# Quickstart

> Sign up, run one command in your repo, deploy. Your setup screen lights up when the first service checks in.

URL: https://pagerless.dev/docs/quickstart
Updated: 2026-10-22

1. **Create your account** [Sign up](https://app.pagerless.dev/signup) with a passkey, Google, GitHub or an email link. No card.
2. **Install the iPhone app** Sign in and allow notifications, so wake alerts reach your lock screen. Add your phone number for calls if you use Twilio.
3. **Connect your repo** In your project folder, run the command below. It signs you in through the browser, shows every change it will make, and applies them only after you say yes.

   ```
   npx pagerless connect
   ```
4. **Deploy as usual** Your setup screen lights up when the first service sends a heartbeat. Nothing else to configure.
5. **Pick your backup** Add one person to call if you don't answer within 5 minutes. They need their own account and phone.

## Prefer to do it by hand?

In a Node app, install the package and import it first thing:

```bash
npm i pagerless
```

```js
import "pagerless/auto"; // first line of your server entry
```

Then set `PAGERLESS_KEY` in your host's environment. Other stacks: [all integrations](https://pagerless.dev/integrations).

## Questions

### Does connect change my code without asking?

No. It prints the plan and the exact diff first and asks "Apply these changes?". `--dry-run` shows the plan without signing in or changing anything.

### Where does my key go?

Into your host's secret store where it can (Wrangler secrets, Vercel env, AWS SSM for ECS), otherwise into `.env.local`, which connect adds to `.gitignore`.