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206 changes: 46 additions & 160 deletions quickstart.mdx
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---
title: "Quickstart"
description: "Deploy your documentation site and make your first changes."
keywords: ["quickstart", "deploy", "get started", "first steps"]
---

After completing this guide, you will have a live documentation site ready to customize and expand.
Get your documentation site live in minutes.

<Info>

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

**Prerequisites**: [Create an account](https://mintlify.com/start) and complete onboarding.
</Info>

## Getting started
## Your site is live

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

```
https://<your-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" />
</Frame>
Find your URL in the [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/).

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.
## Setup GitHub

### Install the GitHub App
Install the GitHub App to automatically deploy changes:

Mintlify provides a GitHub App that automates deployment when you push changes to your repository.
1. Go to **Settings** > **GitHub App** in your dashboard
2. Click **Install GitHub App**
3. Select your organization and repositories

Install the GitHub App by following the instructions from the onboarding checklist or your dashboard.
Then authorize your account:

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.

<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

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. Go to **Settings** > **My Profile**

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2. Click **Authorize GitHub account**

## Editing workflows
## Choose your workflow

Mintlify offers two workflows for creating and maintaining your documentation:
Pick the editing workflow that works best for you:

<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.
Edit locally with your preferred tools and Git
</Card>

<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.
Edit directly in your browser with a visual interface
</Card>

## Code-based workflow

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 locally with your preferred development tools.

### Install the CLI

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Use 'command-line tool' instead of 'CLI'.

<Info>
**Prerequisite**: The CLI requires [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en) v19 or higher.
**Prerequisite**: Requires [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en) v19 or higher.

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</Info>

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:

<CodeGroup>
```bash npm
npm i -g mint
Expand All @@ -94,25 +64,9 @@
```
</CodeGroup>

### Create a new project

Run `mint new` to create a new documentation project. See the [CLI installation guide](/installation#create-a-new-project) for details on the command and flags.

### Edit the documentation

After setting up your project, you can start editing your documentation files. For example, update the title of the introduction page:

1. Navigate to your documentation repository.
2. Open `index.mdx` and locate the top of the file:

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

3. Update the `title` field to `"Hello World"`.
Run `mint new` to create a new project, then edit your MDX files. For example, open `index.mdx`:

```mdx index.mdx {2}
---
Expand All @@ -121,133 +75,65 @@
---
```

### Preview the changes

To preview the changes locally, run the following command:
### Preview locally

```bash
mint dev
```

Your preview is available at `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" />
</Frame>

### Push the changes
Your preview runs at `localhost:3000`.

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

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>
Push your changes to GitHub. Mintlify automatically builds and deploys your site.

## Web editor workflow

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.

### Access the web 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>

<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" />
</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 your docs directly in the browser with a visual interface.

Find and select `index.mdx` in the file explorer.
### Open the editor

Then, in the editor, update the title field to "Hello World".

<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" />
</Frame>
1. Go to your [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com)
2. Click **Editor** in the sidebar

<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.
Type <kbd>/</kbd> to open the command menu and access formatting tools.
</Tip>

### Publish your changes
### Edit and publish

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.
Select any file from the sidebar, make your changes, then click **Publish**. Your changes deploy immediately.

<Tip>
Use branches to preview and review changes through pull requests before deploying to your live site.
</Tip>
Learn more in the [web editor documentation](/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).
## Add a custom domain

## Adding a custom domain
Go to [Domain Setup](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/settings/deployment/custom-domain) and enter your domain (e.g., `docs.yourcompany.com`).

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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 this DNS record with your domain provider:

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.

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

<Info>
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, though changes often complete much sooner.
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate.
</Info>

## Next steps

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

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

## Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during the setup process, check these common troubleshooting solutions:

<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>
<Accordion title="Changes not reflecting on live site">
Deployment can take up 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>
<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>
</AccordionGroup>