> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getnao.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get Started with nao Cloud

> Sign up at app.getnao.io, ship your first project, and invite your team

nao Cloud is the hosted version of nao, running at [**app.getnao.io**](https://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.

<Info>
  Prefer to run nao on your own infrastructure? See the [Deployment Guide](/nao-agent/self-hosting/deployment-guide). The organization and project model below is the same in both.
</Info>

## Step 1: Create your account

Go to [app.getnao.io/signup](https://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](https://app.getnao.io/login).

## 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.

### 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.

<Info>
  The repository picker only lists repos the nao GitHub app can access. If yours isn't listed, add it to the app's installation on GitHub.
</Info>

### 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](/nao-agent/quickstart):

   ```bash theme={null}
   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:

   ```bash theme={null}
   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.

<Card title="nao deploy reference" icon="upload" href="/nao-agent/cloud/deploy">
  Full command flags, exclusions, `.naoignore`, and create-vs-update behavior
</Card>

## 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).

<Card title="Context Builder" icon="folder-tree" href="/nao-agent/context-builder/overview">
  Structure the databases, repos, rules, and semantics your agent reads from
</Card>

## 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](/nao-agent/chat/admin/setup#user-roles).

<Info>
  On Cloud, users who sign in with a Google address on your workspace's claimed domain can join automatically - no manual invite needed.
</Info>

## 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.

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="nao Cloud overview" icon="cloud" href="/nao-agent/cloud/overview">
    Organizations, projects, members, API keys, and managed env vars
  </Card>

  <Card title="Host multiple projects" icon="folders" href="/nao-agent/self-hosting/multiple-projects">
    Run several projects in one workspace with a project switcher
  </Card>

  <Card title="Synchronization" icon="sync" href="/nao-agent/context-builder/synchronization">
    Automate context deploys with GitHub Actions
  </Card>

  <Card title="Chat Interface" icon="comments" href="/nao-agent/chat/overview">
    Stories, memory, automations, and admin tools
  </Card>
</CardGroup>