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

# Quick start

> Submit a prompt, review the blueprint, choose your scope and stack, and generate your app — Archie's idea-to-app flow end to end.

The fastest way to understand Archie is to run through it once. Submit a prompt, review the blueprint Archie generates, pick your build scope and stack, and click Generate. The whole flow takes a few minutes for most projects.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Submit your prompt">
    Open [archie.com](https://archie.com) (or sign in at [app.archie.com](https://app.archie.com)) and type what you want to build into the prompt bar. One or two sentences naming the product and the users is enough — for example, "A scheduling app for hairstylists where clients book appointments by service and stylist."

    If you don't have an account, Archie creates one as part of the flow. Pick how you want to sign in (Google, Microsoft, GitHub, or email) and your prompt continues straight into blueprint generation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review your blueprint">
    Archie generates a blueprint covering everything it'll use to build the app:

    * **Modules** — the feature areas (e.g. Scheduling, Stylist profiles, Notifications)
    * **User types** — the personas (e.g. Client, Stylist, Salon Admin)
    * **Core services** — auth, file storage, real-time, search
    * **Integrations** — Stripe, SendGrid, Twilio, and other third-party connections
    * **Design foundations** — color, typography, layout primitives
    * **Technical stack** — frontend framework, database, API style

    Shape the app by editing the blueprint, not by re-prompting. Click into any module, user type, service, or integration to add, remove, or rename it. For larger restructures, use the blueprint chat — describe the change in plain language and Archie applies it across the right sections.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your build scope">
    Pick how much of the app you want Archie to generate:

    * **MVP** — the core features needed to validate the idea. Faster build, lower credit cost, easy to extend later.
    * **Full Build** — the complete app with all the features in your blueprint.

    You can move from MVP to Full Build later if you want to start small and expand.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your stack">
    Pick which layers of the app Archie should generate. Each option has its own credit cost and time estimate:

    | Stack         | What it generates                             | Credits | Time     |
    | ------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ------- | -------- |
    | Full-Stack    | Frontend, backend, APIs, and database schema  | \~56    | \~5 min  |
    | Frontend-Only | UI components, pages, client-side routing     | \~18    | \~90 sec |
    | Backend-Only  | APIs, services, database schema, server logic | \~34    | \~3 min  |

    Most builders pick Full-Stack. Frontend-Only is useful when you want to wire up your own backend; Backend-Only is useful when you're starting from an existing UI.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate">
    Click **Generate**. Archie streams the build in real time — you can watch the agents work through modules, generate code, run validation, and deploy. When it finishes, you land in the project layout with chat, the visual editor, and the IDE all available for ongoing edits.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What if my prompt isn't specific enough?">
    The blueprint is where Archie sharpens vague ideas. If your first prompt is light, Archie still drafts a reasonable structure and you refine it from there — adding modules, renaming user types, swapping integrations. Editing the blueprint is faster and more accurate than re-prompting.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I change my scope after generating?">
    Yes. You can extend an MVP into a Full Build later, or add specific modules through the blueprint chat. Generations are additive — earlier work isn't lost when you generate more.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if generation fails partway?">
    Archie retries on transient failures automatically. If a generation doesn't complete, your blueprint and any already-generated code stay intact. Open the project activity feed for the failure reason and re-run the generation. Credits are only consumed for completed work.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why are there three stack options?">
    Some builders bring an existing frontend or backend and only need Archie to fill in the missing layer. Frontend-Only and Backend-Only are designed for those cases. If you're building from scratch, Full-Stack is the default.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does Full-Stack actually take?">
    Most projects finish in 5–10 minutes. Heavier blueprints with many modules and integrations run longer. Archie shows live progress and an estimated completion time in the build view.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Frontend" icon="arrow-pointer" href="/features/frontend/overview">
    Visual editor, components, theming, and deployment.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Backend" icon="database" href="/features/backend/overview">
    Data model, GraphQL and REST APIs, environments, and logs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom domains" icon="globe" href="/features/frontend/deployment">
    Connect your domain and ship to production.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Plans and credits" icon="receipt" href="/introduction/getting-started/plans-and-credits">
    Pricing, AI credits, and Archie Core backend tiers.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>