# Getting Started

## Try It Online

You can try VitePress directly in your browser on [StackBlitz](https://vitepress.new).

## Installation

### Prerequisites

- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) version 16 or higher.
- Terminal for accessing VitePress via its command line interface (CLI).
- Text Editor with [Markdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown) syntax support.
  - [VSCode](https://code.visualstudio.com/) is recommended, along with the [official Vue extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Vue.volar).

VitePress can be used on its own, or be installed into an existing project. In both cases, you can install it with:

::: code-group

```sh [npm]
$ npm install -D vitepress
```

```sh [pnpm]
$ pnpm add -D vitepress
```

```sh [yarn]
$ yarn add -D vitepress
```

:::

::: details Getting missing peer deps warnings?
If using PNPM, you will notice a missing peer warning for `@docsearch/js`. This does not prevent VitePress from working. If you wish to suppress this warning, add the following to your `package.json`:

```json
"pnpm": {
  "peerDependencyRules": {
    "ignoreMissing": [
      "@algolia/client-search",
      "search-insights"
    ]
  }
}
```

:::

### Setup Wizard

VitePress ships with a command line setup wizard that will help you scaffold a basic project. After installation, start the wizard by running:

::: code-group

```sh [npm]
$ npx vitepress init
```

```sh [pnpm]
$ pnpm exec vitepress init
```

:::

You will be greeted with a few simple questions:

<p>
  <img src="./vitepress-init.png" alt="vitepress init screenshot" style="border-radius:8px">
</p>

:::tip Vue as Peer Dependency
If you intend to perform customization that uses Vue components or APIs, you should also explicitly install `vue` as a peer dependency.
:::

## File Structure

If you are building a standalone VitePress site, you can scaffold the site in your current directory (`./`). However, if you are installing VitePress in an existing project alongside other source code, it is recommended to scaffold the site in a nested directory (e.g. `./docs`) so that it is separate from the rest of the project.

Assuming you chose to scaffold the VitePress project in `./docs`, the generated file structure should look like this:

```
.
├─ docs
│  ├─ .vitepress
│  │  └─ config.js
│  ├─ api-examples.md
│  ├─ markdown-examples.md
│  └─ index.md
└─ package.json
```

The `docs` directory is considered the **project root** of the VitePress site. The `.vitepress` directory is a reserved location for VitePress' config file, dev server cache, build output, and optional theme customization code.

:::tip
By default, VitePress stores its dev server cache in `.vitepress/cache`, and the production build output in `.vitepress/dist`. If using Git, you should add them to your `.gitignore` file. These locations can also be [configured](../reference/site-config#outdir).
:::

### The Config File

The config file (`.vitepress/config.js`) allows you to customize various aspects of your VitePress site, with the most basic options being the title and description of the site:

```js
// .vitepress/config.js
export default {
  // site-level options
  title: 'VitePress',
  description: 'Just playing around.',

  themeConfig: {
    // theme-level options
  }
}
```

You can also configure the behavior of the theme via the `themeConfig` option. Consult the [Config Reference](../reference/site-config) for full details on all config options.

### Source Files

Markdown files outside the `.vitepress` directory are considered **source files**.

VitePress uses **file-based routing**: each `.md` file is compiled into a corresponding `.html` file with the same path. For example, `index.md` will be compiled into `index.html`, and can be visited at the root path `/` of the resulting VitePress site.

VitePress also provides the ability to generate clean URLs, rewrite paths, and dynamically generate pages. These will be covered in the [Routing Guide](./routing).

## Up and Running

The tool should have also injected the following npm scripts to your `package.json` if you allowed it to do so during the setup process:

```json
{
  ...
  "scripts": {
    "docs:dev": "vitepress dev docs",
    "docs:build": "vitepress build docs",
    "docs:preview": "vitepress preview docs"
  },
  ...
}
```

The `docs:dev` script will start a local dev server with instant hot updates. Run it with the following command:

::: code-group

```sh [npm]
$ npm run docs:dev
```

```sh [pnpm]
$ pnpm run docs:dev
```

```sh [yarn]
$ yarn docs:dev
```

:::

Instead of npm scripts, you can also invoke VitePress directly with:

::: code-group

```sh [npm]
$ npx vitepress dev docs
```

```sh [pnpm]
$ pnpm exec vitepress dev docs
```

:::

More command line usage is documented in the [CLI Reference](../reference/cli).

The dev server should be running at `http://localhost:5173`. Visit the URL in your browser to see your new site in action!

## What's Next?

- To better understand how markdown files are mapped to generated HTML, proceed to the [Routing Guide](./routing).

- To discover more about what you can do on the page, such as writing markdown content or using Vue Component, refer to the "Writing" section of the guide. A great place to start would be to learn about [Markdown Extensions](./markdown).

- To explore the features provided by the default documentation theme, check out the [Default Theme Config Reference](../reference/default-theme-config).

- If you want to further customize the appearance of your site, explore how to either [Extend the Default Theme](./extending-default-theme) or [Build a Custom Theme](./custom-theme).

- Once your documentation site takes shape, make sure to read the [Deployment Guide](./deploy).