> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ecge.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Get your first ecge project up and running in minutes

## Get started in three steps

### Step 1: Install the CLI

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Install ecge CLI">
    Install the ecge command-line tool globally:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npm i -g ecge
    ```

    Verify the installation:

    ```bash theme={null}
    ecge --version
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Initialize a new project">
    Create a new project directory and initialize it:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdir my-project && cd my-project
    ecge init
    ```

    This scaffolds a new project with the default configuration.

    <Tip>The init command creates a `ecge.config.json` file with sensible defaults.</Tip>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Step 2: Configure your project

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Set up your environment">
    Open `ecge.config.json` and configure your project:

    1. Set the `name` field to your project name.
    2. Configure your `environment` settings for dev, staging, and production.
    3. Add any API keys or secrets to your `.env` file.

    <Tip>Never commit `.env` files to version control.</Tip>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Start the dev server">
    Run the local development server:

    ```bash theme={null}
    ecge dev
    ```

    Your project will be available at `http://localhost:3000`.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Step 3: Deploy

<Accordion title="Deploy to production">
  1. Commit and push your changes to your repository.
  2. Run `ecge deploy` or connect your repo for automatic deployments.
  3. Your project will be live in moments.
</Accordion>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configuration" href="/essentials/settings">
    Learn about all available project settings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Project structure" href="/essentials/navigation">
    Understand how ecge organizes files and routes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Code examples" href="/essentials/code">
    Add syntax-highlighted code blocks to your pages.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API reference" href="/api-reference/introduction">
    Explore the ecge REST API.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  **Need help?** Check the [full documentation](/index) or reach out to [support](mailto:support@ecge.dev).
</Note>