> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vr-it-services-pro.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> The ordered path from a fresh install to a finished, branded site.

# First steps

# First steps

This is the ordered path from a fresh install to a finished site. Follow it in sequence and you will have a branded, navigable, launch-ready website.

> [!WARNING]
>
> **Before you begin on an existing site:** back up first. Steps 2 and 3 change your front page settings and navigation.

## The path

**1. Install the theme**

Activate Vara SaaS from **Appearance → Themes**. Full instructions on [Installation](/introduction/installation.md).

**2. Run the setup wizard**

**Appearance → Vara SaaS Setup** installs Elementor and creates four finished pages in one pass. This is the single biggest time saver — skip it only if you already have your own pages ready. See [Setup wizard](/introduction/setup-wizard.md).

**3. Set your identity**

Site title, tagline, logo, and favicon. Five minutes, and the site stops looking like a demo. See [Site identity](/getting-started/site-identity.md).

**4. Set your colors**

Eleven color pickers. They propagate to Elementor's global palette too, so one change brands your entire site. See [Colors](/getting-started/colors.md).

**5. Set your typography**

One font family and one base size. See [Typography](/getting-started/typography.md).

**6. Choose your layout**

Wide or boxed container, navbar arrangement, and whether the sidebar is on. See [Layout and container](/getting-started/layout.md).

**7. Build your menu**

Replace the demo pages with your own navigation. See [Header and menus](/customization/header-and-menus.md).

**8. Write real content**

Replace the placeholder copy on every imported page. The demo text describes a fictional product — see [Demo pages](/templates/demo-pages.md).

**9. Set up forms and SEO**

Fix the contact form, then add an SEO plugin. See [Contact Form 7](/integrations/contact-form-7.md) and [SEO](/performance/seo.md).

**10. Work the launch checklist**

The final pass before you point your domain at the site. See [Launch checklist](/getting-started/launch-checklist.md).

## If you already have a site

Skip step 2. Instead:

**1. Activate the theme**

[Install it](/introduction/installation.md). Nothing is created automatically.

**2. Assign your menu**

**Appearance → Menus** → tick **Primary Menu** → **Save Menu**.

**3. Set your reading settings**

**Settings → Reading** → choose your front page and posts page.

**4. Re-apply your branding**

Colors, typography, logo, and footer — none of that carries over from another theme.

**5. Check your widgets**

Widget areas are theme-specific. See [Sidebars and widgets](/customization/sidebars-and-widgets.md).

## Order matters for two reasons

> **Colors before page design**
>
> Your brand colors are injected into Elementor's global palette. If you design pages first and set colors after, you will be re-styling widgets to match. Set colors early, then build.

> **Menu before launch**
>
> The demo menu contains five placeholder items pointing at `/home/`, `/about/`, `/services/`, `/contact/`, and `/blog/`. If you delete those pages without replacing the menu, your header will be full of 404s.

## Time estimate

| Task | First-time user | Experienced WordPress user |
| - | - | - |
| Install and activate | 5 min | 2 min |
| Setup wizard | 5 min | 3 min |
| Identity, colors, typography | 20 min | 8 min |
| Layout and menu | 20 min | 10 min |
| Replace demo copy | 2–4 hours | 1–2 hours |
| Forms, SEO, launch checks | 45 min | 20 min |

## Where the Customizer lives

Every theme setting is in one panel:

**Appearance → Customize → Vara SaaS**

| Section | What it controls |
| - | - |
| Global Colors | Eleven brand colors |
| Typography | Base font family and size |
| Layout | Container, navbar, sidebar, logo width, CTA buttons |
| General | Feature toggles — sidebar, scroll to top, page title, breadcrumbs, theme toggle |
| Single Post | Post layout and which meta to show |
| Navigation Icons | Menu item icons and their styling |
| Footer | Footer columns, logo, description, email, socials, copyright |

The [Customizer tour](/customization/customizer-tour.md) walks through all seven.

**Live preview**

Almost every setting updates the page as you change it, without a manual refresh. If a preview
looks stuck, click another section and back.

## Next

> **[Site identity](/getting-started/site-identity.md)**
>
> Step 3 — logo, title, tagline, favicon.

> **[Colors](/getting-started/colors.md)**
>
> Step 4 — brand your whole site in five minutes.

> **[Launch checklist](/getting-started/launch-checklist.md)**
>
> Step 10 — everything to verify before you go live.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.