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Getting started

Install the starter, run it locally, and learn where to make your first edits.

Updated May 11, 2026

This page gets the starter running on your machine. You only need Node.js, npm, and a text editor.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 20 or later.
  • npm, which ships with Node.js.
  • A GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository if you plan to deploy on Vercel.

Install dependencies

From the project root, install packages:

bash
npm install

This installs Next.js, React, the MDX renderer, search helpers, icons, syntax highlighting, Scalar's API reference renderer, and the optional AI assistant dependency.

Run locally

Start the development server:

bash
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000.

The development server reloads when you edit .mdx, .ts, .tsx, or CSS files.

Build before you ship

Run a production build when you want to check that the site is ready to deploy:

bash
npm run build

You can also run documentation and TypeScript checks without building:

bash
npm run validate:docs
npm run check:links
npm run type-check

Project layout

  • site.config.ts: Site name, URL, navigation, metadata, theme, assistant settings, and MCP settings.
  • Root-level .mdx files: Documentation pages.
  • components/: Shared UI for the docs shell and MDX components.
  • lib/: Content loading, search, Markdown export, and helper utilities.
  • app/: Next.js routes, layout, API routes, and global CSS.
  • templates/: Starter MDX page templates.
  • scripts/validate-docs.ts: Authoring and link validation.
  • public/: Static assets such as the favicon and logo mark.

Make your first change

  1. Open site.config.ts.
  2. Change name, shortName, description, and url.
  3. Open index.mdx.
  4. Replace the starter copy with your own project overview.
  5. Restart the dev server if you changed environment variables.

Next step: Write content

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