Set Up Compass

Compass is a docs starter, so the first setup step is really about making the repository yours: get it running, update the site identity, and replace the sample information architecture.

Install and run locally

From the project root:

npm install
npm run dev

That starts Astro’s local server so you can preview the homepage, category pages, and article templates while you edit.

Update the project identity

These are the first files most teams touch:

• site.config.mjs for title, URLs, and repository links
• src/data/docs.ts for parent categories and sub-categories
• src/content/docs for article content
• README.md for package and contributor guidance

Confirm the core scripts

Compass ships with a small set of scripts you can use during development:

npm run dev
npm run check
npm run build
npm run preview

• dev runs the local Astro server
• check validates Astro, TypeScript, and content usage
• build generates the production site
• preview serves the production build locally

Recommended first edits

Once the project is running, make these changes before publishing:

1. Replace the placeholder siteUrl in site.config.mjs
2. Rename the sample categories in src/data/docs.ts
3. Rewrite the sample content in src/content/docs
4. Confirm the navigation labels in the header match your docs structure

What to expect next

After that, the next step is learning how Compass organizes categories, articles, and routes so you can reshape it without guesswork. Continue with How Compass Is Organized.