Create Your First Collection

A collection is an independent documentation system with its own content folder, routes, and navigation structure. Let’s create your first one.

Step 1: Create the Content Directory

Create a new folder in content/ for your collection:

mkdir -p content/my-docs/guides

Step 2: Add a First Page

Create your first markdown file:

# content/my-docs/guides/hello.md

Add this content:

---
title: "Hello World"
description: "Your first page in CelestialDocs"
---

# Hello World

This is your first page! Edit `content/my-docs/guides/hello.md` to change this content.

Step 3: Register the Collection

Open data/config.ts and add your collection to CONTENT.systems:

export const CONTENT: ContentConfig = {
    systems: [
        {
            id: "docs",
            dir: "content/docs",
            defaultDocRedirect: "/docs/getting-started/introduction",
            route: "/docs",
        },
        // Add your new collection:
        {
            id: "my-docs",
            dir: "content/my-docs",
            defaultDocRedirect: "/my-docs/guides/hello", // Where to redirect
            route: "/my-docs", // Base URL route
        },
    ],
};

What each property means:

id: Unique identifier for your collection
dir: Folder path containing the markdown files
defaultDocRedirect: Where to send users when they visit /my-docs/
route: URL base for all pages in this collection

Still in data/config.ts, add navigation configuration to SIDEBAR_NAVIGATION:

export const SIDEBAR_NAVIGATION: SidebarNavigation = {
    // ... existing configurations ...
    "my-docs": {
        defaultTab: {
            label: "Guides",
            icon: "📖",
        },
        groups: [
            {
                id: "guides",
                label: "Getting Started",
                icon: "🚀",
                autoGenerated: true, // Auto-discover files in content/my-docs/
            },
        ],
    },
};

Step 5: Visit Your Collection

Navigate to http://localhost:4321/my-docs/guides/hello

You should see your first page with:

✅ Sidebar navigation
✅ Breadcrumb trail
✅ Table of contents
✅ Proper styling

Understanding the Configuration

The configuration you added connects three things:

File System (content/my-docs/guides/hello.md) ↓
Navigation Config (SIDEBAR_NAVIGATION["my-docs"]) ↓
Route (/my-docs/guides/hello)

When a user visits the route, the system:

Loads your markdown file
Renders it with the layout
Builds sidebar navigation from your config
Shows breadcrumbs based on folder structure

Next Steps

Learn about Groups and Entries
Explore Navigation Configuration
Add more pages to grow your documentation

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