Overview

What is Instruqt?

Instruqt is an interactive learning platform that enables you to create hands-on labs and training experiences. Instead of traditional documentation or video tutorials, Instruqt provides learners with real, sandboxed environments where they can practice with actual tools, technologies, and workflows.

Key Benefits

• Hands-on Learning: Learners work with real tools in isolated environments
• No Setup Required: Pre-configured environments eliminate installation friction
• Interactive Validation: Automatic checking ensures learners complete tasks correctly
• Scalable Infrastructure: Spin up containers, VMs, and cloud resources on-demand
• Rich Content: Combine instructions, code examples, and interactive elements

Instruqt Lab Platform Overview

Instruqt labs consist of three main components:

1. Sandbox Infrastructure - The underlying compute, networking, and storage resources
2. Interactive Content - Step-by-step instructions, tasks, and validation logic
3. Lab Configuration - Settings that control behavior, appearance, and flow

Labs guide learners through structured learning paths with automatic environment provisioning, task validation, and progress tracking.

New HCL Lab Format

Instruqt has introduced a new HCL format for defining labs, replacing the previous YAML-based approach. This brings several advantages:

Why the Format Change?

• Everything as Code: Treat lab configuration with the same practices as infrastructure and application code - version control, code reviews, and automated testing
• Better Validation and Debugging: Strong typing and schema validation catch configuration errors early in development, with clear error messages that pinpoint issues
• Improved Modularity for Scale: Resource references and reusable modules enable large organizations to standardize and share common patterns across teams and labs
• Expanded Resource Vocabulary: Rich set of specialized resources for containers, cloud services, networking, storage, and UI components provide precise control over lab environments
• Declarative over Imperative: Replace hidden complexity from YAML files, directory structures, bash scripts, and platform-specific knowledge with explicit declarative configuration - you define what the lab should look like and the system handles the implementation
• Enhanced Developer Experience: Modern IDE support with syntax highlighting, autocompletion, and linting makes lab creation more efficient

Key Concepts

# Define sandbox infrastructure
resource "container" "web_server" {
  image {
    name = "nginx:latest"
  }
}

# Create instructional content
resource "page" "introduction" {
  title = "Getting Started with NGINX"
  file  = "instructions/intro.md"
}

# Configure the lab
resource "lab" "nginx_basics" {
  title       = "NGINX Fundamentals"
  description = "Learn NGINX configuration and deployment"
  layout      = resource.layout.two_column

  content {
    chapter "setup" {
      title = "Environment Setup"

      page "intro" {
        reference = resource.page.introduction
      }
    }
  }
}

Documentation Structure

This documentation is organized to support both newcomers and experienced lab creators:

For Newcomers

• Getting Started Guide - Step-by-step tutorial to create your first lab
• Lab Configuration - Understanding the structure and components
• Development Guide - Best practices for content creation

For Experienced Users

• Configuration Reference - Complete reference for all resources and settings
• Migration Tools - Convert existing YAML labs to HCL format
• Advanced Development - Complex validation and interaction patterns

Quick Navigation

Getting Started: New to Instruqt? Start with the hands-on tutorial to build your first lab in 30 minutes.

Reference Documentation: Looking for specific configuration options? Browse the complete reference organized by resource type.

Migration: Have existing YAML labs? Use the migration toolkit to convert them to the new HCL format.

Next Steps

Ready to start building? Choose your path:

• Create Your First Lab - Follow the step-by-step guide
• Learn Lab Structure - Understand how labs are organized
• Browse Examples - See common patterns and templates
• Reference Documentation - Explore all available options