Reactive-Resume/docs/getting-started/quickstart.mdx

---
title: "Quickstart"
description: "Create a free account, build a resume from the sample, make it yours, try a template and download your first PDF in about ten minutes."
---

In this tutorial you'll create a Reactive Resume account, open a sample resume, put your own name on it, try a different
template and download it as a PDF. It takes about ten minutes, and at the end you'll know your way around the editor.

You only need a web browser. The steps use the hosted version at [rxresu.me](https://rxresu.me); if your organization
runs its own copy, use its address instead.

## 1. Create your account

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the sign-up page">Go to [rxresu.me/auth/register](https://rxresu.me/auth/register).</Step>
  <Step title="Fill in your details">
    Enter your **Name**, a **Username**, your **Email Address** and a **Password**, then select **Sign up**. If you'd
    rather use an existing Google, GitHub or other account, pick it below the form instead.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Continue to your documents">
    Reactive Resume sends you an email to verify your address. Verifying is optional, but you need it to reset a
    forgotten password. Select **Continue** to carry on now and verify later.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You land on **Documents**, the home page that holds all your resumes and cover letters. It's empty for now.

<Frame caption="Documents is empty until you create or import something">
  <img
    src="/images/getting-started/quickstart/documents-empty.webp"
    alt='The empty Documents page with the heading "Let&apos;s start with what you have", a drop zone for a PDF, Word or JSON file with a Choose a file button, and Start blank and Try a sample links underneath.'
  />
</Frame>

## 2. Open the sample resume

Select **Try a sample**. Reactive Resume creates a complete resume for a game developer and opens it in the editor.

Starting from the sample lets you see what a finished resume looks like before you replace its content with yours.
The editor has two halves:

- **The panel** on the left, where you write. It starts with the **Basics** card (your name and contact details),
  followed by your sections, such as Summary, Education and Experience.
- **The page** on the right, which shows exactly what your PDF will look like. It updates as you type.

The sample's document name and the name on the resume are a random three-word phrase, such as "Slippery Blush
Marlin". You'll fix both next.

## 3. Name your document

The document name is only for you; it's how you find the resume in **Documents**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the document menu">Select the document name at the top left of the editor.</Step>
  <Step title="Rename it">
    Select **Rename…**, type a name such as "Game Developer Resume" in **Name**, then select **Save Changes**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 4. Put your name on the page

<Steps>
  <Step title="Edit the Basics card">
    In the **Basics** card, replace the text in **Full name** with your own name.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Watch the page">
    The name at the top of the page changes as you type. Try changing **Headline** to the job title you want too.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="What you type in the panel appears on the page right away">
  <img
    src="/images/getting-started/quickstart/basics-and-page.webp"
    alt="The Basics card with Full name set to David Kowalski and a headline, email, phone and location, next to the resume page showing the same name and contact details under a photo."
  />
</Frame>

You don't need to save. Under the document name, the status changes to **Saving…** and then **Saved**.

<Tip>
  Made a mistake? Press <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>Z</kbd> (<kbd>Ctrl</kbd> <kbd>Z</kbd> on Windows and Linux) to undo it.
</Tip>

## 5. Try another template

<Steps>
  <Step title="Switch to Design">
    Select **Design** at the top of the editor, or press <kbd>2</kbd>.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Pick a template">
    **Template**, at the top of Design, shows all 17 templates filled with your own content. Select one, such as
    **Bronzor**, and the page switches to it. Your content stays the same; only the look changes.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Go back to writing">
    Select **Write**, or press <kbd>1</kbd>, to return to your content.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Design mode's template gallery">
  <img
    src="/images/getting-started/quickstart/design-template-gallery.webp"
    alt='The Template tab in Design mode with filters for All, One column, Two columns and ATS-safe, the text "15 of 15 shown", and previews of the Azurill (selected), Bronzor, Chikorita and Ditgar templates filled with the sample resume.'
  />
</Frame>

## 6. Download your PDF

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select Download PDF">
    Select **Download PDF** at the top right of the editor. Your browser saves the file, named after the name on your
    resume (for example, `David-Kowalski-Resume.pdf`).
  </Step>
  <Step title="Open the file">Open the PDF. It matches the page you saw in the editor.</Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Download PDF and the arrow next to it, which opens more formats">
  <img
    src="/images/getting-started/quickstart/editor-bar-actions.webp"
    alt="The right side of the editor bar with the History and Assistant icon buttons, a Share button and a green Download PDF button with a small arrow on its right."
  />
</Frame>

To download a different format, select the arrow next to **Download PDF**. The **Share & export** panel opens on its
**Download** tab, where you can choose **PDF**, **Word**, **Markdown** or **JSON** and change the file name.

<Frame caption="The Download tab of Share & export">
  <img
    src="/images/getting-started/quickstart/share-download-tab.webp"
    alt="The Share and export panel with Link, Download and History tabs. The Download tab lists PDF (Best for applying), Word, Markdown and JSON, a File name field set to David-Kowalski-Resume, a note that Check has 3 things to review, and a Download PDF button."
  />
</Frame>

## What you've done

You created an account, built a resume from the sample, made it yours, tried a template and downloaded a PDF. From
here, replace the rest of the sample with your own experience, or start a fresh resume from **New** in the sidebar
(press <kbd>N</kbd>).

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create your first resume" icon="file-circle-plus" href="/guides/creating-your-first-resume">
    Start from scratch, or import the resume you already have.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Get to know the editor" icon="table-columns" href="/guides/editor-overview">
    Learn the editor bar, the three modes and the page view.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Check your resume" icon="list-check" href="/guides/checking-your-resume">
    Fix the issues Check finds and compare your resume with a job posting.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Share your resume" icon="share-nodes" href="/guides/sharing-your-resume-publicly">
    Publish a link that recruiters can open in their browser.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Run your own copy

Want to host Reactive Resume on your own server instead? Follow [Self-hosting with Docker](/self-hosting/docker); the
[environment variables reference](/self-hosting/environment-variables) lists every setting. Developers who want to
change the code should start with the [development setup](/contributing/development).