---
title: "Prepare for Beacon"
description: "Get a local copy of Beacon by running npm create beacon-docs, which downloads the project, adds starter pages, and installs dependencies."
url: https://beacon-arodoni.vercel.app/prepare
---

# Prepare to Deploy

## Requirements

Before you begin, install and set up the required software and environments.

### Node.js and Node Package Manager

On your local machine, install:

- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) 20.9.0 or later, the minimum version that
  Next.js 16 supports

- Node Package Manager (`npm`), which is bundled with Node.js

### GitHub account and repository 

1. **Create the repository**

   On GitHub, using an existing account or a new account, [create a new
   repository](https://github.com/new) named `<my-repository>`.

   Leave the new repository empty. Do not add a README, `.gitignore`, or license.

2. **Configure the Vercel app**

   In the repository settings, click **Installed GitHub Apps**, confirm Vercel
   is installed, and click **Configure**.

3. **Grant repository access**

   In the Repository access section, select the repository you created,
   `<my-repository>`, or allow access to all repositories.

### Vercel account and project

1. **Import the repository**

   In Vercel, using an existing account or a new account, [import
   the GitHub repository](https://vercel.com/new), `<my-vercel-project>`, and click **Deploy**.

   Leave the build settings at their defaults. Vercel detects the Next.js static
   export automatically.

   You can ignore the warning about the missing branch.

2. **Copy the domain**

   From the Dashboard, click the card for the new project `<my-vercel-project>`, and copy the domain that Vercel assigned to it, `<my-vercel-domain>`, from the **Domains** list.

3. **Set the environment variables**

   Go to **Environment Variables**, add the following keys and values, and click **Save**:

   | Key            | Value                                           | Comment |
   | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ------- |
   | `PRODUCT_NAME` | The name of the product that your documentation describes | Appears in the top bar and page titles, and replaces the `productName` variable in your pages. If you don't set it, the site shows `MyProduct`. |
   | `SITE_URL`     | `https://<my-vercel-domain>`                    | Beacon uses it to build absolute links in canonical tags, `sitemap.xml`, and `/llms.txt`. It doesn't change where the site deploys. |