Quick Start

What You'll Need

• A New Salon account (sign up at new.salon.io)
• A few images or text to add to your site
• 5 minutes of your time

Pro tip: Have your content ready before you start. Gather 2-3 of your best images and think about what you want to say about your work. This preparation will make the process even smoother.

Step 1: Create a New Website

1. Log in to your New Salon dashboard
2. Click the Create Website button (the large blue button in the center)
3. Enter a name for your website (e.g., "My Portfolio", "Wedding Photography", "Art Gallery")
4. Click Create

Your website name will be used to generate your initial URL (like my-portfolio.new.salon.io), but don't worry - you can change both the name and URL later. Choose something descriptive that reflects your content or brand.

Your new website opens in the editor, ready for content. You'll see a blank canvas with a toolbar at the top - this is where the magic happens.

Step 2: Add Your First Content

Let's start by adding some text to introduce yourself or your work:

Adding Text

1. Click the + button in the toolbar (or press B as a shortcut)
2. Select Text from the block palette that appears
3. Click anywhere on the canvas to place the block
4. Start typing your content

The text block will expand automatically as you type. You can format your text using standard shortcuts:

• Bold: Cmd/Ctrl + B
• Italic: Cmd/Ctrl + I
• Links: Select text and press Cmd/Ctrl + K

Best practices for text:

• Keep your opening text concise - visitors decide quickly whether to stay
• Use clear, descriptive language that reflects your personality or brand
• Consider starting with a brief introduction: who you are and what you do

Add an Image

Images are the heart of most creative websites. Here's how to add your first one:

1. Click the + button again (or press B)
2. Select Image from the block palette
3. Click on the canvas where you want the image to appear
4. Upload an image from your computer by clicking Upload or drag and drop directly onto the block

Image tips:

• Use high-quality images (at least 1200px wide for best results)
• JPEGs work well for photographs, PNGs for graphics with transparency
• New Salon automatically optimizes your images for web delivery
• You can upload multiple images at once by selecting them all

The image will appear at full quality, and New Salon handles all the technical optimization behind the scenes.

Step 3: Arrange Your Content

Now that you have some content, let's make it look exactly how you want:

Moving Blocks

• Drag to move: Click and drag any block to reposition it
• Blocks will snap to a grid to keep everything aligned
• You'll see blue guidelines appear to help with alignment

Resizing Blocks

• Resize handles: Click on a block to see small squares at the corners and edges
• Drag these handles to make blocks larger or smaller
• Hold Shift while dragging to maintain proportions
• Double-click a corner handle to auto-fit the content

Organizing Your Layout

• Text blocks work well above or beside images to provide context
• Images can be sized large for impact or smaller for supporting content
• Spacing between blocks is automatically managed, but you can fine-tune positioning

Removing Content

• Select and delete: Click on any block and press Delete or Backspace
• You can also right-click on a block for more options
• Don't worry about making mistakes - use Cmd/Ctrl + Z to undo any changes

Layout tips:

• Start with larger elements (like hero images) and work down to smaller details
• Leave some breathing room between elements - white space makes content easier to read
• Consider the flow: how do you want visitors to move through your content?

Step 4: Publish Your Site

When you're happy with your page (remember, you can always edit it later):

1. Click the Publish button in the top-right corner
2. Review your site URL - it will look like yourusername.new.salon.io/my-portfolio
3. Make sure everything looks correct in the preview
4. Click Publish Now

What happens when you publish:

• Your site becomes immediately accessible to anyone with the link
• All images are optimized and delivered through New Salon's fast CDN
• Your site is automatically mobile-responsive
• You get a shareable URL you can use anywhere

Publishing tips:

• You can publish even with minimal content and add more later
• Published sites update instantly when you make changes and republish
• Your URL is permanent unless you specifically change it
• Every publish creates a new version, so you can always revert if needed

Congratulations! Your website is now live and accessible to anyone with the link. Share it with friends, post it on social media, or include it in your email signature.

What's Next?

Now that you've created your first page, you're ready to explore New Salon's full potential. Here are the logical next steps based on what most users want to accomplish:

Immediate Next Steps

• Add more content: Create additional pages, add more images, or expand your text
• Explore layouts: Try different arrangements and see what works best for your content
• Share your site: Send the link to friends or colleagues for feedback

Enhance Your Site

• Explore different block types and content options
• Experiment with image galleries and text formatting
• Try different layout arrangements to find what works best for your content

Professional Features

• Connect a custom domain name for a professional appearance
• Optimize your site for search engines and social media sharing
• Track visitors and understand how people interact with your site

Remember: New Salon saves your work automatically, so you can always come back and improve your site. Many users start simple and gradually add more sophisticated features as they become more comfortable with the platform.

The most important thing is that you now have a live website. That's a significant achievement - now you can iterate and improve from a solid foundation.