> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.patch.gg/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting started

> Sign in, choose a username and make your first call to the Patch API.

**1. Sign in**

Go to [patch.gg](https://patch.gg) and sign in with Discord or GitHub.

**2. Choose a username**

Your username is also your personal org: the projects you make live under it, as `username/project`. You can rename it at most once every 30 days, and links to the old name redirect to the new one.

Pick one on patch.gg, or with [`PUT /me/username`](https://docs.patch.gg/api-reference/account/choose-or-change-your-username).

**3. Call the API**

The API needs no key for public data. Check that it's up:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://patch.gg/api/v1/health
```

```json theme={null}
{ "ok": true, "environment": "production", "commit": "9150e25" }
```

For anything that's yours, such as your account or publishing, send an API key as `Authorization: Bearer pch_...`. See [Authentication](https://docs.patch.gg/api-reference/introduction.md#authentication).

**4. Describe your project**

Add a [`patch.json`](https://docs.patch.gg/manifest) next to your files. It says what your release is, which games it needs and how Patch installs it.

**5. Publish**

`pch publish` uploads and submits a release in one command. It's [coming soon](https://docs.patch.gg/cli.md). Until then, any client can publish through the API: see [Publishing a release](https://docs.patch.gg/api-reference/introduction.md#publishing-a-release).


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