Hello World"`.

```mdx index.mdx {2}
---
title: "Hello World"
description: "This is the introduction to the documentation"
title: "Welcome to our docs"
description: "Everything you need to get started"
---
```

### 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`.
Your site will be available at `http://localhost:3000`.

<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

When you are ready to publish your changes, push them to your repository.
### Deploy your changes

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).
Push your changes to GitHub:

After the deployment completes, your latest update will be available at `<your-project-name>.mintlify.app`.
```bash
git add .
git commit -m "Update homepage title"
git push
```

<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>
Mintlify automatically builds and deploys your changes. Check the deployment status in your GitHub Actions or dashboard.

## Web editor workflow
## Web editor

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.
Edit your documentation directly in your browser without any local setup.

### Access the web editor
### Access the editor

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

<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. Open your [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:

Find and select `index.mdx` in the file explorer.
### Edit your content

Then, in the editor, update the title field to "Hello World".
1. Select `index.mdx` from the file explorer
2. Update the title field to "Welcome to our docs"
3. Use the formatting toolbar or type `/` for quick commands

<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.
</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** in the top-right corner to deploy your changes immediately.

<Tip>
Use branches to preview and review changes through pull requests before deploying to your live site.
Use branches to preview changes before publishing to your live site. Learn more in our [web editor guide](/editor/getting-started).
</Tip>

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).

## Adding 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.
## Add a custom 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>
Replace your `.mintlify.app` subdomain with your own domain.

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.yourcompany.com`)
3. Add this CNAME record to your DNS:

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

## Next steps
## What's next?

Congratulations! You have successfully deployed your documentation site with Mintlify. Here are suggested next steps to enhance your documentation:
Your documentation site is now live and ready to customize. Here are the most important next steps:

<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>
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Configure settings" icon="settings" href="/settings">
Set up your site's global configuration, branding, and integrations
</Card>
<Card title="Organize navigation" icon="map" href="/navigation">
Structure your content with clear navigation and page hierarchy
</Card>
<Card title="Customize appearance" icon="paintbrush" href="/themes">
Apply your brand colors, fonts, and styling preferences
</Card>
<Card title="Add components" icon="puzzle" href="/components/accordions">
Enhance your content with interactive elements and rich formatting
</Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting

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="Local preview isn't working">
Ensure you have Node.js v19+ installed and run `mint dev` from the directory containing your `docs.json` file.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Changes aren't appearing on my live site">
Check your GitHub Actions for build errors. Deployments typically take 1-3 minutes to complete.
</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="Custom domain isn't connecting">
Verify your CNAME record is correct and allow time for DNS propagation. Use [DNSChecker](https://dnschecker.org) to verify your setup.
</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="I need more help">
Visit our [support page](/contact-support) or reach out to our team directly.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
</AccordionGroup>