<Step title="Create a Trigger.dev account">

You can either:

- Use the [Trigger.dev Cloud](https://cloud.trigger.dev).
- Or [self-host](/documentation/guides/self-hosting) the service.

</Step>

<Step title="Create your first project">

Once you've created an account, follow the steps in the app to:

1. Complete your account details.
2. Create your first Organization and Project.

</Step>

<Step title="Getting an API key">

1. Go to the "Environments & API Keys" page in your project.
   ![Go to the Environments & API Keys page ](/images/environments-link.png)

2. Copy the `DEV` **SERVER** API key.
   ![API Keys](/images/api-keys.png)

</Step>

<Step title="Run the CLI `init` command">

The easiest way to get started it to use the CLI. It will add Trigger.dev to your existing project, setup a route and give you an example file.

In a terminal window run:

<CodeGroup>

```bash npm
npx @trigger.dev/cli@latest init
```

```bash pnpm
pnpm dlx @trigger.dev/cli@latest init
```

```bash yarn
yarn dlx @trigger.dev/cli@latest init
```

</CodeGroup>

It will ask you a couple of questions

1. Are you using the [Trigger.dev Cloud](https://cloud.trigger.dev) or [self-hosting](/documentation/guides/self-hosting)?
2. Enter your development API key. Enter the key you copied earlier.

</Step>

<Step title="Run your site">

Make sure your site is running locally, we will connect to it to register your Jobs.

<Warning>You must leave this running for the rest of the steps.</Warning>

<CodeGroup>

```bash npm
npm run dev
```

```bash pnpm
pnpm run dev
```

```bash yarn
yarn run dev
```

</CodeGroup>

</Step>
