# Your first project This walkthrough assumes Plan Desk is installed and running. If not, follow the [Quickstart](/getting-started/quickstart/) first. ## 1. Start the server and create a project ```bash plandesk serve ``` Open [http://127.0.0.1:3847](http://127.0.0.1:3847). On the home page, click **Create a project**, enter a name (e.g. `Checkout Revamp`), and open it. ## 2. Map work on the flow canvas Go to **Flow** (`/projects/:id/flow`). The canvas is a directed graph: - **Nodes** are tasks — each card is a unit of work with a label and status badge. - **Edges** are labeled dependencies between tasks — they show what blocks or feeds what. **Add tasks** with the **+ Add task** panel on the canvas: type a name and click **+ Add task** (the button stays disabled until you enter a name). The new card appears on the canvas. Drag cards to arrange them. **Edit a task** right on its node: click the label to rename it, and use the status dropdown to change its status. Select a node to open its **detail panel**, where you can edit the description, assignee, and due date. **Draw dependencies** by dragging from one node's handle to another — this creates a labeled dependency edge. Edge labels come from the vocabulary `blocks`, `depends_on`, `unblocks`, `feeds`, `clarifies`, `enables`, `supports`. Set initial statuses as you go: `scope` for work still being sized, `todo` for defined work ready to pick up. To remove things, use the delete control on a node (tasks) or select an edge to delete it — deletes ask for confirmation. ## 3. Attach a spec to a task Every non-trivial task should have a linked document. 1. From the project **Overview**, use **New document** to create one. 2. From the canvas, a task that has a linked doc shows an **Open doc →** link on its node — one click to its editor. Write a short spec: problem statement, acceptance criteria, references. The doc opens at `/projects/:id/documents/:docId`; you can edit or **delete** it there. Linked docs stay reachable in one click from the canvas — for teammates and agents alike. ### Add images Specs often need a screenshot, mockup, or diagram. The editor accepts images three ways: - Click **Image** in the toolbar and pick a file. - **Paste** an image from the clipboard — the usual screenshot flow. - **Drag and drop** an image file into the editor; it lands where you drop it. Images are embedded inline in the document body (as base64 data URLs), not stored as separate files. That means they travel everywhere the doc goes — export/import, sync, the share portal, and agents reading the doc over MCP — with no extra storage to configure. Keep pasted screenshots reasonably sized; very large images make the document itself large. ## Rename and clean up From the project **Overview** you can **rename** the project or **delete** it (which removes its tasks, edges, and documents). Deletes confirm first. ## 4. Track status on the board Open **Board** (`/projects/:id/board`). Columns follow task status: `scope`, `todo`, `in_progress`, `done`, `backlog`. Drag a card from **todo** to **in_progress**, then to **done**. Switch back to **Flow** — the node's status badge updates immediately. The board and canvas share the same task rows; there is no separate board state. ## 5. Export and import for portability Projects round-trip losslessly as JSON: ```bash plandesk export --project --out my-plan.json plandesk import --in my-plan.json ``` Try the ready-made example: ```bash plandesk import --in examples/checkout-revamp.json ``` Import prints the new project UUID — open it in the UI to explore a full canvas with edges, linked docs, and agent-run history. ## What's next When the plan is ready for execution, connect an agent and work from the live graph: [Plan & execute a project](/guides/plan-and-execute/).