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

# Quickstart

> Create and run your first elizaOS agent in 3 minutes

**3 minutes.** That's all it takes to go from zero to a running AI agent with memory, actions, and a web interface.

No Docker. No complex configuration. Just one command to start.

<Tip>
  **Prefer video?** Watch the [**3-minute tutorial**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP4ldEqmTiE\&list=PLrjBjP4nU8ehOgKAa0-XddHzE0KK0nNvS\&index=2)
</Tip>

## Create Your First Agent

Let's create a project with our default Eliza character that can chat and take actions.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create Your Project">
    Create a new elizaOS project using the interactive CLI:

    ```bash Terminal theme={null}
    elizaos create
    ```

    <Note>
      The CLI is for building agents and projects. The monorepo is only for contributing to elizaOS core. See [CLI vs Monorepo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSO4wpQs2OA\&list=PLrjBjP4nU8ehOgKAa0-XddHzE0KK0nNvS).
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Your Project">
    During the interactive setup, you'll be prompted to make the following selections:

    1. **Project Name**: Enter your desired project name
    2. **Database**: Select `pglite` for a lightweight, local PostgreSQL option
    3. **Model Provider**: Select `OpenAI` for this quickstart guide
    4. **API Key**: You'll be prompted to enter your OpenAI API key

    <Note>
      You can get an OpenAI API key from the [OpenAI Platform](https://platform.openai.com/).
    </Note>

    Both database and model provider choices can be reconfigured later.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Your Project">
    Change directory to your newly created project (replace with your project name):

    ```bash Terminal theme={null}
    cd my-eliza-project
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start Your Agent">
    Launch your elizaOS project:

    ```bash Terminal theme={null}
    elizaos start
    ```

    Wait a few seconds for the server to start up.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Chat with Your Agent">
    Open your browser and navigate to:

    ```
    http://localhost:3000
    ```

    Start chatting with Eliza through the web interface!
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion icon="key" title="API key issues">
    If you're getting authentication or configuration errors:

    Open your project in Cursor (or any IDE) and look at the `.env` file in your project root. Make sure these are set correctly:

    ```
    OPENAI_API_KEY=your-actual-api-key-here
    ```

    ```
    PGLITE_DATA_DIR=/path/to/your/project/.eliza/.elizadb
    ```

    **Common issues:**

    * OpenAI API key is missing, invalid, or has extra spaces/quotes
    * Wrong OpenAI API key format (should start with `sk-`)
    * OpenAI account has no credits remaining

    **Note:** You can also configure environment variables in the terminal with `elizaos env`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="database" title="Database connection issues">
    If you're having database issues, check your `.env` file for the database path:

    ```
    PGLITE_DATA_DIR=/path/to/your/project/.eliza/.elizadb
    ```

    **Common issues:**

    * Database path is incorrect in `.env` file
    * `.eliza/.elizadb` directory doesn't exist or has wrong permissions
    * Database corruption (recreate the project if this happens)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="wrench" title="Other Common Issues">
    **When in doubt, turn it off and on again:**

    * Stop the server with `Ctrl+C`, then start it again with `elizaos start`
    * Check the [installation guide](/installation) to confirm you installed everything correctly

    **Still can't access the frontend after 10 seconds?**

    * If you can't reach `http://localhost:3000`, delete your project and start fresh
    * Navigate to the folder containing your project, then run:

    ```bash Terminal theme={null}
    rm -rf my-eliza-project && elizaos create
    ```

    * Follow the Quickstart steps again carefully
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Customize Your Agent" icon="sliders" href="/guides/customize-an-agent">
    Change personality, add knowledge, configure behavior
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a Plugin" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/guides/create-a-plugin">
    Add custom actions, providers, and services
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy to Cloud" icon="cloud" href="/guides/deploy-to-cloud">
    Ship your agent to production in minutes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Plugin Registry" icon="grid-2" href="/plugin-registry/overview">
    Browse 90+ plugins for Discord, Twitter, Solana, and more
  </Card>
</CardGroup>