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

# Quickstart

> Get Nous running locally and connect your first integration in under 15 minutes

<Note>
  This guide is for **local development**. To deploy on a server, see [Docker Compose](/installation/docker-compose).
</Note>

## Prerequisites

* [Node.js 20+](https://nodejs.org) and [pnpm](https://pnpm.io) — `npm install -g pnpm`
* [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) — used for Redis only
* A [Supabase](https://supabase.com) project — free tier works
* An [Anthropic API key](https://console.anthropic.com)

***

## Step 1: Clone and install

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/NousC/opennous.git
cd nous
pnpm install
```

## Step 2: Configure environment

```bash theme={null}
cp .env.example .env
```

Open `.env` and fill in:

```bash theme={null}
# Supabase — Settings → API
SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your-anon-key
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your-service-role-key
VITE_SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your-anon-key

# Anthropic
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

# Generate with: node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'))"
ENCRYPTION_KEY=
API_SECRET=
```

## Step 3: Run the database schema

<Warning>
  Required on first setup. Skip this and the app will start but nothing will work.
</Warning>

Open your Supabase project → **SQL Editor** → paste and run the full contents of [`supabase/schema.sql`](https://github.com/NousC/opennous/blob/main/supabase/schema.sql).

## Step 4: Start Redis

```bash theme={null}
docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yaml up -d
```

This starts Redis on `localhost:6379`. The API and worker need it to run.

## Step 5: Start the app

```bash theme={null}
pnpm dev
```

Starts all four services in parallel:

| Service    | URL                     | What it does                                    |
| ---------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| API        | `http://localhost:3000` | REST API, identity resolution, signal ingestion |
| Frontend   | `http://localhost:5173` | Web UI                                          |
| MCP server | `http://localhost:3001` | Agent tool interface                            |
| Worker     | background              | AI synthesis, two-way sync, ICP scoring         |

## Step 6: Connect your first integration

Open `http://localhost:5173` → **Settings → Integrations** and connect at least one source:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="HubSpot" icon="database" href="/providers/overview">
    One-time import of existing contacts and deal history.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Gmail" icon="envelope" href="/providers/overview">
    Ingest email signals in real time via OAuth.
  </Card>

  <Card title="LinkedIn" icon="linkedin" href="/providers/linkedin">
    Pull connection requests and messages via Unipile.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhooks" icon="bolt" href="/providers/overview">
    Connect any custom signal source with HMAC auth.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Step 7: Connect your AI agent via MCP

Add Nous to your `mcp.json` (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP host):

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nous": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@opennous/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "NOUS_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "NOUS_API_URL": "http://localhost:3000"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Generate your API key under **Settings → API Keys**.

***

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="How it works" icon="diagram-project" href="/getting-started/how-it-works">
    Identity resolution, signal ingestion, and the unified record architecture.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP tools reference" icon="robot" href="/mcp/introduction">
    Full reference for all MCP tools your agents can call.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Production deploy" icon="server" href="/installation/docker-compose">
    Deploy on your own server with Docker Compose.
  </Card>

  <Card title="REST API" icon="code" href="/public-api/introduction">
    Integrate via REST API from any language or platform.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>