Quick Start Guide

Get DeepWiki-Open running in under 5 minutes with Docker or manual setup

Get DeepWiki-Open up and running quickly with either Docker (recommended) or manual setup.

Docker Setup (Recommended)

The fastest way to get started with DeepWiki-Open is using Docker Compose.

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/AsyncFuncAI/deepwiki-open.git
   cd deepwiki-open
   

   Repository cloned successfully

2. Configure Environment Variables

   Create a .env file with your API keys:

   .env

   # Required: Choose at least one AI provider
   GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_google_api_key
   OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key
   
   # Optional: Additional providers
   OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_openrouter_api_key
   AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY=your_azure_openai_api_key
   AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT=your_azure_openai_endpoint
   AZURE_OPENAI_VERSION=your_azure_openai_version
   OLLAMA_HOST=http://localhost:11434
   

   At minimum, you need either GOOGLE_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY to get started.

3. Start with Docker Compose

   docker-compose up
   

   This will start both the backend API server (port 8001) and frontend web app (port 3000).

4. Access DeepWiki

   Open your browser to http://localhost:3000

   You should see the DeepWiki interface ready to generate your first wiki!

Manual Setup

For development or custom configurations, you can set up DeepWiki manually.

1. Set Up Environment Variables

   Create a .env file in the project root:

   Minimal Setup

   GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_google_api_key
   OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key
   
2. Start the Backend API

   # Install Python dependencies
   pip install -r api/requirements.txt
   
   # Start the API server
   python -m api.main
   

   The API server will start on port 8001 by default.

3. Start the Frontend

   Open a new terminal and run:

   npm

   npm install
   npm run dev
   

   yarn

   yarn install
   yarn dev
   

   The frontend will be available at http://localhost:3000

Generate Your First Wiki

1. Enter Repository URL

   In the DeepWiki interface, enter a GitHub, GitLab, or BitBucket repository URL:

   • https://github.com/openai/codex
   • https://github.com/microsoft/autogen
   • https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab
   • https://bitbucket.org/redradish/atlassian_app_versions

   Start with a smaller repository for your first test to see faster results.

2. Add Access Token (For Private Repos)

   If accessing a private repository:

   1. Click ”+ Add access tokens”
   2. Enter your GitHub, GitLab, or BitBucket personal access token

   Ensure your token has appropriate repository access permissions.

3. Select AI Model Provider

   Choose your preferred AI model provider and model:

   Google Gemini (Recommended)

   • Default: gemini-2.0-flash
   • Also available: gemini-1.5-flash, gemini-1.0-pro
   • Best for: Fast, reliable documentation generation

   OpenAI

   • Default: gpt-4o
   • Also available: o1, o3, o4-mini
   • Best for: High-quality, detailed documentation

   OpenRouter

   • Access to: Claude, Llama, Mistral, and 100+ models
   • Best for: Trying different models without multiple API keys
4. Generate Wiki

   Click “Generate Wiki” and watch the magic happen!

   Generation time varies by repository size. Smaller repos take 30 seconds to 2 minutes, while larger ones may take 5-10 minutes.

API Key Setup

Google Gemini

1. Visit Google AI Studio
2. Create a new API key
3. Add to .env as GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_key_here

Google Gemini offers generous free tier limits and fast performance.

OpenAI

1. Visit OpenAI Platform
2. Create a new API key
3. Add to .env as OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key_here

OpenAI requires a paid account for API access. Check your usage limits.

OpenRouter

1. Sign up at OpenRouter
2. Get your API key from the dashboard
3. Add to .env as OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_key_here

OpenRouter provides access to 100+ models through one API, great for experimentation.

Azure OpenAI

1. Create an Azure OpenAI resource in Azure Portal
2. Deploy a model (e.g., GPT-4o)
3. Get your endpoint, API key, and API version
4. Add all three to your .env file

Azure OpenAI is ideal for enterprise deployments with enhanced security.

Verification

Backend Health Check

Visit http://localhost:8001/docs to see the FastAPI documentation and test endpoints.

# Test API health
curl http://localhost:8001/health

Frontend Connection

The frontend at http://localhost:3000 should show:

• Repository input field
• Model selection dropdown
• Generate Wiki button

Environment Variables

Check that your environment variables are loaded correctly:

# In the API logs, you should see
python -m api.main
# INFO - Starting Streaming API on port 8001
# No warnings about missing API keys for your chosen provider

Next Steps

Learn Core Features

Explore wiki generation, Ask feature, and DeepResearch

Configure Model Providers

Set up multiple AI providers and choose the best models

Deploy to Production

Deploy DeepWiki for production use

API Integration

Integrate DeepWiki into your existing workflows

Troubleshooting

Cannot connect to API server

• Ensure the backend is running on port 8001
• Check firewall settings
• Verify no other services are using port 8001

Missing environment variables error

• Check .env file exists in project root
• Verify API keys are correctly formatted
• Ensure no extra spaces in environment variables

API key not valid error

• Double-check API key accuracy
• Verify API key permissions and quotas
• Test API key with provider’s documentation

For more detailed troubleshooting, see the Troubleshooting Guide.