---
title: "Getting Started"
description: "Install the CLI, describe a service, and ship a first deploy in five minutes."
canonical: "https://orbit-handbook.sitesmojo.com/docs/getting-started/"
---

# Getting Started

From zero to a first deploy in about five minutes.

## 1. Install the CLI

```bash
curl -fsSL https://get.orbit.example/install.sh | sh
orbit version   # orbit 0.4.2
```

More platforms and CI recipes: [Installation](/docs/installation/).

## 2. Describe your service

Run `orbit init` in your repository. It detects the runtime and writes a
minimal `orbit.yaml`:

```yaml
app: hello-api
build: docker
environments:
  staging:
    url: https://staging.hello.example
  production:
    url: https://hello.example
    protect: true
```

## 3. Ship it

```bash
orbit deploy --env staging
```

Orbit builds, uploads, and shows the plan before anything changes:

```text
Release #1 -> staging
  + service hello-api (new)
  + route https://staging.hello.example
Apply? [y/N] y
  build   ok  (42s)
  push    ok  (11s)
  switch  ok  (0.3s)
Release #1 is live.
```

## 4. Promote to production

```bash
orbit promote --from staging --to production
```

A promote reuses the exact artifact that ran in staging - nothing is rebuilt,
so what you tested is what ships. `protect: true` environments always require
a confirmation.

## Next steps

- Wire it into CI: [Installation - CI runners](/docs/installation/)
- Understand the release lifecycle: [Deployments](/docs/deployments/)
- Break something on purpose, then read [Rollbacks](/docs/deployments/rollbacks/)