> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.squarecloud.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Go from zero to hero in minutes with Square Cloud. This guide will help you get started with Square Cloud and understand the power of our platform.

## Square Cloud Services 🚀

Square Cloud has been designed from the ground up to be a developer-friendly platform. The platform is composed of various services that can be used to deploy applications quickly and securely.

<Card title="Bot hosting." href="/en/services/bots">
  Deploy your bots to Square Cloud and receive the best solutions for bot hosting.
  Square offers a strategic location for the most famous platforms, ensuring low latency and high availability.
</Card>

<Card title="Web hosting." href="/en/services/sites">
  Deploy your web applications to Square Cloud and receive the best solutions for web hosting.
  We provide premium Cloudflare integration, fast DNS, and a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to ensure the best performance and security.
</Card>

<Card title="Serverless Storage, Blob Storage." href="/en/services/blob">
  Store your data with Square Cloud and enjoy the benefits of serverless storage.
  Our storage service is designed to be simple, scalable, and cost-effective.
</Card>

<Card title="Database hosting." href="/en/services/databases">
  Deploy managed MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Redis databases in seconds, with automatic snapshots and connection strings ready to copy into your application.
</Card>

## Before you begin

Square Cloud is a paid platform — an active plan is required to deploy, so your project runs on production-grade infrastructure from day one. Create your account, then [select the plan](https://squarecloud.app/en/pricing) that's right for you (see [what each plan includes](/en/platform/plans)).

<CardGroup>
  <Card title="Sign Up" icon="user-plus" href="https://squarecloud.app/en/signup" color="#95979b">
    If you've never used Square before, sign up to get started.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Log in" icon="right-to-bracket" href="https://squarecloud.app/en/signin" color="#95979b">
    If you already have an account, log in to get started.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Upload your project 😁

You can upload your project to Square Cloud in a few simple steps, as shown below:

<Steps>
  <Step title="First, read the instructions about your language:">
    <CardGroup cols={3}>
      <Card title="JavaScript" icon="node-js" href="../articles/getting-started-with-nodejs" />

      <Card title="Python" icon="python" href="../articles/getting-started-with-python" />

      <Card title="Java" icon="java" href="../articles/getting-started-with-java" />

      <Card title="Rust" icon="rust" href="../articles/getting-started-with-rust" />

      <Card title="Elixir" icon="droplet" href="../articles/getting-started-with-elixir" />

      <Card title="PHP" icon="php" href="../articles/getting-started-with-php" />

      <Card title="Go" icon="golang" href="../articles/getting-started-with-go" />

      <Card title="C#" icon="c" href="../articles/getting-started-with-csharp" />

      <Card title="Ruby" icon="gem" href="../articles/getting-started-with-ruby" />
    </CardGroup>

    <Info>For this example, we will use the JavaScript (Node.js) language.</Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="After, create your Square Cloud config file.">
    Next, you need to create a configuration file. Learn how in the [configuration file guide](/en/getting-started/config-file).

    ```systemd Example of a config file for a bot theme={null}
    MAIN=index.js
    MEMORY=512
    VERSION=recommended
    DISPLAY_NAME=Batman bot
    DESCRIPTION=This bot is the dark knight of the night.
    ```

    ```systemd Example for website. (URL: "batman.squareweb.app") theme={null}
    MAIN=index.js
    MEMORY=512
    VERSION=recommended
    SUBDOMAIN=batman
    START=npm run build && npm run start
    DISPLAY_NAME=Batman website
    DESCRIPTION=This website is the dark knight of the night.
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="And then, ZIP your project.">
    After creating the configuration file, you need to zip your project.
    <Tip>Planning to deploy via the CLI below? You can skip this step — `squarecloud upload` zips your project for you.</Tip>

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash Windows theme={null}
      1. Locate the file or folder that you want to zip.
      2. Press and hold (or right-click) the file or folder, select (or point to) Send to, and then select Compressed (zipped) folder.
      3. A new zipped folder with the same name is created in the same location. To rename it, press and hold (or right-click) the folder, select Rename, and then type the new name.
      ```

