Getting Started

Getting Started

Option 1: Use the live site (recommended)

The fastest way to start — no install required.

1. Open annotator-ten.vercel.app
2. Click the gear icon in the header to open Settings
3. Pick your AI provider, enter your API key (if needed), and choose a model
4. Click Save — you're ready to annotate

Your settings and API key are stored in your browser's localStorage. They never leave your machine.

Option 2: Run locally

Running locally is required if you want to use Ollama or other local AI models, since they need localhost access.

git clone https://github.com/donjguido/annotator.git
cd annotator
npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173.

Requirements

• Node.js 18+
• npm

First steps

1. Load a document — Paste text into the editor, or click Upload to import a PDF, DOCX, or EPUB
2. Switch to Annotate mode — Click the toggle in the header
3. Highlight text — Select any passage to create a color-coded annotation
4. Ask a question — Click the highlight, type a question in the sidebar, and press Enter
5. Explore — Try /ctx for full-document context, /skip to leave a comment, or @#1 to link annotations

For a full walkthrough, see the Features Guide.

First-time tutorial

When you open Annotator for the first time, a built-in tutorial walks you through the interface with spotlight popups. You can dismiss it at any time by clicking Skip tutorial.