Quick Start

First-Time Setup

When you visit the admin dashboard at http://localhost:3000 for the first time, GritCMS walks you through an initial setup wizard. This only runs once and configures the essentials for your site.

Create Your Admin Account

The first screen asks you to create the administrator account. Enter your name, email, and a strong password. This account has full access to every module and setting in the system.

Configure Site Settings

Next, configure the basic identity of your site:

• Site Name -- the name displayed in the header, browser tab, and emails (e.g., "My Creator Hub")
• Tagline -- a short description shown on your homepage and in meta tags
• Logo -- upload your brand logo (displayed in the admin sidebar and public site header)

These settings can be changed later from Settings > General in the admin dashboard.

Dashboard Overview

After setup, you land on the admin dashboard. This is your command center with quick access to every module.

Key Sections in the Sidebar

Command Search

Press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on macOS) anywhere in the admin to open the command search. This lets you quickly jump to any page, create new content, or search across your entire dashboard without navigating through menus.

Quick Action: Create a Page

1. Navigate to Pages in the sidebar.
2. Click New Page.
3. Enter a title (the slug is auto-generated from the title).
4. Use the block editor to add content -- text, images, buttons, and embeds.
5. Click Publish to make the page live on your public website.

Your page is immediately visible at http://localhost:3001/pages/your-page-slug.

Quick Action: Write a Blog Post

1. Navigate to Blog in the sidebar.
2. Click New Post.
3. Fill in the title, excerpt, and featured image.
4. Write your content using the rich text editor.
5. Assign categories and tags for organization.
6. Click Publish to make it live.

Published posts appear on your public blog at http://localhost:3001/blog.

Quick Action: Create a Course

1. Navigate to Courses in the sidebar.
2. Click New Course.
3. Enter the course title, description, thumbnail, and pricing.
4. Add modules to organize your content into sections.
5. Inside each module, add lessons with text, video, or downloadable content.
6. Toggle the course to Published when ready.

Students can browse and enroll in courses on your public site. Track enrollment and progress from the admin.

Quick Action: Set Up Email Marketing

1. Navigate to Email in the sidebar.
2. Create a new List (e.g., "Newsletter Subscribers").
3. Add subscribers manually or let them sign up through your public website.
4. Create a Campaign to send a broadcast email to your list.
5. Track opens, clicks, and unsubscribes from the campaign analytics view.

Make sure your email/SMTP settings are configured before sending.

Quick Action: Add a Product

1. Navigate to Products in the sidebar.
2. Click New Product.
3. Set the product name, description, images, and price.
4. Choose the product type: digital download, physical product, or subscription.
5. Optionally create coupons for discounts.
6. Publish the product to your storefront.

Built-In Developer Tools

GritCMS ships with several built-in tools accessible from the API server:

Next Steps

Now that you have GritCMS running, dive deeper into the modules that matter most to you:

• Website Builder -- pages, blog, and navigation
• Email Marketing -- lists, campaigns, and automations
• Course Platform -- building and selling courses
• Products & Commerce -- storefront and orders
• Contacts CRM -- managing your audience
• Community -- building engaged communities
• Sales Funnels -- conversion-optimized funnels
• Booking & Scheduling -- calendars and appointments
• Affiliate Management -- referral programs
• Workflow Automation -- event-driven automations
• Configuration -- environment variables and setup