Get Started
Quickstart
Create a new Webiny project, deploy it to AWS, and access the Admin panel.
- how to set up the prerequisites for a Webiny project
- how to create a new Webiny project
- how to deploy it to your AWS account and access the Admin panel
Overview
By the end of this page you will have a fully working Webiny instance — deployed to your own AWS account, with the Admin panel ready to use. The entire process takes about 20 minutes, most of which is waiting for the first deployment to finish.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have the following:
- Node.js ≥22 — download it from the official website
or use nvm to manage versions - Yarn — Webiny works with both Yarn 1 (Classic) (version 1.22.0 or later) and Yarn ≥2 (Berry)
- AWS account and credentials — you need a valid AWS account with programmatic access configured on your system. If you don’t have this set up yet, follow the Configure AWS Credentials guide
Create a New Project
Run the following command in your terminal:
Follow the on-screen prompts. The setup asks a few questions about your project, including which AWS region to deploy to and which database setup to use.
Database Setup
Webiny supports two database configurations:
- Amazon DynamoDB — a fully serverless option ideal for small-to-medium projects or when you’re evaluating Webiny for the first time
- Amazon DynamoDB + Amazon OpenSearch — recommended for large or enterprise-level projects that will handle hundreds of thousands or millions of records
If you’re just getting started, choose Amazon DynamoDB. It has a generous free tier and scales on demand with no fixed monthly cost.
The database setup you pick during project creation cannot be changed later without recreating the project. If you expect your project to grow significantly, consider starting with DynamoDB + OpenSearch.
Note that the OpenSearch setup includes an always-on cluster that costs roughly $25/month even at the smallest configuration.
Once the setup finishes, you will have a new project folder with two key pieces:
webiny.config.tsx— the main configuration file where all extensions and infrastructure settings are declaredextensions/— the folder where all your custom code lives
Deploy Your Project
Navigate into the project folder and deploy:
This deploys all three Webiny applications — Core, API, and Admin — to the dev environment in your AWS account.
The first deployment typically takes 5–15 minutes as AWS provisions all the necessary resources. It may look like nothing is happening in the terminal — this is normal. Let it finish. If something goes wrong, an error message will appear.
Once the deployment completes, the terminal displays the URL for your Admin panel.
If you miss it, you can always retrieve it by running:
Access the Admin Panel
Open the Admin URL in your browser. Since this is a fresh deployment, you will see the installation wizard. Fill in your name, email, and password to create the first admin account.
After completing the wizard, you will land on the Webiny dashboard. Your instance is now fully operational — Headless CMS, File Manager, and all other Webiny apps are ready to use.
What's Next
Now that you have a running Webiny instance, the next step is to connect your AI coding environment so it can assist you with customizations.
Continue to Connect Your AI Environment.