quickstart.mdx

title	Quickstart
description	Deploy your documentation site and make your first change.
keywords	quickstart deploy get started first steps tutorial setup onboarding

After you complete this guide, you'll have a live documentation site ready to customize and update.

Before you begin

Mintlify uses a docs-as-code approach to manage your documentation. Every page on your site has a corresponding file stored in your documentation repository.

When you connect your documentation repository to your project, you can work on your documentation locally or in the web editor and sync any changes to your remote repository.

Using an AI coding tool? Copy the prompt below to add the Mintlify [skill](/ai/skillmd) and [MCP server](/ai/model-context-protocol) for better results when updating your documentation.

<Prompt description="Install the Mintlify skill to get context on Mintlify project structure, components, and documentation best practices:

npx skills add https://mintlify.com/docs

Then add the Mintlify MCP server for access to documentation search. Follow the setup instructions at https://www.mintlify.com/docs/ai/model-context-protocol.md" actions={["copy", "cursor"]}> Install the Mintlify skill to get context on Mintlify project structure, components, and documentation best practices:

npx skills add https://mintlify.com/docs

Then add the Mintlify MCP server for access to documentation search. Follow the setup instructions at https://www.mintlify.com/docs/ai/model-context-protocol.md

Deploy your documentation site

Go to mintlify.com/start and complete the onboarding process. During onboarding, you'll connect your GitHub account, create or select a repository for your documentation, and install the GitHub App to enable automatic deployments.

After onboarding, your documentation site is deployed and accessible at your .mintlify.app URL.

If you want to get started quickly without connecting your own repository, you can skip the GitHub connection during onboarding. Mintlify creates a private repository in a private organization and automatically configures the GitHub App for you.

This lets you use the web editor immediately and migrate to your own repository later.

View your deployed site

Your documentation site is now deployed at https://<your-project-name>.mintlify.app.

Find your exact URL on the Overview page of your dashboard.

Your site is ready to view immediately. Use this URL for testing and sharing with your team. Before sharing with your users, you may want to add a [custom domain](/customize/custom-domain).

Make your first change

The CLI requires [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en) v20.17.0 or higher. Use an LTS version for stability.

    <CodeGroup>

    ```bash npm
    npm i -g mint
    ```

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

    </CodeGroup>

    See [Install the CLI](/installation) for full details and troubleshooting.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Clone your repository">
    If you haven't already cloned your repository locally, follow the instructions in [Clone your repository](/installation#clone-your-repository).
  </Step>
  <Step title="Edit a page">
    Open `index.mdx` in your preferred editor and update the description in the frontmatter:

    ```mdx
    ---
    title: "Introduction"
    description: "Your custom description here"
    ---
    ```
  </Step>
  <Step title="Preview locally">
    Run the following command from your documentation directory:

    ```bash
    mint dev
    ```

    View your preview at `http://localhost:3000`.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Push your changes">
    Commit and push your changes to trigger a deployment:

    ```bash
    git add .
    git commit -m "Update description"
    git push
    ```

    Mintlify automatically deploys your changes. View your deployment status on the [Overview](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/) page of your dashboard.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Navigate to the [web editor](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/editor) in your dashboard. Open the **Introduction** page and update the description.

    <Frame>
      <img
        src="/images/quickstart/hello-world-light.png"
        alt="Introduction page open in the web editor with the description edited to say Hello world!."
        className="block dark:hidden"
      />

      <img
        src="/images/quickstart/hello-world-dark.png"
        alt="Introduction page open in the web editor with the description edited to say Hello world!."
        className="hidden dark:block"
      />
    </Frame>
  </Step>
  <Step title="Publish">
    Click the **Publish** button in the top-right of the web editor toolbar.
  </Step>
  <Step title="View live">
    On the [Overview](https://dashboard.mintlify.com/) page of your dashboard, you can see your site's deployment status. When it finishes deploying, refresh your documentation site to see your changes live.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Next steps

Edit documentation in your browser and preview how your pages will look when published. Find broken links, check accessibility, validate OpenAPI specs, and more. Use your own domain for your documentation site.