# Getting Started with Watchio

Welcome to Watchio! This guide will help you get up and running in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have: - A Watchio account (sign up at watchio.io) - Access to your server/infrastructure - Basic command line knowledge

Step 1: Get Your API Key

Log into your Watchio dashboard
Navigate to Settings → API Keys
Click "Create New Key"
Copy your API key

Step 2: Install the Agent

Run this command on your server:

bash

curl -fsSL https://get.watchio.io | sudo bash -s -- --api-key YOUR_API_KEY

The agent will automatically: - Detect your system configuration - Start collecting metrics - Send data to Watchio

Step 3: Verify Installation

Check that the agent is running:

bash

systemctl status watchio-agent

You should see "Active: active (running)".

Step 4: View Your Data

Open your Watchio dashboard
Navigate to Infrastructure
You should see your host appearing within 30 seconds

Next Steps

[Configure custom metrics](/docs/infrastructure/custom-metrics)
[Set up alerting](/docs/alerts/creating)
[Explore the dashboard](/docs/dashboard)

Need help? Contact our support team at support@watchio.io