      ```bash Linux theme={null}
      1. Locate the file or folder that you want to zip.
      2. Right-click the file or folder, then choose Compress from the shortcut menu.
      3. A new zipped folder with the same name is created in the same location. To rename it, press and hold (or right-click) the folder, select Rename, and then type the new name.
      ```

      ```bash macOS theme={null}
      1. Locate the file or folder that you want to zip.
      2. Control-click the file or folder, then choose Compress from the shortcut menu.
      3. A new zipped folder with the same name is created in the same location. To rename it, press and hold (or right-click) the folder, select Rename, and then type the new name.
      ```
    </CodeGroup>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Deploy it 😉

Choose how you want to deploy: through the dashboard (upload your ZIP) or with a single command using the CLI — the same workflow developers know from other modern platforms.

### Via dashboard

<Steps>
  <Step title="Access the Upload Page">
    Access the [upload page](https://squarecloud.app/en/dashboard/new) and upload your project zip file.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Your Environment">
    After uploading your zip, you will need to configure the name, main file or runtime environment and other settings for your project.\
    If you are uploading a web project, make sure to select "Web Publication" and set a subdomain to your project.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deploy Your Project">
    Finally, click on the "Deploy" button to host your project on Square Cloud.\
    After deployment, you can monitor your project's status and logs from the dashboard.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://cdn.squarecloud.app/docs/articles/dashboard/uploading.gif" alt="Uploading application to Square Cloud" style={{ borderRadius: "0.2rem" }} />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm Your App Is Live">
    Your first deploy usually takes less than a minute. In the [dashboard](https://squarecloud.app/en/dashboard), wait for your application status to show as running and check the logs for any startup errors.\
    If you deployed a website or API, open `https://<your-subdomain>.squareweb.app` in your browser — you should see your application responding. If you deployed a bot, send it a command to confirm it is online.
    <Tip>App not starting? See the [Troubleshooting guide](/en/platform/troubleshooting/app-wont-start) for the most common causes and fixes.</Tip>
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Via CLI

To use this method, you need to create a config file named `squarecloud.app` in the root directory of your project. This file will contain the necessary configuration for your project.

<Card title="Configuration file guide" icon="link" href="/en/getting-started/config-file">
  Learn how to create the `squarecloud.app` configuration file that defines your application's environment.
</Card>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the CLI">
    First, you need to have the CLI installed in your environment. If you don't have it yet, run the following command in your terminal:

    ```
    npm install -g @squarecloud/cli
    ```

    If you already have it, we recommend updating it. To do this, run the following command in your terminal:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Windows">
        ```bash theme={null}
        squarecloud update
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Linux, macOS, and WSL">
        ```bash theme={null}
        curl -fsSL https://cli.squarecloud.app/install | bash
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Authenticate">
    Now, to authenticate and use other CLI commands, you will find your authorization key [here](https://squarecloud.app/en/account/security) by clicking on "Request API Key". After obtaining your authorization key, run the following command:

    ```bash theme={null}
    squarecloud auth login
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload Your Project">
    Finally, to deploy your application to Square Cloud using the CLI, you need to run the following command:

    ```bash theme={null}
    squarecloud upload 
    ```

    Or if you created the zip manually, you can use:

    ```bash theme={null}
    squarecloud upload --file <path/to/zip> 
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm Your App Is Live">
    Your first deploy usually takes less than a minute. Check your application status and logs directly from the terminal:

    ```bash theme={null}
    squarecloud app status
    squarecloud app logs
    ```

    If you deployed a website or API, open `https://<your-subdomain>.squareweb.app` in your browser — you should see your application responding. If you deployed a bot, send it a command to confirm it is online.
    <Tip>App not starting? See the [Troubleshooting guide](/en/platform/troubleshooting/app-wont-start) for the most common causes and fixes.</Tip>
  </Step>
</Steps>