From 13a578a3de04c6b8eb0fdd0b48dfe336a6811d33 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Arctic <43667891+ArcticRaven@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2025 13:41:20 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] Update getting_started.md

---
 panel/1.0/getting_started.md | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 23 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/panel/1.0/getting_started.md b/panel/1.0/getting_started.md
index 79f1b358..88d2cc58 100644
--- a/panel/1.0/getting_started.md
+++ b/panel/1.0/getting_started.md
@@ -137,10 +137,31 @@ php artisan key:generate --force
 ```
 
 ::: danger
-Back up your encryption key (APP_KEY in the `.env` file). It is used as an encryption key for all data that needs to be stored securely (e.g. api keys).
-Store it somewhere safe - not just on your server. If you lose it all encrypted data is irrecoverable -- even if you have database backups.
+Back up your encryption key (APP_KEY in the `.env` file). It is used as an encryption key for all data that needs to be stored securely (e.g. API keys).
+Store it somewhere safe - not just on your server. If you lose it, all encrypted data is irrecoverable, even with database backups.
 :::
 
+To grab your APP_KEY, open a terminal and run the following in your panel directory:
+
+```bash
+cd /var/www/pterodactyl
+grep APP_KEY .env
+```
+
+You should see something like:
+
+```text
+APP_KEY=base64:YOUR_LONG_RANDOM_STRING
+```
+
+Copy that entire line and save it somewhere secure:
+- A password manager
+- An encrypted file on your local machine
+- A secure USB drive
+- A trusted cloud vault
+
+Do not keep it only on the server. If you lose this key, your encrypted data is permanently unrecoverable.
+
 ### Environment Configuration
 
 Pterodactyl's core environment is easily configured using a few different CLI commands built into the app. This step