# Get Started

The easiest way to get started with RudderStack is to set up a source, connect it to a destination, and see your event data flow in no time.

## Quick start

Follow these steps to set up a connection in RudderStack:

1. Sign up for [RudderStack Cloud](https://app.rudderstack.com/signup?type=freetrial).
2. You will be presented with the **Get Started** page in the RudderStack dashboard, as shown:

![Connections Dashboard](https://876606571-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-Lq5Ea6fHVg3dSxMCgyQ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-c00cb7870c54c765ff86fb6d31ae076341a6acc4%2Fget-started.png?alt=media)

1. Click on **Add Source** to set up a data source.

For more information on sources in RudderStack, check out the [Sources](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-cloud/sources/) guide.

1. Choose the data source from the list of available sources. RudderStack supports the following three types of sources:
   * [Event Streams](https://rudderstack.com/docs/stream-sources/): Collect your event data from all the web, mobile, and server-side apps, then route it to a wide array of customer tools and data warehouses.
   * [Cloud Extract](https://rudderstack.com/docs/cloud-extract-sources/): Build ELT pipelines from cloud apps to your data warehouse.
   * [Reverse ETL](https://rudderstack.com/docs/reverse-etl/): Leverage your warehouse as a data source for your entire customer data stack.
2. Once you have configured the data source, you will see the following source details page.

![Source details](https://876606571-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-Lq5Ea6fHVg3dSxMCgyQ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-a9d96e8a797424045d189de28aebd97c8684d6fe%2Fsource-details.png?alt=media)

Note the source **Write key**. This is required for integrating the RudderStack SDK with your source app.

1. Then, add a destination by clicking on the **Add Destination** button and selecting **Create new destination**.

![Adding a new destination](https://876606571-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-Lq5Ea6fHVg3dSxMCgyQ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-6b0140c3c7e0f58c61b02613ffe195176aa2553e%2Fadding-new-destination.png?alt=media)

1. From the list of destinations, select the destination you want to configure for the source. RudderStack currently supports **over 150** destinations, including [event stream](https://www.rudderstack.com/docs/destinations/) and [warehouse](https://www.rudderstack.com/docs/data-warehouse-integrations/) destinations.
2. Configure the destination by entering the relevant connection settings. For detailed information on these settings, refer to the destination-specific [documentation](https://rudderstack.com/docs/destinations/).

You can also transform your events in RudderStack before sending them to the destinations. Read the [Transformations](https://rudderstack.com/docs/transformations/) guide for more information on this feature.

## Guides in this section

[ RudderStack Architecture](https://github.com/rudderlabs/rudderstack-docs/blob/master/get-started/rudderstack-architecture/README.md)[ RudderStack Cloud vs RudderStack Open Source](https://github.com/rudderlabs/rudderstack-docs/blob/master/get-started/cloud-vs-open-source/README.md)[ Glossary](https://github.com/rudderlabs/rudderstack-docs/blob/master/get-started/glossary/README.md)

## See also

* [RudderStack Cloud](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-cloud/): Familiarize yourself with RudderStack. Know more about sources, destinations, and connections.
* [Glossary](https://rudderstack.com/docs/get-started/glossary/): Understand the definitions of the different terms that you are likely to encounter while using RudderStack.
* [Sources](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-cloud/sources/): Start tracking your event data by integrating RudderStack with your web, mobile, and server-side apps.
* [Destinations](https://rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-cloud/destinations/): Send your event data to over 150 tool and warehouse destinations.
* [Transformations](https://rudderstack.com/docs/transformations) : Customize the event data before routing it to your preferred destinations.
* [Event spec](https://www.rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-api/api-specification/rudderstack-spec/): Plan your event data and explore various options for tracking your events across all the RudderStack SDKs and APIs.
* [RudderStack API](https://www.rudderstack.com/docs/rudderstack-api/): Work with different RudderStack API depending on your use-case.

## Contact us

For more information on any of the sections covered in this guide, you can [contact us](mailto:%20docs@rudderstack.com) or start a conversation in our [Slack](https://rudderstack.com/join-rudderstack-slack-community) community.
