---
title: Quickstart
description: "Edit MDX files, preview locally with the Jamdesk CLI, then connect a GitHub repo for automatic deploys. Customize colors, branding, and navigation in docs.json."
---

Your docs are built from MDX files in this repository. Edit them locally with the CLI, then connect to Jamdesk for automatic builds on every push.

## 1. Preview locally

Install the Jamdesk CLI:

<CodeGroup>
```bash npm
npm install -g jamdesk
```

```bash brew
brew install jamdesk/tap/jamdesk
```
</CodeGroup>

Start the dev server with hot reload:

```bash
jamdesk dev
```

Open [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000). Edits to MDX files appear instantly.

## 2. Edit a page

Open any `.mdx` file and start writing. MDX supports standard Markdown plus Jamdesk components.

```mdx
---
title: My Page
description: A brief description for SEO
---

# Heading

Regular markdown works — **bold**, *italic*, `code`, [links](https://example.com).

<Tip>
Jamdesk components like this Tip drop in without imports.
</Tip>
```

## 3. Add a new page

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an MDX file">
    Add a new `.mdx` file anywhere in your project, for example `guides/deployment.mdx`.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Add it to navigation">
    Open `docs.json` and add the page path to the `navigation` section:

    ```json
    {
      "group": "Guides",
      "pages": ["guides/deployment"]
    }
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 4. Customize your site

Everything is configured in `docs.json`:

| Setting | What it does |
|---------|-------------|
| `name` | Site name shown in the header |
| `colors` | Primary, light, and dark accent colors |
| `logo` | Light and dark mode logo images |
| `theme` | Visual theme (`jam`, `nebula`, or `pulsar`) |
| `navigation` | Sidebar tabs, groups, and page order |
| `navbar` | Top navigation links and buttons |

<Tip>
See the full configuration reference at [jamdesk.com/docs/config/docs-json-reference](https://jamdesk.com/docs/config/docs-json-reference).
</Tip>

## 5. Connect GitHub for auto-deploy

Once your docs look right locally, hand off building and hosting to Jamdesk:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Push your code to GitHub">
    Create a repository and push your project.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Connect on the dashboard">
    Sign in at [dashboard.jamdesk.com](https://dashboard.jamdesk.com), create a project, and connect your repository.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Push changes">
    Every push triggers an automatic build. Your site is live in seconds at `<slug>.jamdesk.app` or your custom domain.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Components" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/components/cards">
    Cards, callouts, tabs, steps, and more — all ready to use.
  </Card>
  <Card title="API Pages" icon="plug" href="/api-reference/openapi-example">
    Render endpoint pages from an OpenAPI spec, or hand-author with components.
  </Card>
</Columns>
