Quickstart

Deploy your documentation in minutes

This quickstart guide will walk you through the process of setting up and deploying your documentation site in just a few minutes.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a live documentation site that’s ready to customize and expand.

Prerequisites: Before you begin, make sure to create an account and complete onboarding.

Getting Started

Once you’ve completed the onboarding process, your documentation site will be automatically deployed to a unique URL with the following format.

https://<your-project-name>.mintlify.app

You can find your URL from the Overview page of the dashboard.

This URL is instantly available and will update whenever you make changes to your documentation. It’s perfect for testing and sharing with your team during development.

Development Workflows

Mintlify offers two different workflows for creating and maintaining your documentation.

Code-based workflow

For developers who prefer working with their existing tools. Click to jump to section.

Web editor workflow

For those who prefer a visual interface. Click to jump to section.

Code-Based Workflow

The code-based workflow integrates with your existing development environment and Git repositories, making it ideal for technical teams who want to manage documentation alongside their code.

Install the CLI

To work locally with your documentation, install the Mintlify Command Line Interface (CLI) by running the following command in your terminal:

npm

npm install -g mintlify

You need Node.js version 19 or higher installed on your machine. If you encounter installation issues, check the troubleshooting guide.

Install the GitHub App

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

You can install the GitHub App by following the instructions from the onboarding checklist or by navigating to Settings > Organization > GitHub.

Click Install GitHub App. Select the repositories you want to connect.

Remember to update the GitHub App permissions if you move the documentation to a different repository.

Edit the Documentation

Now that your environment is set up, you can start editing your documentation files. As an example, let’s update the title of the introduction page:

Open your repository created during onboarding, find the introduction.mdx file, and find the top of the file, that should look like this:

introduction.mdx

---
title: "Introduction"
description: "This is the introduction to the documentation"
---

Update the title field to "Hello World".

introduction.mdx

---
title: "Hello World"
description: "This is the introduction to the documentation"
---

Preview the Changes

To preview the changes locally, run the following command.

mintlify dev

Your preview will be available at localhost:3000.

Push the Changes

When you’re ready to publish your changes, simply push the changes to your repository.

Mintlify will automatically detect the changes, build your documentation, and deploy the updates to your site. You can monitor the deployment status in your GitHub repository’s commit history or the dashboard.

Once the deployment is complete, your last update will be available at <your-project-name>.mintlify.app.

Jump to adding a custom domain

Optionally skip the web editor workflow and jump to adding a custom domain.

Web Editor Workflow

The web editor workflow provides a WYSIWYG interface for creating and editing documentation without requiring local development tools. It’s ideal for non-technical team members or for making quick updates.

Access the Web Editor

Log in to your Mintlify Dashboard and select your project. Navigate to Editor on the left sidebar to open the web editor.

If you haven’t installed the GitHub App, you will be prompted to do so upon opening the web editor.

Edit the Documentation

In the web editor, you can navigate your documentation files in the sidebar. Let’s update the introduction page.

Find and click on introduction.mdx in the file explorer.

Then, in the visual editor, update the title field to “Hello World”.

The editor provides a rich set of formatting tools and components. Access them by typing ”/” in the editor to open the command menu.

Publish Your Changes

When you’re satisfied with your edits, click the Publish button in the top-right corner.

Your changes will be deployed immediately to your documentation site.

For more details about using the web editor, including advanced features like slash commands and image uploads, see our Web Editor documentation.

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, go to Settings > Custom Domain from the dashboard.

Enter your domain (e.g., docs.yourcompany.com) and follow the provided instructions to configure DNS settings with your domain provider.

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, though they often complete much sooner.

Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve successfully deployed your documentation site with Mintlify. Here are some suggested next steps to enhance your documentation:

Customize Your Theme

Learn how to customize colors, fonts, and the overall appearance of your documentation site.

Organize Navigation

Structure your documentation with intuitive navigation to help users find what they need.

Add Interactive Components

Enhance your documentation with interactive components like accordions, tabs, and code samples.

Set Up API References

Create interactive API references with OpenAPI and AsyncAPI specifications.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during the setup process, check our common troubleshooting solutions:

Local preview not working

Make sure you have Node.js v19+ installed and that you’re running the mintlify dev command from the directory containing your docs.json file.

Changes not reflecting on live site

Deployment can take upwards 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.

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 to verify your CNAME record.

Need more help? Contact our Support Team.