diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eda8f59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,288 @@
+# Spaces
+Spaces is a web app that allows access to visual studio code, kicad, and blender, inside of a web browser. It achieves this using container streaming. Spaces was developed by [Ivie Fonner](https://github.com/charmunks/) and [Hack Club](https://github.com/hackclub/)
+
+## Setup:
+### Manual Setup:
+#### Prerequisites: 
+Before installing, you must have docker set up and the daemon running. You must also have nodejs and npm installed.
+
+#### Installation: 
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/hackclub/spaces-new.git
+
+cp example.env .env # fill out the .env
+
+npm install
+
+npm run client-install
+
+# run both client and server
+npm run dev
+
+# run only backend
+npm run serve:server
+
+# run only client 
+npm run serve:client
+```
+
+### Docker Setup:
+
+#### Prerequisites: 
+Before installing, you must have both docker and docker-compose set up and the daemon running.
+
+### Installation:
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/hackclub/spaces-new.git
+
+cp example.env .env # make sure to set DOCKER=true
+
+docker compose up --build
+# server is now live at localhost:2593
+```
+
+### .env setup:
+
+```bash
+# postgres database connection 
+PG_CONNECTION_STRING=your-postgres-db-url
+# airtable credentials for email otps
+AIRTABLE_API_KEY=your-airtable-pat
+AIRTABLE_BASE_ID=your=airtable-baseid
+# port for backend server
+PORT=3000
+# set to true if using docker
+DOCKER=false
+```
+
+## API Documentation:
+
+By default the API will be accessible at `/api/v1`
+
+### Authentication
+
+All API endpoints that require authentication expect an `authorization` token in the request headers or body. This token is obtained during login/signup and must be included in subsequent requests.
+
+### Users API (`/api/v1/users`)
+
+#### Send Verification Code
+- **POST** `/api/v1/users/send`
+- **Description**: Send a verification code to the provided email address
+- **Body**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "email": "user@example.com"
+  }
+  ```
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "success": true,
+    "message": "Verification code sent successfully",
+    "data": {
+      "email": "user@example.com"
+    }
+  }
+  ```
+
+#### Sign Up
+- **POST** `/api/v1/users/signup`
+- **Description**: Create a new user account with email verification
+- **Body**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "email": "user@example.com",
+    "username": "myusername",
+    "verificationCode": "123456"
+  }
+  ```
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "success": true,
+    "message": "User created successfully",
+    "data": {
+      "id": 1,
+      "email": "user@example.com",
+      "username": "myusername",
+      "authorization": "auth_token_here"
+    }
+  }
+  ```
+
+#### Login
+- **POST** `/api/v1/users/login`
+- **Description**: Login with email and verification code
+- **Body**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "email": "user@example.com",
+    "code": "123456"
+  }
+  ```
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "success": true,
+    "message": "Login successful",
+    "data": {
+      "email": "user@example.com",
+      "username": "myusername",
+      "authorization": "new_auth_token_here"
+    }
+  }
+  ```
+
+#### Sign Out
+- **POST** `/api/v1/users/signout`
+- **Description**: Sign out and invalidate the current authorization token
+- **Body**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "authorization": "current_auth_token"
+  }
+  ```
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "success": true,
+    "message": "Sign out successful",
+    "data": {
+      "email": "user@example.com"
+    }
+  }
+  ```
+
+### Spaces API (`/api/v1/spaces`)
+
+#### Create Container
+- **POST** `/api/v1/spaces/create`
+- **Description**: Create a new containerized workspace
+- **Headers**: 
+  - `authorization: your_auth_token`
+- **Body**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "password": "container_password",
+    "type": "code-server"
+  }
+  ```
+- **Valid Types**: `code-server`, `blender`, `kicad`
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "message": "Container created successfully",
+    "spaceId": 1,
+    "containerId": "docker_container_id",
+    "type": "code-server",
+    "description": "VS Code Server",
