# Dev environment: recommended way to bootstrap the first admin account without email?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/dev-environment-recommended-way-to-bootstrap-the-first-admin-account-without-email/399187
**Category:** Development
**Tags:** development
**Created:** [March 24, 2026, 10:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/dev-environment-recommended-way-to-bootstrap-the-first-admin-account-without-email/399187 "2026-03-24T22:06:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 4

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### Author: ![Moin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/moin/32/554653_2.png) [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/dev-environment-recommended-way-to-bootstrap-the-first-admin-account-without-email/399187/4 "2026-03-24T22:28:04Z")

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> [@Ethsim2](#):
>
> in the [development setup docs](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-install-discourse-for-development-using-docker/102009)

I am not sure it’s needed in that guide because it says

> [@Install Discourse for development using Docker](https://meta.discourse.org/t/install-discourse-for-development-using-docker/102009/1):
>
> ```plaintext
> d/boot_dev --init
> # wait while:
> # - dependencies are installed,
> # - the database is migrated, and
> # - an admin user is created (you'll need to interact with this)
> 
> ```

So creating the admin user seems to be part of the workflow already

> <https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/1cb6d36fefa8bd9099a53777240be63d4678f332/bin/docker/boot_dev#L129>

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