---
title: Getting Started
description: Install Meraki Dashboard Exporter with Docker, configure API access, and verify your first Prometheus scrape.
---

# Getting Started

The quickest way to run the exporter is with Docker.

## Requirements
- Docker
- Meraki Dashboard API access and key (read-only recommended)

## Setup

1. Copy `.env.example` to `.env` and set `MERAKI_EXPORTER_MERAKI__API_KEY`.
2. Start the container with `docker compose up -d`. You can review the [docker-compose.yml](https://github.com/rknightion/meraki-dashboard-exporter/blob/main/docker-compose.yml) for optional settings.

Alternatively, run directly with Docker:
```bash
docker run -d \
  -e MERAKI_EXPORTER_MERAKI__API_KEY=your_api_key_here \
  -p 9099:9099 \
  ghcr.io/rknightion/meraki-dashboard-exporter:latest
```

## Verify
- Visit `http://localhost:9099/` for the landing page.
- `http://localhost:9099/metrics` exposes Prometheus metrics, including exporter
  health metrics (`meraki_exporter_*`), always enabled.
- `curl http://localhost:9099/health` should return `{"status": "healthy"}`.
- `http://localhost:9099/status` shows the exporter self-health dashboard
  (collector tiers, last run results, etc.). Network filter resolution is not
  shown on `/status` yet (tracked in
  [#311](https://github.com/rknightion/meraki-dashboard-exporter/issues/311)) —
  it is observable via the `meraki_network_filter_*` metrics instead.
- `http://localhost:9099/cardinality` reports appear after the first full
  collection cycle (defaults to 15 minutes).

The endpoints above are the common ones; see the
[HTTP Endpoints reference](../reference/endpoints.md) for the complete list
(method, path, and which config flag gates each one).

Next read the [Configuration](../config.md) guide for all settings and the
[Metrics Reference](../metrics/metrics.md) for available metrics.