# Quickstart

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://preview.writedocs.io/llms.txt).

Install Writedocs, create a project and preview it locally.

**1. Install**

Writedocs runs on [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) 22.12 or newer. Install it once, globally:

```bash
npm install -g @writedocs/generator
```

`writedocs` is now a command you can run in any folder. Your docs folder doesn't need a `package.json` of its own.

To try it without installing, put `npx @writedocs/generator` in front of any command instead of `writedocs` - for example `npx @writedocs/generator dev`.

**2. Create a project**

```bash
mkdir my-docs && cd my-docs
writedocs init
```

This writes `writedocs.json`, a home page (`index.mdx`) and `docs/getting-started.mdx`. To create the project in another folder, pass its path: `writedocs init ./my-docs`.

Coming from Mintlify? Run `writedocs convert --mintlify` in your project instead - see [Migrating from Mintlify](https://preview.writedocs.io/docs/migrating-from-mintlify/).

**3. Preview it**

```bash
writedocs dev
```

Run it in the folder `writedocs.json` is in. It opens the site in your browser (`http://localhost:4321`), and updates it as you edit pages and `writedocs.json`.

**4. Check it**

```bash
writedocs validate
writedocs broken-links
```

`validate` lists every problem in `writedocs.json` and the pages, with file and line; `broken-links` finds links that lead nowhere. Both work well as a CI step.

**5. Publish**

Push your changes. The site is built and published from there.

## Next steps

**[Project structure](https://preview.writedocs.io/docs/project-structure/)**

Where pages, images and snippets go, and how a file becomes a page.

**[Organize the navigation](https://preview.writedocs.io/docs/configuration/navigation-basics/)**

Groups in a sidebar, or tabs, versions and languages for larger sites.

**[Make it yours](https://preview.writedocs.io/docs/configuration/colors/)**

Colors, logo, fonts and code themes.

**[Write pages](https://preview.writedocs.io/docs/content/markdown/)**

Markdown, frontmatter and components.