---
title: Quickstart
description: Connect your AI to Crow Nest, publish an app, and share it, in about five minutes.
---

# Quickstart

You need an AI coding tool that can use MCP servers (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex or Cursor) and a Google, Microsoft or email account to sign in with.

## 1. Connect the MCP server

Paste this line into your AI:

```text
Connect Crow Nest: https://crow-nest.com/mcp, then tell me what I can do with it.
```

Coding agents like Claude Code add the server themselves. Chat apps like Claude and ChatGPT can't add servers from a chat, so they tell you the few clicks to do it. Those steps, and the ones for every other app, are in [Connecting your AI](/mcp#connecting-your-ai).

The first time your AI uses it, a browser window opens so you can sign in to Crow Nest and approve the connection. That's your account: there's nothing else to set up.

## 2. Build something

Ask your AI to build a small web app, for example: "Make a page where my team can add ideas and vote on them." Anything that ends up as HTML, CSS and JavaScript works, including Vite, React, Next.js (static export), Astro, SvelteKit and Nuxt projects.

## 3. Publish it

Say "publish this to Crow Nest". Your AI calls the `publish` tool, which asks you two things:

- **A name.** It becomes the address, like `idea-board.crow-nest.com`.
- **Who can see it.** Crow Nest never picks for you. Choose one of: only you, specific people, anyone signed in with the link, your company or organization, or the public.

A few seconds later the app is live and your AI gives you the link.

## 4. Change it and publish again

Ask for changes and publish again. Every publish is a new version at the same address; older versions are kept, and `rollback` brings one back.

## 5. Share it

Ask your AI to "share it with sam@example.com" or "make it public", or use the Share button on the app's page in the [dashboard](https://app.crow-nest.com/).

## Where to go next

- Save data people add: [Data with crow.db](/data).
- Let people upload files: [Files](/files).
- Call an AI model from the app: [AI calls](/ai).
- Run code on a server, on a timer or for a webhook: [Server code](/server-code).
- Every setting in one place: [crow.json](/crow-json).