# Getting Started

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If you want to skip straight into Studio, try our [Playground](https://app.eventcatalog.studio/playground).

Or, keep reading to learn more about how EventCatalog Studio works.

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[YouTube video player](https://www.youtube.com/embed/6MJqm4TEtaI?si=VlPSNAVevfqMMc01)

### How does EventCatalog Studio work?[​](#how-does-eventcatalog-studio-work "Direct link to How does EventCatalog Studio work?")

EventCatalog Studio lets you design using **architecture primitives** you already know — services, events, commands, queries, domains, and more.

It’s also **privacy-first**: you own your designs, and nothing is stored in the cloud.

To get started you can either:

* [Try without an account](https://app.eventcatalog.studio/playground)
* [Sign up for a free account](https://app.eventcatalog.studio/login)

### EventCatalog Studio Workflow[​](#eventcatalog-studio-workflow "Direct link to EventCatalog Studio Workflow")

EventCatalog Studio is designed for a GitOps workflow, where you can export your designs and store them in a Git repository. Your designs are owned by you, and you can share them with your teams and commit them to source control.

1. Design your architecture in EventCatalog Studio
2. Export your design to a Git repository
3. Commit and push your changes to your Git repository
4. Open pull requests for reviews, just like you do with code.
5. Merge once approved — ensuring decisions are transparent and tracked forever.

This let's you keep your designs versioned alongside your code and always own your data.

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

* **GitOps workflow**<br /><!-- -->Export your designs directly to a Git repository. Keep diagrams versioned alongside your code and always own your data.

* **Import & Export**<br /><!-- -->Save and load your designs locally.

* **Design with primitives**<br /><!-- -->Build diagrams using real software architecture concepts — services, events, commands, queries, and domains — not just generic boxes.

* **Add documentation**<br /><!-- -->Enrich your diagrams with notes, descriptions, and links to external resources, guiding users through the flow of your system. Reference any node in your documentation using the `@` syntax.

* **Privacy-first**<br /><!-- -->Your designs stay local by default. Nothing is stored in the cloud unless you explicitly choose to.

* **Extensible formats (coming soon)**<br /><!-- -->Import/export diagrams in open standards like **AsyncAPI**, **OpenAPI**, or **EventCatalog** — making it easy to integrate with your workflows.

* **Version history (coming soon)**<br /><!-- -->Keep track of changes to your designs. Compare different iterations to see how your architecture evolves over time.

* **Self-hosting (coming soon)**<br /><!-- -->Run EventCatalog Studio on your own infrastructure for full control and compliance.