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

# FAQ

> The fast answers to the questions everyone asks first.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is Synclair a separate app, or part of my app?" icon="window">
    A **separate app**. It's a hub mounted at `/synclair` that runs on its own server
    (port 4100). It is **not** a dependency your product imports and not a runtime
    part of your app — it *documents* your app. In watcher mode it's literally a
    separate repo beside the product; in embedded mode it shares the repo but still
    runs as its own app on its own port.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where is the database?" icon="database">
    There isn't one — **git is the database.** Every fact (tokens, component docs,
    knowledge digests, the system map) is a plain file committed to the repo. Sync
    between people is `git pull` / `git push`. A real database only enters the picture
    if you *host* one shared Synclair at a single URL, where per-user real-time state
    (comments, presence) would need somewhere to live. Running locally from a clone —
    the normal case — needs no database.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does it turn my app into a monorepo?" icon="folder-tree">
    Not necessarily — it depends on the **topology** you install with, one repo or two:

    * **Watcher (two repos)** — Synclair is a *separate repo beside* yours. Your repo is
      untouched; no monorepo. Recommended for existing apps.
    * **Embedded (one repo)** — Synclair shares the repo. Either the clone *is* your repo
      (a new project built in it), or Synclair is **co-located** — vendored into your
      existing repo at `./synclair`, isolated so builds don't collide. Co-locating is the
      only case that adds a subdirectory to your repo, and it's opt-in, not the default.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I modify it to fit my setup?" icon="wrench">
    Yes — modify anything. Your clone is yours and diverges freely. The
    [three-layer model](/customizing) tells you what's safe to change without making
    future foundation updates painful: **seed** (your brand/knowledge/catalog) changes
    freely; **adapter** swaps per platform; heavy changes to **brain** (the hub UI,
    guardrails) are possible but better contributed upstream than privately forked.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How is it different from Storybook?" icon="book-open">
    Storybook *executes* your components in isolation — a component workshop tied to
    your stack. Synclair *documents* your whole design system (tokens, components,
    knowledge, system map) and its second audience is **AI agents**. They can coexist.
    Full comparison on the [Synclair vs. Storybook](/vs-storybook) page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does it need Claude, or does it work with other AI tools?" icon="robot">
    It works with any agent. Skills are portable markdown with a described *when*;
    Claude Code auto-surfaces them, and any other tool (Cursor, Copilot, Codex,
    Gemini) reads the same `SKILL.md` when a task matches. The router is `AGENTS.md`
    precisely so every agent reads one map.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What stack is the hub itself built in? Do I have to use that stack?" icon="layer-group">
    The hub UI is Next + shadcn + Tailwind — and that's **unrelated to what your app
    is built in.** A React Native or SwiftUI project still gets the same web-based
    hub; only the *adapter* changes to depict and export for your platform.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I get foundation updates after I've cloned?" icon="arrows-rotate">
    Deliberately, never automatically. Your clone keeps the foundation as a git
    `upstream` remote, so you pull improvements as an ordinary git merge when you want
    them — handled by the `synclair-sync` skill. Your **seed** (brand, domain,
    knowledge) never syncs in either direction.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I run it in production?" icon="server">
    Typically no — it's a local/internal tool each teammate runs from a clone, the
    way you'd run a docs or design-system site. It *can* be hosted at a shared URL,
    but that's the case that introduces the need for a real database (see above).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What port does it run on?" icon="plug">
    **4100**, not 3000 — so it doesn't collide with your app's dev server. You browse
    the hub at `localhost:4100/synclair`. The port and the mount path are both
    configurable.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Card title="Didn't find it? Start from the top" icon="house" href="/">
  The overview, and links into every section of the handbook.
</Card>