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

# Adoption guide

> Run Harp for your own hackathon

Harp is built so another school can adopt it without rebuilding anything. Almost everything event-specific, from the hackathon's name and dates to the application form, scan types, FAQs, sponsors, and schedule, is runtime configuration managed from the super-admin UI. Not code.

## What adopting looks like

1. Fork the platform. Fork `hackutd/harp` and keep upstream as a remote so you can pull platform improvements each year. See [Forking & staying upstream](/harp/adoption/forking).
2. Deploy it. Stand up the Go API + portal, PostgreSQL, and SuperTokens, plus the optional services you want (GCS, email provider, web push, Apple Wallet). See [Production deployment](/harp/deployment/production).
3. Configure your event. Sign in as a super admin and complete onboarding: event name, dates, contact email, application deadline, and feature toggles. Then build your application form, scan types, FAQs, sponsors, and schedule from the admin UI.
4. Build your public site. Start from the marketing template and redesign it for your event's theme, keeping its data layer pointed at your API's public endpoints. See [The marketing site](/harp/adoption/marketing-site).

## What you customize vs. what you don't

| You customize                                     | You leave alone                       |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Runtime settings (name, dates, deadline, toggles) | The Go backend and its business logic |
| Application schema, scan types, content           | The portal's pages and workflows      |
| Portal branding (colors, logo, app name)          | Database migrations from upstream     |
| The marketing site, completely                    | The public API contract               |

Keep your fork's diff against upstream small: branding plus environment configuration.

<Note>
  Adoption tooling is actively being improved. A standalone marketing template repo, a committed `.env.example`, and a dedicated portal branding directory are in progress, and this guide will be updated as they land.
</Note>

## After the event

Run the annual reset workflow to clear event-specific activity while keeping your configuration, then pull the latest upstream release and start planning next year. See [Administration & reset](/harp/features/administration).