---
title: "Documentation"
description: "Install Pitot, send OpenTelemetry, and configure investigations, dashboards and alerts."
status: shipped
---

Send OpenTelemetry to one binary. Investigate with Pitot's built-in agent, or connect yours over MCP. Start with [What Pitot is](/docs/get-started/overview).

## Quickstart

[Install](/docs/get-started/install) → [First boot](/docs/get-started/first-boot) → [Send your first telemetry](/docs/get-started/send-telemetry)

## Browse the documentation

### Get started

- [What Pitot is](/docs/get-started/overview)
- [Install](/docs/get-started/install)
- [First boot](/docs/get-started/first-boot)
- [Send your first telemetry](/docs/get-started/send-telemetry)
- [Get help and contribute](/docs/help)

### Guides

- [Use the built-in agent](/docs/guides/chat)
- [Query with Explore](/docs/guides/explore)
- [Build and refine dashboards](/docs/guides/dashboards)
- [Set up alerts](/docs/guides/alerts)
- [Connect an agent over MCP](/docs/guides/mcp)
- [Run with Compose or systemd](/docs/guides/deploy)
- [Terminate TLS](/docs/guides/tls)
- [Upgrade](/docs/guides/upgrade)
- [Harden an instance](/docs/guides/hardening)
- [Back up and restore](/docs/guides/backup-and-restore)
- [Tune retention](/docs/guides/retention)
- [Troubleshoot](/docs/guides/troubleshooting)

### Reference

- [Configuration](/docs/reference/configuration)
- [CLI](/docs/reference/cli)
- [HTTP routes](/docs/reference/api)
- [MCP tools](/docs/reference/mcp)
- [FanQL](/docs/reference/fanql)
- [Alert expressions](/docs/reference/alert-expressions)
- [Roles](/docs/reference/roles)
- [Endpoints](/docs/reference/endpoints)
- [Data layout](/docs/reference/data-layout)
- [Shipped vs planned](/docs/reference/capabilities)

### Concepts

- [Why one binary](/docs/concepts/architecture)
- [How storage works](/docs/concepts/storage)
- [Authentication modes](/docs/concepts/authentication)
- [Insights and anomalies](/docs/concepts/insights)
- [How Pitot compares](/docs/concepts/comparison)
- [Performance](/docs/concepts/performance)

For agents: [llms.txt](/llms.txt) lists the documentation; every page has a Markdown version at `<path>.md`, including [this page](/docs.md).