---
title: Quickstart
description: Make your first documentation change with either the dashboard editor or the CLI.
---

Use this quickstart to publish your first docs change and see it go live.

## Onboarding

When you sign up, Radiant sets up your docs project automatically.

- If you connect GitHub, docs are created in your GitHub-backed project.
- If you skip GitHub, docs are created in a Radiant-managed private repository.
- In both cases, starter docs are already deployed and ready to edit.

<Callout type="tip" title="No setup required to start editing">
  You can make your first content change immediately in the dashboard editor.
</Callout>

Use the dashboard editor path for browser-based editing. Use the CLI path when
your docs content lives in a GitHub repository you can clone.

## Make your first change

<Tabs>
  <Tab label="Dashboard editor" icon="lucide:file-pen">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open the editor">
        In the Radiant dashboard, open [Editor](https://radiantdocs.com/editor).

        <Image src="/images/dashboard-editor-editor-link.png" alt="Editor navigation item in the Radiant dashboard" width={100} align="left" zoom={false} />
      </Step>

      <Step title="Make one small text change">
        Open any starter page and edit one heading or paragraph. After you make
        the change, the top of the editor shows a `1 file change` indicator.

        <Image src="/images/dashboard-editor-file-change-indicator.png" alt="One file change indicator in the editor" width={100} align="left" zoom={false} />
      </Step>

      <Step title="Publish the update">
        Click **Publish** and approve the publish action for your live docs
        site.

        <Image src="/images/dashboard-editor-publish-button.png" alt="Publish button in the dashboard editor" width={100} align="left" zoom={false} />
      </Step>

      <Step title="Watch the deployment">
        Go to the dashboard Overview page to see your change start deploying.

        <Image src="/images/dashboard-overview-link.png" alt="Overview navigation item in the Radiant dashboard" width={100} align="left" zoom={false} />

        The deployment activity shows the dashboard editor update while the
        build is running.

        <Image src="/images/dashboard-deployment-building.png" alt="Deployment activity showing a dashboard editor change with Building status" width={400} align="left" zoom={false} />
      </Step>

      <Step title="See it live">
        When the deployment shows Success, your newly deployed docs site is
        live with your published change.

        <Image src="/images/dashboard-deployment-success.png" alt="Deployment activity showing a dashboard editor change with Success status" width={400} align="left" zoom={false} />
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab label="CLI" icon="lucide:square-terminal">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Clone your docs repo">
        In terminal, go to the directory where you want to keep your local docs
        copy, then clone the repo.

        ```bash
        git clone https://github.com/my-org/my-docs-repo.git
        cd my-docs-repo
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Start local preview from the docs root">
        Run this in the folder that contains `docs.json`:

        ```bash
        npx radiant-docs
        ```

        After startup, open the local preview URL in your browser.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Edit one page">
        Update one heading or paragraph in an `.mdx` file and save. The change
        appears in your local preview at `http://localhost:4321`.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Commit and push">
        Commit the change in your repo and push so your docs can deploy.

        ```bash
        git add .
        git commit -m "Update docs content"
        git push
        ```

        After push, your updated docs automatically start deploying. Monitor
        deployment status from the Dashboard [Overview](https://radiantdocs.com/dashboard) page.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Next steps

<Columns>
  <Column>
    <Card title="Workflows" href="/getting-started/workflows" icon="lucide:route">
      Pick the editing path that fits your team.
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Manage pages" href="/edit-in-dashboard/manage-pages" icon="lucide:files">
      Create and organize pages in the dashboard.
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>

<Columns>
  <Column>
    <Card title="Ask for edits" href="/write-with-agent/ask-for-edits" icon="lucide:sparkles">
      Give the writing agent a focused task.
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Use the CLI" href="/getting-started/use-the-cli" icon="lucide:terminal">
      Preview source-file changes locally.
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>