---
title: Onboarding Walkthrough
description: "Complete the guided onboarding flow to set up your first docs site \u2014 create a project, connect GitHub, configure docs.json, and trigger your first build."
---

## The 5 Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start Trial">
    When you first sign in, Jamdesk automatically starts your **14-day free trial** of the Pro plan.

    - No credit card required
    - Full access to all features
    - Trial ends 14 days from activation
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Project">
    Give your documentation project a name:

    - Use a clear, descriptive name (e.g., "API Documentation", "User Guide")
    - This becomes part of your documentation site's URL
    - You can change the display name later in project settings
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect GitHub & Create Starter Docs">
    Jamdesk creates a new GitHub repository from the [Starter Template](https://github.com/jamdesk/starter-docs):

    - Sample pages with realistic content and components
    - Pre-configured `docs.json` with navigation and branding
    - OpenAPI spec example for API reference docs
    - Ready to edit and push immediately
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install CLI">
    The Jamdesk CLI enables local development:

    ```bash
    npm install -g jamdesk
    ```

    <Note>
    You can skip this step during onboarding and install the CLI anytime. If you skip it, you can still edit documentation directly on GitHub.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start Editing">
    You're ready to build! Edit your documentation:

    - **Via CLI**: Edit files locally with `jamdesk dev`
    - **Via GitHub**: Edit `.mdx` files directly in your repository
    - **On Jamdesk**: Some dashboard features available (depending on plan)

    Changes automatically trigger documentation rebuilds when you push to GitHub.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## After Onboarding

Once you complete onboarding, you can:
- [Create additional projects](/help/projects/creating)
- [Invite team members](/help/projects/team-members)
- [View analytics](/setup/analytics-overview)
- [Configure custom domains](/deploy/custom-domains)

## Troubleshooting

### I skipped a step, can I go back?
You can complete onboarding anytime from your project dashboard. Look for the onboarding card to continue where you left off.

### I chose the wrong GitHub repo
Create a new project with the correct repository—you can delete the old one anytime.

### I need help during onboarding
Contact [support](/help/support/contact) at any point during the process.

## Related Articles

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="First Build" icon="hammer" href="/help/getting-started/first-build">
    Trigger and verify your first build
  </Card>
  <Card title="Dashboard Tour" icon="compass" href="/help/getting-started/dashboard-tour">
    Learn the Jamdesk dashboard
  </Card>
</Columns>