Quick Start

Get started with Nebula Writer in under 5 minutes and learn the fundamentals of a local-first writing workflow.

When to Use This Page

• You are installing Nebula Writer for the first time
• You want to open a folder and create a new document
• You want a quick overview of AI editing

Download & Install

Nebula Writer is available for macOS and Windows.

1. Download Nebula Writer from the Download page
2. Open the installer and follow the prompts
3. Launch the app and sign in if you want AI features

First Launch Checklist

On first launch you can:

• Choose your theme (light or dark)
• Sign in to unlock AI features
• Review the privacy notice for local storage

If you want to explore before signing in, you can use the editor without the AI assistant.

Choose Your First Folder

Nebula Writer works directly with your filesystem. Pick a folder to use as your project workspace.

1. Click Choose Folder on the welcome screen
2. Select a folder on your computer (or create a new one)
3. The files inside appear in the sidebar immediately

You can open different folders for different projects and switch between them anytime.

Import Existing Work

If you already have files on disk, you can use them immediately:

• Markdown: open or drop .md files into the project folder
• LaTeX: add your .tex and .bib files to the project folder
• DOCX: import any Word document and keep formatting intact
• PDF: open PDFs for reference and extraction

The sidebar updates automatically as files appear in the folder.

Create Your First Document

1. Click the + button in the sidebar
2. Choose your document type:
   • Markdown — For notes and general writing
   • LaTeX — For academic papers
   • DOCX — For Word-compatible documents
3. Name your document and start writing

Use the Editor Like a Pro

Format Faster

• Use the toolbar for bold, headings, lists, and alignment
• Highlight a block of text and ask the AI to reformat it
• Use the command palette (Cmd + K) to jump to any action

Move Around

• Use the sidebar to switch documents quickly
• Search by filename to jump to a file

Using the AI Assistant

The AI panel is on the right side of the screen. You can:

Ask Questions

"What's in this document?"
"Summarize the main points"
"How can I improve the introduction?"

Request Edits

"Make this paragraph more concise"
"Add a conclusion section"
"Fix the grammar in lines 10-15"

Research

"Find papers about machine learning"
"Search the web for recent news on climate change"

When the AI suggests an edit, you'll see a diff view showing exactly what will change. Click Accept to apply or Reject to discard.

Save, Export, and Share

• Save anytime with Cmd + S
• Export Markdown/LaTeX/DOCX to PDF for sharing
• Your files always remain on disk in standard formats

Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Steps

• Read Core Features to learn everything Nebula Writer can do
• Check out LaTeX & Academic Writing if you're writing papers
• Explore AI Assistant for advanced AI workflows