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

# Quickstart

> Build and deploy your first custom agent in minutes.

## Requirements

* Node.js 22+ or Bun
* Docker (the server needs it to deploy agents)

## Install and Run the Blink Server

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the Blink Server" titleSize="h3">
    ```bash theme={null}
    npm install -g blink-server
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the server" titleSize="h3">
    ```bash theme={null}
    blink-server
    ```

    The server will prompt you to create a Postgres database inside a Docker container. If you'd rather use your own Postgres database, set the `BLINK_POSTGRES_URL` environment variable:

    ```bash theme={null}
    BLINK_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:password@host:port/database
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the web UI" titleSize="h3">
    The server will display a URL where you can access the web UI and create your first agent.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  For containerized deployments, see the [Docker
  Deployment](/server/docker-deployment) guide.
</Tip>