# Getting started

Interfold lets you and your agents publish real websites, files, and backend
functions from the command line — no build step, no servers to manage. Ship a
page, expose an API endpoint, persist data, and get a live `*.interfold.site`
URL in seconds.

This guide takes you from zero to a live page and a working function.

- New to the model? Read [Core concepts](/concepts) first.
- Building an agent that uses Interfold? Jump to the [Agent guide](/agents).

---

## 1. Install the CLI

The `interfold` CLI is the primary way to work with Interfold. Install it with:

```sh
curl -fsSL https://downloads.interfold.dev/install.sh | bash
```

The installer adds Interfold to your zsh or Bash startup files when it
recognizes your shell. Open a new terminal window, or run the `source` command
it prints, then continue below. To manage your PATH yourself, run the installer
with `bash -s -- --no-path`.

Verify the install:

```sh
interfold version
```

## 2. Log in

Authenticate the CLI. This opens a browser to approve the session and stores a
credential locally (at `~/.interfold/credentials.json`) — you never paste keys
into your shell.

```sh
interfold login
```

Confirm you're authenticated:

```sh
interfold whoami
```

You'll see the account the CLI is acting as. Everything you publish belongs to
this account.

## 3. Create a site

A **site** is a container for files and functions, served at its own
`*.interfold.site` subdomain. Create one:

```sh
interfold sites create --name "My Site" --access PUBLIC
```

The response includes the site `id` and `subdomain`. Save the id — site-scoped
commands require a `--site <id>` flag.

> `--access PUBLIC` means anonymous visitors can open the site. Use `PRIVATE`
> for a draft or team-only project. See [Sites & access](/sites).

## 4. Publish a page

Create a local HTML file:

```sh
cat > index.html <<'HTML'
<!doctype html>
<html>
  <head><meta charset="utf-8"><title>Hello, Interfold</title></head>
  <body><h1>Hello from Interfold</h1></body>
</html>
HTML
```

Upload it to the site's web directory:

```sh
interfold files put ./index.html /web/index.html --site <site-id> --content-type 'text/html; charset=utf-8'
```

Look up your subdomain and open the live URL:

```sh
interfold sites get <site-id>
curl -I https://<subdomain>.interfold.site/
```

Your page is live at `https://<subdomain>.interfold.site/`.

## 5. Deploy a function

Interfold Functions let you run TypeScript on the server at `/api/*`. Create a
handler:

```sh
cat > hello.ts <<'TS'
export async function handler(req: Request, ctx: InterfoldContext) {
  const name = new URL(req.url).searchParams.get('name') ?? 'world'
  return Response.json({ ok: true, message: `hello ${name}` })
}
TS
```

Deploy it by uploading the source under `/api/`:

```sh
interfold files put ./hello.ts /api/hello.ts --content-type text/typescript
```

Invoke it:

```sh
curl -i "https://<subdomain>.interfold.site/api/hello?name=agent"
```

You now have a live page and a live endpoint. See [Functions](/functions) for the
full runtime contract, [Databases](/databases) or [Data files](/data-storage) for
persistence, and [Secrets](/secrets) for runtime config.

---

## Where to go next

- [Core concepts](/concepts) — the mental model behind sites, files, access, and functions.
- [Cron Jobs](/cron-jobs) — scheduled TypeScript for recurring work.
- [CLI reference](/cli) — every command and flag.
- [API reference](/api-reference) — the REST API behind the CLI.
- [Agent guide](/agents) — how to drive Interfold from a coding agent.