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280 changes: 32 additions & 248 deletions quickstart.mdx
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keywords: ["quickstart","deploy","get started","first steps"]
---

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

<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

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

```
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>

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.
After onboarding, your site deploys to `https://<your-project-name>.mintlify.app`. Find your URL on the [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/) Overview page.

### Install the GitHub App

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

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

<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>
1. Navigate to **Settings** > **GitHub App** in your dashboard.
2. Select **Install GitHub App** and choose your organization and repositories.

### 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
1. Navigate to **Settings** > **My Profile**.

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2. Select **Authorize GitHub account**.

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.
Work locally with your development tools.
</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.
</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.

### 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) v20.17.0 or higher through v24. LTS versions are preferred.
**Prerequisite**: [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en) v20.17.0 or higher (LTS preferred).

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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
```

### Create and edit

```bash pnpm
pnpm add -g mint
```

</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"
---
```

3. Update the `title` field to `"Hello World"`.
Run `mint new` to create a project. Edit any `.mdx` file, such as updating the title in `index.mdx`:

```mdx index.mdx {2}
---
Expand All @@ -140,175 +55,44 @@
---
```

### Preview the changes
### Preview and deploy

To preview the changes locally, run the following command:

```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

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

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" horizontal href="#adding-a-custom-domain">
Optionally, skip the web editor workflow and jump to adding a custom domain.
</Card>
Run `mint dev` to preview at `localhost:3000`. Push changes to your repository to deploy automatically.

## 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:
### Access and edit

Find and select `index.mdx` in the file explorer.
1. Open **Editor** in your [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com).
2. Select `index.mdx` and update the title to "Hello World".

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3. Type <kbd>/</kbd> to access formatting tools.

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

<Frame>
<img
alt="Editing in Web Editor"
src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-editing-light.png"
className="block dark:hidden"
/>
Select **Publish** to deploy changes immediately. Use branches for pull request reviews.

<img
alt="Editing in Web Editor"
src="/images/quickstart/web-editor-editing-dark.png"
className="hidden dark:block"
/>
</Frame>
## Add a custom domain

<Tip>
The editor provides a rich set of formatting tools and components. Type <kbd>/</kbd>
Navigate to [Domain Setup](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/settings/deployment/custom-domain) and add your domain (e.g., `docs.yourcompany.com`). Configure DNS:

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in the editor to open the command menu and access these tools.
</Tip>

### Publish your changes

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.

<Tip>
Use branches to preview and review changes through pull requests before deploying to your live site.
</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).

## 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.

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>
| Record Type | Name | Value | TTL |
| ----------- | ---- | ----- | --- |
| 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 propagation can take up to 48 hours.
</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" horizontal href="organize/settings">
Configure site-wide styling, navigation, integrations, and more with the `docs.json` file.
<Card title="Configure settings" icon="settings" horizontal href="organize/settings">
Customize styling, navigation, and integrations.
</Card>

<Card title="Customize your theme" icon="paintbrush" horizontal href="customize/themes">
Learn how to customize colors, fonts, and the overall appearance of your documentation site.
<Card title="Customize theme" icon="paintbrush" horizontal href="customize/themes">
Adjust colors and fonts.
</Card>

<Card title="Organize navigation" icon="map" horizontal href="organize/navigation">
Structure your documentation with intuitive navigation to help users find what they need.
</Card>

<Card title="Add interactive components" icon="puzzle" horizontal href="/components/accordions">
Enhance your documentation with interactive components like accordions, tabs, and code samples.
</Card>

<Card title="Set up API references" icon="code" horizontal href="/api-playground/overview">
Create interactive API references with OpenAPI and AsyncAPI specifications.
</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 v20.17.0 or higher 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>
Structure your documentation.
</Card>