Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with FlowCMS in under 5 minutes. This guide walks you through installation, configuration, and your first deployment.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure your environment meets the following requirements:

Node.js 18.0 or later (LTS recommended)
npm 9+, yarn 1.22+, or pnpm 8+
A FlowCMS account (free tier available)
Basic familiarity with REST/GraphQL APIs

💡

Tip: FlowCMS supports both CLI setup and manual configuration. We recommend the CLI for faster onboarding.

Install the CLI

The FlowCMS CLI handles project scaffolding, authentication, and deployment. Install it globally using your preferred package manager:

bash

# Using npm
npm install -g @flowcms/cli

# Using yarn
yarn global add @flowcms/cli

# Using pnpm
pnpm add -g @flowcms/cli

Verify the installation by checking the version:

bash

flowcms --version
# Output: 2.4.1

Create a Project

Scaffold a new project with pre-configured content models and API routes:

bash

flowcms init my-cms-project
? Select template: Blog & Marketing
? Add GraphQL API? Yes
? Include starter content? Yes

📝

Note: The CLI will automatically install dependencies and generate a .env.local file with placeholder API keys.

Configure Environment

Open your dashboard at app.flowcms.io, navigate to Settings → API Keys, and copy your project credentials. Update .env.local:

env

# .env.local
FLOWCMS_PROJECT_ID=proj_8x9k2m4p7q
FLOWCMS_API_KEY=sk_live_51Mq9Zx...your_key
FLOWCMS_ENV=development

⚠️

Security Warning: Never commit .env files to version control. Add them to your .gitignore immediately.

Run & Preview

Start the local development server. FlowCMS automatically syncs your content models and provides a live preview dashboard:

bash

flowcms dev
✓ Content models synced
✓ GraphQL endpoint ready
🌐 Dashboard: http://localhost:3000/admin
🌐 API: http://localhost:3000/api/v1

Open http://localhost:3000/admin in your browser to start creating content, managing media, and configuring workflows.

Deploy to Edge

When ready, deploy your project to FlowCMS's global edge network with a single command:

bash

flowcms deploy --env production
✓ Building project...
✓ Uploading assets...
✓ Deployed to 42 edge locations
🌍 Live URL: https://my-project.flowcms.app

Your content API is now globally distributed with automatic SSL, caching, and 99.99% uptime guarantee.

Next Steps

📖 Core Concepts

Learn about content types, fields, and relationships.

Read Guide →

🔌 API Integration

Fetch and mutate content using REST or GraphQL.

View Docs →

🛡️ Authentication

Secure your endpoints with tokens & roles.

Learn More →