diff --git a/astro.config.mjs b/astro.config.mjs
index d542203..de10f13 100644
--- a/astro.config.mjs
+++ b/astro.config.mjs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 						// Each item here is one entry in the navigation menu.
 						{ label: 'Local Dev Environment', slug: 'guides/dev-env' },
 						{ label: 'Create a Local K3d Instance', slug: 'guides/local-k3d' },
+						{ label: 'Initial Pipeline Run', slug: 'guides/infctl-first-run' },
 					],
 				},
 				{
diff --git a/src/content/docs/guides/infctl-first-run.md b/src/content/docs/guides/infctl-first-run.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31f2c01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/docs/guides/infctl-first-run.md
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+title: Creating Initial Infrastructure
+description: A guide to running infctl for the first time.
+---
+
+having already cloned the `infctl-cli` see [Create a local k3d instance](/guides/local-k3d/) change directory to where this code repository was checked out on your system.
+
+If necessary, re-run `scripts/create_k3d_cluster.sh` to create a new local cluster or just use one created earlier if you chose not to delete it.
+
+Take a look at `pipeline.json.example` to familiarize yourself with what we're about to do next.
+
+This pipeline file will be used by `infctl` to create a couple of resources to smoke test the cluster.
+
+To run `infctl` for the first time:
+
+```bash
+cp base.json.example base.json
+cp config.json.example config.json
+cp pipeline.json.example pipeline.json
+```
+
+then run the above pipeline file with
+
+```bash
+infctl --deployment-file pipeline.json
+```
+
+which will look something like this
+
+```bash
+infctl --deployment-file pipeline.json.
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:24.110418886+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"Project name already exists: hdshd\n"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:24.110627046+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"🔄 Running step: ensure inf namespace exists"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:24.552137383+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"in k8sCreateNamespace with project: infctl"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:24.941141859+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"✅ Step completed: ensure inf namespace exists"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:24.941312202+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"🔄 Running step: create php configmap"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:24.941344298+01:00","level":"DEBUG","msg":"🐞 Running command: ./scripts/create_php_configmap_ctl.sh"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:25.769192514+01:00","level":"DEBUG","msg":"RunCommand executed successfully: ./scripts/create_php_configmap_ctl.sh"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:25.769260959+01:00","level":"DEBUG","msg":"RunCommand output: configmap/php-config created\nNGINX configmap created successfully.\n"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:25.769297009+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"✅ Step completed: create php configmap"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:25.769309708+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"🔄 Running step: ensure inf namespace exists\n"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:26.138647622+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"k8sNamespaceExists nothing to do - project: infctl eists ..."}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:26.139002888+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"✅ Step completed: ensure inf namespace exists\n"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:26.139033185+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"🔄 Running step: create php configmap\n"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:26.139092779+01:00","level":"DEBUG","msg":"🐞 Running command: ./scripts/create_php_configmap_ctl.sh"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:26.805475502+01:00","level":"DEBUG","msg":"RunCommand executed successfully: ./scripts/create_php_configmap_ctl.sh"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:26.805522802+01:00","level":"DEBUG","msg":"RunCommand output: configmap/php-config configured\nNGINX configmap created successfully.\n"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:26.805530251+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"✅ Step completed: create php configmap\n"}
+{"time":"2025-07-17T10:56:26.805550056+01:00","level":"INFO","msg":"🎉 Pipeline setup complete!\n"}
+```
+
+
+