Get a fully working help center running in under a minute.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later
- npm, yarn, or pnpm
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/charlieclark/markdesk.git my-help-center
cd my-help-center
rm -rf .git
This gives you a clean copy with no git history attached.
Configure your help center
Open markdesk.config.ts and update it with your product's details:
{
name: 'My Product',
siteUrl: 'https://help.example.com',
productUrl: 'https://example.com',
supportEmail: 'support@example.com',
fromEmail: 'help@example.com',
colors: { primary: '#4b68af' },
emailSender: 'resend',
beacon: { title: 'Help' },
}
See the Configuration Reference for details on every option.
Set up email (optional)
If you want the contact form to work, copy the environment template and add your API key:
cp .env.example .env
Then fill in the appropriate key for your chosen email sender. See Email Providers for setup instructions.
Install and run
npm install
npm run dev
Your help center is now running at http://localhost:3000.
Next steps
- Write your first article
- Embed the beacon widget on your product
- Deploy to production