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261 changes: 32 additions & 229 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
```
## Your documentation site

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

<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>
Navigate to **Settings** > **My Profile** and select **Authorize GitHub account**.

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Avoid first-person pronouns such as 'My'.

## Editing workflows

Mintlify offers two workflows for creating and maintaining your documentation:

<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 with existing tools in your local environment.
</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.
Use a visual interface 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 (up to v24).

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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
```


```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"`.

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

### Preview the changes

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.
### Create and edit

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>
1. Run `mint new` to create a project.
2. Edit your MDX files (e.g., update `title` in `index.mdx`).

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Use 'for example' instead of 'e.g.'.
3. Run `mint dev` to preview at `localhost:3000`.
4. Push changes 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:

Find and select `index.mdx` in the file explorer.

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>

<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

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.
1. Log in to your [dashboard](https://dashboard.mintlify.com) and select **Editor**.
2. Edit files using the visual interface. Type <kbd>/</kbd> to access formatting tools.
3. Select **Publish** to deploy changes.

<Tip>
Use branches to preview and review changes through pull requests before deploying to your live site.
Use branches to preview changes through pull requests before deploying.
</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.
Navigate to [Domain Setup](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/settings/deployment/custom-domain) in your dashboard and configure your DNS:

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

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Use parentheses judiciously.

<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" horizontal href="organize/settings">
Configure site-wide styling, navigation, integrations, and more with the `docs.json` file.
<Card title="Configure global settings" icon="settings" horizontal href="organize/settings">
Configure styling, navigation, and integrations in `docs.json`.
</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.
Customize colors, fonts, and appearance.
</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.
Structure your documentation for intuitive navigation.
</Card>

<Card title="Set up API references" icon="code" horizontal href="/api-playground/overview">
Create interactive API references with OpenAPI and AsyncAPI specifications.
Create interactive API references 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 v20.17.0 or higher installed and that you run the `mint dev` command from the directory containing your `docs.json` file.
Ensure Node.js v20.17.0+ is installed and run `mint dev` from the directory containing `docs.json`.

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In general, use active voice instead of passive voice ('is installed').
</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.
Check GitHub Actions or dashboard deployment logs for build errors. Deployment can take a few 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.
Verify DNS records and allow up to 48 hours for propagation. Use [DNSChecker](https://dnschecker.org) to verify.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
</AccordionGroup>