---
title: "Quick Start Guide"
description: "Step-by-step guide to set up a basic RAG-powered AI chatbot with ChatRAG in 12 simple steps"
url: "https://www.chatrag.ai/docs/quick-start"
type: "documentation"
---

# Quick Start Guide

Set up a basic RAG-powered AI chatbot with ChatRAG in 12 simple steps.

## Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ installed
- A code editor (VS Code recommended)
- Accounts on Supabase, OpenAI, and OpenRouter

## Steps

### 1. Access the Repository
Clone the repository after purchasing ChatRAG:
```bash
git clone <repo-url>
```

### 2. Install Dependencies
```bash
npm install
```

### 3. Run the Development Server
```bash
npm run dev
```

### 4. Open the Configuration Dashboard
```bash
npm run config
```

### 5. Obtain and Paste API Keys
- **LlamaCloud**: Register at cloud.llamaindex.ai
- **OpenAI**: Generate key at platform.openai.com
- **OpenRouter**: Generate key at openrouter.ai

### 6. Set Up Vector Database (Supabase)
- Create new project at supabase.com
- Choose SQL file based on deployment mode:
  - `supabase/single-tenant-setup.sql` for Single-Tenant
  - `supabase/multi-tenant-setup.sql` for Multi-Tenant
- Run SQL in Supabase SQL Editor
- Copy API keys to configuration

### 7. Save Configuration
Click "Save All Changes" in the configuration dashboard.

### 8. Start the Chatbot
```bash
npm run dev
```
Access on localhost:3000

### 9. Upload Documents
Go to dashboard and upload a PDF to test ingestion.

### 10. Test Your Chatbot
Query the uploaded document content.

### 11. Basic Customization
- Product name and branding
- Greeting message
- Color theme
- Language settings

### 12. Next Steps
- WhatsApp integration
- Additional AI providers
- Production deployment