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

# Your First Orchestration

> Create an orchestration, publish it, and open your first instance with a slash command.

This guide walks through building a minimal orchestration: one goal, two allowed workflows, and a slash command that opens an instance on demand. It takes about ten minutes.

<Tip>
  You don't have to build everything by hand. Open **Assistant** in the sidebar and ask it to draft the workflows or the orchestration for you, or to guide you through any step in this guide.
</Tip>

## Before you start

You need at least one published workflow in the project. An orchestration routes between existing workflows; it does not replace them. If you have none yet, start with [Workflows](/docs/workflows/workflows).

## Create and configure

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the orchestration">
    Open your project and go to **Build** > **Orchestrations**, then select **New Orchestration**. Overcut creates a draft and opens the Builder. The draft stays private until you publish it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name it and write the goal">
    With nothing selected on the canvas, the right panel shows the orchestration settings. Set the **Orchestration name**. Then select the **Goal & Instructions** node and write the **Goal**: the outcome that means the item is done, for example "Every production bug reported as an issue is investigated, root-caused, fixed behind a PR, and verified." The goal must be at least 20 characters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the allowed workflows">
    Select the **Allowed Workflows** node and pick the workflows instances may route between. Start small: a triage workflow and an implementation workflow are enough. The AI can only propose workflows from this list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add an entry trigger">
    In the **Triggers** container, select **Add Trigger**. For **Entry event**, choose **slash command** and enter a command such as `investigate` (without the leading slash; it is saved lowercase). Then set **Starts with workflow** to the workflow that should always run first. The first workflow is deterministic: no AI decision happens at entry.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a gate (optional)">
    Select **Add Gate** to require human approval before a sensitive workflow runs, or before the instance is marked complete. You can skip this for a first test and add gates later. See [Orchestration Builder](/docs/orchestrations/builder#gates) for gate options.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish">
    Select **Publish** in the top bar. If anything is invalid, the Builder highlights the sections to fix. In the **Publish Changes** dialog, write a short **Publish Message** and confirm. New instances start from this published version.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate">
    After the first publish, use the activation toggle in the top bar to turn the orchestration on. Inactive orchestrations ignore their triggers.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Run it

Comment `/investigate` (your slash command) on an issue or pull request in a connected repository. The trigger opens an instance and starts the first workflow.

Follow the run in the orchestration's **Activity** tab: the instance appears in the live funnel, and **View Details** opens its decision trail. See [Monitoring Instances](/docs/orchestrations/monitoring).

<Tip>
  If the same slash command is also used by a workflow, the orchestration entry takes precedence. The publish dialog warns you about collisions.
</Tip>

## Where to go next

* Configure gates, limits, and discussion agents in the [Orchestration Builder](/docs/orchestrations/builder).
* Learn how to approve or reject pending decisions in [Approvals and Discussions](/docs/orchestrations/approvals-and-discussions).