> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quick Start

## Run Your First Template

To jump right in and run a template, follow these steps.

Visit the templates section of the console where you will find all of our recommended templates.

<Frame caption="Recommended Templates">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates/Tz2R51zywwNe091R/images/console-templates-light.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=Tz2R51zywwNe091R&q=85&s=9c2cd939ad127c678933a35e182440e2" className="block dark:hidden" alt="Recommended Templates page" width="3840" height="2093" data-path="images/console-templates-light.webp" />

  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates/Tz2R51zywwNe091R/images/console-templates-dark.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=Tz2R51zywwNe091R&q=85&s=26b9974e17e865640198e7a2073bba0a" className="hidden dark:block" alt="Recommended Templates page" width="3840" height="2093" data-path="images/console-templates-dark.webp" />
</Frame>

Browse through the templates until you find one that meets your requirements.  In this guide we will use NVIDIA CUDA, which is the first on the list. It's a great starter template as it just includes the CUDA development environment, plus a few extras to improve the user experience.

<Frame caption="NVIDIA CUDA Template">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates/Tz2R51zywwNe091R/images/console-templates-2-light.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=Tz2R51zywwNe091R&q=85&s=671f3888171eb08b1d83484894abfc09" className="block dark:hidden" alt="NVIDIA CUDA Template card" width="854" height="562" data-path="images/console-templates-2-light.webp" />

  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates/Tz2R51zywwNe091R/images/console-templates-2-dark.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=Tz2R51zywwNe091R&q=85&s=03b45e4384bfce8d46fa241188c7e6f8" className="hidden dark:block" alt="NVIDIA CUDA Template card" width="854" height="562" data-path="images/console-templates-2-dark.webp" />
</Frame>

Now, click the 'play' button.  This will load the template and take you to the available offers.

<Frame caption="Offers page with GPU filter active">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates/Tz2R51zywwNe091R/images/console-templates-3-light.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=Tz2R51zywwNe091R&q=85&s=7af0283fabf91fdf514c8e2433e42671" className="block dark:hidden" alt="Offers page with GPU filter active" width="3392" height="2160" data-path="images/console-templates-3-light.webp" />

  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates/Tz2R51zywwNe091R/images/console-templates-3-dark.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=Tz2R51zywwNe091R&q=85&s=00240e449d1a3341b2539d2e6f098fc1" className="hidden dark:block" alt="Offers page with GPU filter active" width="3392" height="2160" data-path="images/console-templates-3-dark.webp" />
</Frame>

There are filters available at the top of the page to help you target a particular GPU.  You will also find many additional filters on the left of the page for more fine-grained control over the instances you find.

When you have found a suitable offer, simply click the 'RENT' button to create your new instance.

You can now visit [cloud.vast.ai/instances](https://cloud.vast.ai/instances/) where you will find your running instance.  It may take a few minutes to be ready as everything is being set up.

<Frame caption="Instance view with blue open button">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates/Tz2R51zywwNe091R/images/console-templates-4-light.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=Tz2R51zywwNe091R&q=85&s=eb999616ee2ed76a34acb2fa5f83b30b" className="block dark:hidden" alt="Instance view with blue open button" width="1836" height="500" data-path="images/console-templates-4-light.webp" />

  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/vastai-80aa3a82-docs-screenshot-updates/Tz2R51zywwNe091R/images/console-templates-4-dark.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=Tz2R51zywwNe091R&q=85&s=2ea896c5952a05313a391c6c3d61b659" className="hidden dark:block" alt="Instance view with blue open button" width="1836" height="500" data-path="images/console-templates-4-dark.webp" />
</Frame>

When it is ready you will see the blue open button.  This indicates that the instance is ready to connect.

<Note>
  The action of the open button depends on the template you have chosen - In this example you will be transferred to the [Instance Portal](/guides/instances/instance-portal). To learn how to configure Instance Portal links, see our [Advanced Setup](/guides/templates/advanced-setup#portal-config) guide.
</Note>

## Next Steps

Now that you've run your first template:

* **Understand templates better** - See [Introduction](/guides/templates/introduction) to learn about templates and Vast's template ecosystem
* **Create your own template** - Follow our [Creating Templates](/guides/templates/creating-templates) tutorial
* **Explore advanced features** - Check out [Advanced Setup](/guides/templates/advanced-setup) for provisioning scripts and custom images