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

# Quickstart

> Branch your Postgres database in a few minutes

<Info>
  **Prerequisites:**

  * Node.js (LTS recommended)
  * A Postgres connection string (Supabase, RDS, PlanetScale, or self-hosted)
</Info>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the CLI">
    ```bash theme={null}
    npm install -g ardent-cli
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Log in">
    ```bash theme={null}
    ardent login
    ```

    This opens your browser to authenticate with GitHub or email. If you only have one project and one connector, Ardent auto-selects them after login so you can go straight to branching.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preflight your database">
    ```bash theme={null}
    ardent connector preflight postgresql 'postgresql://user:[YOUR-PASSWORD]@host:5432/mydb'
    ```

    Preflight checks whether Ardent can reach and replicate from your source database. It does **not** create a connector, store credentials, or start replication. If grants are missing, Ardent prints the SQL to run.

    Wrap the URL in **single quotes** so special characters in the password or query string are not interpreted by your shell.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect your database">
    When preflight passes, create the connector:

    ```bash theme={null}
    ardent connector create postgresql 'postgresql://user:[YOUR-PASSWORD]@host:5432/mydb'
    ```

    Ardent replicates your database during initial setup. You only do this once. Setup time depends on data size, write rate, and network throughput. Small sources are ready in minutes; large production databases take longer. After setup, every branch creates in under 6 seconds, regardless of data size.

    <Note>The new connector is automatically selected as your active connector.</Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your first branch">
    When the connector is ready:

    ```bash theme={null}
    ardent branch create my-feature
    ```

    Done. You now have an isolated copy of your production database. The CLI returns a connection string you can use anywhere: psql, your app, an ORM, or an agent.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

* Feed the branch URL to Claude Code or Cursor. Test if your migration breaks, try a new index, or validate schema changes against realistic data
* Run `ardent branch info` to see the connection URL and status for your current branch
* Create more branches for different tasks. They auto-suspend when idle, so don't worry about cleanup
* Working across multiple databases or environments? Use `ardent project switch` and `ardent connector switch` to move between them

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connector docs" icon="unplug" href="/connectors/supabase">
    Provider-specific setup for Supabase, RDS, PlanetScale, and self-hosted Postgres.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI Reference" icon="terminal" href="/cli/overview">
    Commands, flags, automation output, and configuration knobs.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>