+    "image": "linuxserver/code-server",
+    "port": 8080,
+    "accessUrl": "http://localhost:8080"
+  }
+  ```
+
+#### Start Container
+- **POST** `/api/v1/spaces/start/:spaceId`
+- **Description**: Start an existing container
+- **Headers**: 
+  - `authorization: your_auth_token`
+- **Parameters**:
+  - `spaceId`: The ID of the space to start
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "message": "Container started successfully",
+    "spaceId": 1,
+    "containerId": "docker_container_id"
+  }
+  ```
+
+#### Stop Container
+- **POST** `/api/v1/spaces/stop/:spaceId`
+- **Description**: Stop a running container
+- **Headers**: 
+  - `authorization: your_auth_token`
+- **Parameters**:
+  - `spaceId`: The ID of the space to stop
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "message": "Container stopped successfully",
+    "spaceId": 1,
+    "containerId": "docker_container_id"
+  }
+  ```
+
+#### Get Container Status
+- **GET** `/api/v1/spaces/status/:spaceId`
+- **Description**: Get the current status of a container
+- **Headers**: 
+  - `authorization: your_auth_token`
+- **Parameters**:
+  - `spaceId`: The ID of the space to check
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "spaceId": 1,
+    "containerId": "docker_container_id",
+    "type": "code-server",
+    "description": "VS Code Server",
+    "accessUrl": "http://localhost:8080",
+    "status": "running",
+    "running": true,
+    "startedAt": "2023-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
+    "finishedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z"
+  }
+  ```
+
+#### List User Spaces
+- **GET** `/api/v1/spaces/list`
+- **Description**: Get all spaces owned by the authenticated user
+- **Headers**: 
+  - `authorization: your_auth_token`
+- **Response**:
+  ```json
+  {
+    "message": "Spaces retrieved successfully",
+    "spaces": [
+      {
+        "id": 1,
+        "type": "code-server",
+        "description": "VS Code Server",
+        "image": "linuxserver/code-server",
+        "port": 8080,
+        "access_url": "http://localhost:8080",
+        "created_at": "2023-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+  ```
+
+### Container Types
+
+| Type | Description | Image | 
+|------|-------------|-------|
+| `code-server` | VS Code Server | `linuxserver/code-server` | 
+| `blender` | Blender 3D | `linuxserver/blender` | 
+| `kicad` | KiCad PCB Design | `linuxserver/kicad` | 
+
+### Error Responses
+
+All endpoints return consistent error responses:
+
+```json
+{
+  "success": false,
+  "message": "Error description",
+  "error": "Detailed error (development only)"
+}
+```
+
+Common HTTP status codes:
+- `400`: Bad Request (missing/invalid parameters)
+- `401`: Unauthorized (invalid/missing auth token)
+- `404`: Not Found (resource doesn't exist)
+- `409`: Conflict (duplicate email/username)
+- `500`: Internal Server Error
+
diff --git a/client/example.env b/client/example.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4e2a81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/example.env
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+PG_CONNECTION_STRING=your-postgres-db-url
+AIRTABLE_API_KEY=your-airtable-pat
+AIRTABLE_BASE_ID=your=airtable-baseid
+PORT=3000
+DOCKER=false
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utils/spaces.js b/src/utils/spaces.js
index d7af034..98ef6ee 100644
--- a/src/utils/spaces.js
+++ b/src/utils/spaces.js
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ export const createContainer = async (password, type, authorization) => {
       })
       .returning(['id', 'container_id', 'type', 'description', 'image', 'port', 'access_url']);
 
+    if (process.env.DOCKER === 'true') {
+      newSpace.access_url = `http://${process.env.SERVER_URL}/ports/${newSpace.port}`;
+    }
+
     return {
       message: "Container created successfully",
       spaceId: newSpace.id,
diff --git a/start.sh b/start.sh
index 7ae3016..b592112 100644
--- a/start.sh
+++ b/start.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-# Check if Docker is available (from host system)
 if docker info >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "Docker is available from host system!"
+    echo "Docker is available."
 else
-    echo "Warning: Docker not available. Make sure Docker socket is mounted."
+    echo "Warning: Docker not available. Make sure Docker is running."
 fi
 
 # Start all services with supervisor