> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.latitude.sh/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting started

> Create an LKS Cluster, connect with kubectl, and deploy your first Workload

This guide walks you through creating your first Cluster, connecting to it, and running a Workload. For the full reference on each step, see [Clusters](/docs/lks/clusters) and [Node Pools](/docs/lks/node-pools).

## Prerequisites

* A [verified account](/docs/account-setup/verify-account) with a [payment method](/docs/billing/payment-methods).
* A [project](/docs/projects) selected in the dashboard.
* [`kubectl`](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/#kubectl) installed on your machine.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Cluster">
    Open the [dashboard](/docs/dashboard/overview), select a project, and go to **LKS** in the sidebar. Click **Create Cluster** and set:

    * **Location**: the region where the Cluster runs.
    * **Cluster name**: 3-63 lowercase letters, numbers, or hyphens, starting and ending with a letter or number.
    * **Kubernetes version**: the newest available version is selected by default.
    * **Node Pools**: add at least one Node Pool, choose a **Plan**, and set the number of **Nodes**.

    Review the [hourly price](https://www.latitude.sh/pricing) and click **Create Cluster**. Provisioning takes a few minutes. See [Clusters](/docs/lks/clusters) and [Node Pools](/docs/lks/node-pools) for all options.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect with kubectl">
    Once the Cluster is **Active**, open its **Overview** tab. Under **Cluster access**, click **Download kubeconfig**.

    Point `kubectl` at the file and list your Nodes:

    ```bash theme={null}
    kubectl --kubeconfig=./my-cluster-kubeconfig.yaml get nodes
    ```

    You should see your Nodes listed, all in the `Ready` state.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deploy a Workload">
    Apply a small Deployment to confirm the Cluster runs your Workloads:

    ```bash theme={null}
    kubectl --kubeconfig=./my-cluster-kubeconfig.yaml create deployment hello \
      --image=nginx --replicas=2
    ```

    Check that the Pods are running:

    ```bash theme={null}
    kubectl --kubeconfig=./my-cluster-kubeconfig.yaml get pods -l app=hello
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

* Expose your Workload to the Internet with a LoadBalancer Service. See [Exposing Workloads](/docs/lks/exposing-workloads).
* Add, scale, or tune worker capacity. See [Node Pools](/docs/lks/node-pools).