Get Started with nao Cloud

nao Cloud is the hosted version of nao, running at app.getnao.io. We run the chat app, database, and your projects - you don’t deploy or manage any infrastructure. Build your context locally (or in Git) and push it to your Cloud workspace.

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Step 1: Create your account

Go to app.getnao.io/signup and sign up with email and password, or with Google. On your first sign-in, nao automatically creates a workspace (your organization) with you as its admin - there is no separate setup wizard. If you sign up with a Google address whose domain already has a nao Cloud workspace, you can be added to that existing workspace instead. Already have an account? Sign in at app.getnao.io/login.

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Step 2: Add your first project

A fresh workspace has no project yet. A project holds one agent’s context, data connections, chats, and members. There are two ways to create one.

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Option A: Import from GitHub

If your nao project already lives in a GitHub repository (a folder containing nao_config.yaml), import it straight from the browser:

1. From the empty-project screen, choose Import from GitHub.
2. Authorize the nao GitHub app on the account or organization that owns the repo.
3. Pick the repository and branch that holds your nao_config.yaml.

nao clones the repo and creates the project. You can re-pull the latest commit anytime from the project’s Git sync settings.

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Option B: Deploy from the CLI

If you build context locally with the CLI, push it to your workspace with nao deploy.

1. Build your project locally - see the Quickstart:
   pip install nao-core
   nao init      # creates nao_config.yaml and the context folder
   nao sync      # pulls schemas, repos, and docs into the context
   
2. Create an organization API key in the Cloud UI: Settings -> Organization -> API Keys -> Create key. Copy it - it’s shown only once.
3. From the project folder, deploy to your Cloud workspace:
   nao deploy https://app.getnao.io --api-key nao_sk_...
   

The project name comes from project_name in nao_config.yaml. Deploying a new name creates a project; deploying an existing name replaces its context in place.

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Step 3: Configure the project

Your data connections, rules, and semantics are defined in nao_config.yaml and your context folder - edit them locally and re-deploy (or push to the connected Git branch). A few things are set directly in the Cloud UI, under Settings -> Project:

• Environment variables - provide values for the secrets your config references with {{ env('MY_VAR') }} (warehouse credentials, API tokens), so you never ship them in Git.
• Models - add your LLM provider keys and pick the models the agent can use.
• Agent settings - template prompts, MCP servers, budgets, and connectors (Slack, Teams, Telegram, WhatsApp).

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Step 4: Invite your team

Add teammates from Settings -> Organization -> Members: invite by email and pick a role. Each new member signs in with their email and the generated password. Members join projects to get access to that project’s chats, context, and data - manage each project’s members under Settings -> Project -> Team. For roles and permissions, see Admin Setup.

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Step 5: Start chatting

Open your project and ask a question in plain English. The agent uses your project’s context to write SQL, run it against your connected warehouse, and return results and charts.

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What’s next