# Start building with Lotus

Install Lotus, configure the docs shell, and start writing Astro documentation.

import { Card, CardGrid } from '@prosefly/astro-components';

## Choose Your Path

<CardGrid>
  <Card icon="lucide:sparkles" title="New docs site" href="/docs/installation/#starter-template">
    Start from the Lotus starter template when you want a working Astro docs
    site with the theme already wired up.
  </Card>
  <Card icon="lucide:wrench" title="Existing Astro project" href="/docs/installation/#manual-setup">
    Install Lotus manually, register the integration, and connect your docs
    content collection.
  </Card>
  <Card icon="lucide:settings-2" title="Configure Lotus" href="/docs/configuration/project/">
    Set project identity, docs routing, navigation, docs navigation, footer links,
    search, source links, and page actions.
  </Card>
  <Card icon="lucide:file-text" title="Write docs content" href="/docs/essentials/frontmatter/">
    Learn frontmatter, Markdown, images, code blocks, and MDX authoring patterns
    for Lotus pages.
  </Card>
  <Card icon="lucide:palette" title="Customize the UI" href="/docs/customization/css-styling/">
    Tune appearance, CSS tokens, layouts, and shell component overrides when
    configuration is not enough.
  </Card>
  <Card icon="lucide:move-right" title="Migrate from Starlight" href="/docs/migrations/starlight/">
    Move existing Starlight content, docs navigation, i18n directories, and MDX
    component usage into Lotus.
  </Card>
</CardGrid>

## Reference Links

- Read [Overview](/docs/overview/) for the high-level model.
- Visit [Project Structure](/docs/essentials/project-structure/) for a
  task-oriented setup guide.
- Check [Changelog](/docs/changelog/) before upgrading Lotus.