# Getting started

Sign in, connect a GitHub repository, choose an address and publish your first documentation site.

This guide takes you from a GitHub repository to a published documentation site. You need a GitHub or Google account and a repository to document. The first draft usually takes a few minutes to write.

## 1. Sign in

Go to the Docup sign-in page and continue with **GitHub** or **Google**. New accounts are created automatically, along with a personal workspace. Projects belong to the workspace, and everything in this guide happens inside it.

## 2. Choose a repository

On the welcome screen you have two ways to point Docup at code:

- **Paste a public link.** Use a link such as `github.com/owner/repo`. A full `https://` link, a `.git` link, or a link to a folder or branch inside the repository also works. Docup always documents the whole repository, read from its default branch.
- **Connect GitHub.** Choose **Connect GitHub** to install the Docup GitHub App on your account or organization, then pick a repository from the list. This is the only way to document a private repository, and it is what lets Docup update your docs on every push. See [Connecting GitHub](/guides/connect-github).

A repository can be a project once per workspace. If it is already one, Docup tells you so.

## 3. Pick your docs address

Docup suggests an address based on the repository name, such as `your-repo.docup.dev`. You can edit the part before `.docup.dev`. Docup checks that it is free as you type.

An address must follow these rules:

- 3 to 40 characters.
- Lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens only.
- It cannot start or end with a hyphen.
- It cannot be a reserved name: `www`, `app`, `api`, `docs`, `admin`, `dashboard`, `mail`, `blog`, `status`, `help`, `support`, `docup`, `cdn`, `assets`, `static` or `cname`.

You can change the address later in [Site and domain](/settings/domain).

## 4. Let Docup write the first draft

Choose **Create project and write docs**. Docup starts a run and shows its progress live:

1. **Read your repository.** Docup downloads the code and keeps the files it is allowed to read.
2. **Plan your docs.** It decides which pages your project needs and in what order.
3. **Write each page.** Pages are written a few at a time. The **Docs outline** panel shows each page moving from pending to writing to done, or failed.
4. **Save your draft.** The pages are stored as drafts.

You can close the tab. The run continues in the background. If you return while it is still running, you are automatically redirected back to this progress screen. Once it completes, you are sent straight to your dashboard.

> **Tip:** If a run fails, the screen offers **Try again**, which starts a new run for the same project. Individual pages that fail can be retried later from the page itself. See [Runs](/guides/runs).

## 5. Review the draft

Your dashboard opens on the **Overview**, which lists what is left before the site is in good shape: pages that failed, pages to review, short pages, your logo, a search description, and publishing. Open **Pages** to read and edit. The draft is private. Readers see nothing until you publish.

Use **Preview** in the top bar at any time to see the draft exactly as readers will. See [The page editor](/guides/editor).

## 6. Publish

Choose **Publish docs** in the top bar. A summary lists the pages that will go live and the address they will live at. Confirm with **Publish now**, and your site is live. See [Publishing your site](/guides/publishing).

## Limits to know about

Each workspace can look up up to 60 repositories per hour and start up to 10 docs runs per day. Creating a project and retrying a failed first run both count as runs. All limits are listed in [Limits](/reference/limits).

## Next steps

- Tell Docup who the docs are for, and which files to skip, in [AI guidance](/settings/guidance).
- Add your logo and brand color in [Appearance](/settings/appearance).
- Set a title and description for search results in [Search and sharing](/settings/search).