deer-flow/backend/docs/SETUP.md

# Setup Guide

Quick setup instructions for DeerFlow.

## Configuration Setup

DeerFlow uses a YAML configuration file that should be placed in the **project root directory**.

### Steps

1. **Navigate to project root**:
   ```bash
   cd /path/to/deer-flow
   ```

2. **Copy example configuration**:
   ```bash
   cp config.example.yaml config.yaml
   ```

3. **Edit configuration**:
   ```bash
   # Option A: Set environment variables (recommended)
   export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key-here"

   # Option B: Edit config.yaml directly
   vim config.yaml  # or your preferred editor
   ```

4. **Verify configuration**:
   ```bash
   cd backend
   python -c "from src.config import get_app_config; print('✓ Config loaded:', get_app_config().models[0].name)"
   ```

## Important Notes

- **Location**: `config.yaml` should be in `deer-flow/` (project root), not `deer-flow/backend/`
- **Git**: `config.yaml` is automatically ignored by git (contains secrets)
- **Priority**: If both `backend/config.yaml` and `../config.yaml` exist, backend version takes precedence

## Configuration File Locations

The backend searches for `config.yaml` in this order:

1. `DEER_FLOW_CONFIG_PATH` environment variable (if set)
2. `backend/config.yaml` (current directory when running from backend/)
3. `deer-flow/config.yaml` (parent directory - **recommended location**)

**Recommended**: Place `config.yaml` in project root (`deer-flow/config.yaml`).

## Troubleshooting

### Config file not found

```bash
# Check where the backend is looking
cd deer-flow/backend
python -c "from src.config.app_config import AppConfig; print(AppConfig.resolve_config_path())"
```

If it can't find the config:
1. Ensure you've copied `config.example.yaml` to `config.yaml`
2. Verify you're in the correct directory
3. Check the file exists: `ls -la ../config.yaml`

### Permission denied

```bash
chmod 600 ../config.yaml  # Protect sensitive configuration
```

## See Also

- [Configuration Guide](docs/CONFIGURATION.md) - Detailed configuration options
- [Architecture Overview](CLAUDE.md) - System architecture