# Quick Start Guide

This guide provides a streamlined process for setting up and running the FlowFuse platform using [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-started/) and [Docker Compose](https://docs.docker.com/compose/).

The Docker Compose file deploys the following services:

- **FlowFuse Platform**: Includes the core application, MQTT broker, and file server for storage
- **Database:** A pre-configured database for storing platform data
- **Proxy Server:** A pre-configured proxy server for managing HTTP traffic

For a full installation guide, including how to setup FlowFuse in a production environment, please refer to the dedicated page for [running FlowFuse on Docker](/docs/install/docker).

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/) and [Docker Compose](https://docs.docker.com/compose/install/) (in `2.23.1` version or higher) installed on your system (either as a standalone binary or as a Docker plugin).

## Step 1: Prepare your domain

FlowFuse requires a domain name to work properly — it uses subdomains to run each Node-RED instance separately, so `localhost` won't work here.

If you own a domain (e.g., `example.com` or `flowfuse.example.com`), create an **A record** pointing to your server's IP address, and another **A record** for the wildcard subdomain (e.g., `*.example.com` or `*.flowfuse.example.com`) pointing to the same address. That's all the setup needed.

If you don't have a domain yet and just want to try FlowFuse locally, see [setting up an alternative to DNS](/docs/install/dns-setup#no-local-dns-server).

## Step 2: Download files

```bash
curl -L -o docker-compose.yml https://github.com/FlowFuse/docker-compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose.yml
curl -L -o .env https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FlowFuse/docker-compose/refs/heads/main/.env.example
```

## Step 3: Provide domain name

Edit the downloaded `.env` file with the editor of your choice and update the `DOMAIN` variable with your domain.

You can use `sed` to update the `DOMAIN` variable in the `.env` file:

```bash
sed -i.bak 's/^DOMAIN=.*/DOMAIN=example.com/' .env
```

## Step 4: Start the Application

Run the following command to deploy FlowFuse:

```bash
docker compose up -d
```

This downloads the necessary Docker images, runs initial setup, and starts all services in detached mode.

## Step 5: Complete the application Setup

Open your web browser and navigate to `http://forge.<your-domain>/setup` (e.g., `http://forge.example.com/setup`). You will be redirected to the setup page where you can create your admin account and set up your instance.
For detailed information about first setup and configuration, follow [this guide](/docs/install/first-run).

## Cleanup

To stop and remove the FlowFuse application, run the following command:

```bash
docker compose down -v
```

## Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues, please check the following:

1. Ensure all prerequisites are correctly installed
2. Verify your DNS settings are correct and have propagated
3. Check the Docker logs for any error messages:
```bash
docker compose logs
```

For more detailed information or advanced configuration options for running FlowFuse on Docker, please refer to our [full documentation](/docs/install/docker).