# Getting started

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**License:** `Dual-license`

[YouTube video player](https://www.youtube.com/embed/mjf7qwoSAC4?si=eBZfgjMOQrD75teb)

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Many folks are using [Backstage](https://backstage.spotify.com/) for their internal developer portals. Backstage is a highly configurable platform that allows you to document your architecture in components, apis, services, domains and much more.

Backstage supports plugins, that have a frontend and backend support.

Using the EventCatalog Backstage plugin you can embed your EventCatalog information into backstage.

### Core Features[​](#core-features "Direct link to Core Features")

The EventCatalog Backstage plugin can provide you with many features:

* 📃 Bring [EventCatalog documentation](https://demo.eventcatalog.dev/docs/domains/Orders/0.0.3) into Backstage
* 📃 Custom tabs for your APIs and Services. Embed documentation, visualizations and searchable tables.
* 📊 Embed [EventCatalog visualizer](https://demo.eventcatalog.dev/visualiser/domains/Orders/0.0.3) into your Backstage pages
* 🔎 Embed the [EventCatalog discovery table](https://demo.eventcatalog.dev/discover/events) to quickly find messages for your services
* ⭐ And much more...

### How it works[​](#how-it-works "Direct link to How it works")

![Example](/assets/images/backstage-eventcatalog-f74140b9f7c2c0495d714475e105b392.png)

This plugin exposes React components that you can embed on your pages to display information from EventCatalog.

*Your EventCatalog has be hosted and the URL given to the app.config.yml file.*

* `<EventCatalogDocumentationEntityPage page="docs/page/visualiser" />`
  * Used to embed whole pages of EventCatalog into your Backstage instance. You can add these as tabs to your pages, clicking on the tab will show the desired feature.
* `<EventCatalogEntityVisualiserCard />`
  * Used to embed a widget (Card) on your existing pages. This component will display the visualiser on your page.
* `<EventCatalogEntityMessageCard />`
  * Used to embed a widget (Card) on your existing pages. This component will display the explore (table) on your page. Great for displaying a list of messages your service produces/consumes.

*Note: If you want to embed private EventCatalog instances, raise an issue on GitHub and we can explore this*.

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## Commercial Use[​](#commercial-use "Direct link to Commercial Use")

This plugin requires a license key to be used.

You can get a 14 day trial license key to try the plugin out by going to [EventCatalog Cloud](https://eventcatalog.cloud).

You can try the Backstage plugin, or use EventCatalog Scale (as it's already included).

After the trial you can purchase a license to continue using this plugin, we have different plans to suit your organization.

See [pricing](/pricing.md) for more information.

*Have any questions? You can email us at `hello@eventcatalog.dev`.*