Skip to main content
Version: 2.11

Quick Start

Get FiestaBoard running in under 5 minutes.

What You'll Need​

  • Your board's API key (how to find it)
  • Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system
Don't have Docker yet?

Docker Desktop is free and takes a few minutes to install: Mac | Windows | Linux

If you've never used Docker before, the Beginner's Guide walks through every step.

Option A: Docker Hub (Simplest)​

No repository to clone. Just two commands:

# Download the compose file
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Fiestaboard/FiestaBoard/main/docker-compose.hub.yml

# Start FiestaBoard (pulls the image automatically)
docker-compose -f docker-compose.hub.yml up -d

Open http://localhost:4420 in your browser. You'll see the FiestaBoard dashboard.

Accessing from another device?

FiestaBoard advertises itself on your local network via mDNS/Bonjour. From any device on the same network you can use http://fiestaboard.local:4420. If .local addresses don't work on your network, use your server's IP address instead (e.g. http://192.168.1.50:4420).

Option B: Install Wizard​

Clone the repository and run the install script. It checks prerequisites, starts the server, and opens the setup wizard in your browser:

git clone https://github.com/Fiestaboard/FiestaBoard.git
cd FiestaBoard

# Mac/Linux
./scripts/install.sh

# Windows (PowerShell)
.\scripts\install.ps1

The wizard asks for your board API key, device type, and board color, then starts everything for you.

Connect Your Board​

Once FiestaBoard is running at http://localhost:4420:

  1. The setup wizard will guide you through connecting your board (or go to Settings if you've already been through setup)
  2. Once connected, the display service starts automatically
  3. Verify the dashboard shows Running — your board is now connected!
Settings page with board API key and IP address inputs

What to Do Next​

Now that FiestaBoard is running, you'll want to:

  1. Enable some plugins - Go to the Integrations page and turn on plugins like Date & Time, Star Trek Quotes, or Weather
  2. Create your first page - Go to Pages, click New, and use the visual editor to design what your board shows
  3. Set up a schedule - Go to Schedule to automate which pages display at which times
Start simple

Many plugins need no API key: Date & Time, Star Trek Quotes, Guest WiFi, Visual Clock, Sun Art, Disney Parks, Surf Conditions, and more. Start with those while you gather API keys for weather, traffic, etc.

Integrations page showing all plugins with toggle switches
Schedule calendar with multiple time-based entries

For a full walkthrough, see Your First 10 Minutes.

Getting Your Board API Key​

Have your board API key ready before running setup. There are two connection modes:

Faster updates, supports transition animations, works over your local network.

  1. Request a Local API enablement token at vestaboard.com/local-api
  2. After approval, Vestaboard emails you the token
  3. Use the token to enable the Local API — FiestaBoard's Settings page can do this for you, or see the Vestaboard Local API docs
  4. Save the API key and note the board's IP address

Cloud API (Alternative)​

Works from anywhere with internet. No transition animations. See Cloud API Setup for details.

  1. Go to web.vestaboard.com
  2. Navigate to the API section
  3. Enable Read/Write API
  4. Copy your key

Stopping and Restarting​

# Stop FiestaBoard
docker-compose down

# Start again later (no rebuild needed)
docker-compose up -d

After restarting, open http://localhost:4420 — the service resumes automatically.

Running on a Raspberry Pi?​

The same Docker image works on Raspberry Pi (ARM64). Follow the steps above on your Pi, or see the Raspberry Pi Guide for auto-start on boot and performance tips.

Next Steps​