diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c002a76..db50606 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,84 @@
 # illegal_crime_mc
+
 The configuration files for the Illegal Crime Minecraft server.
 
+## Usage
+
+Follow these steps to set up and configure the project:
+
+1. **Clone the repository**:
+    
+    ```
+    git clone https://github.com/Kappeh/illegal_crime_mc.git
+    cd illegal_crime_mc
+    ```
+    
+2. **Create required directories**: See [Directory Setup](#directory-setup) for details.
+    
+3. **Set up environment variables**: See [Environment Variables](#environment-variables) for details.
+ 
+4. **Import world files**:
+    
+    The world for the Fabric server is located at `fabric/data/world`. If you want to use an existing world, copy it to this location before running the container:
+    
+    ```
+    cp path/to/world fabric/data/world
+    ```
+   
+5. **Adjust permissions (recommended)**: Run the following commands in the root of the repository, replacing `UID` and `GID` with the corresponding values from your `.env` file:
+    
+    ```
+    sudo chown -R UID:GID .
+    sudo chmod -R 770 .
+    ```
+   
+6. **Start the Docker Compose stack**: To start the services in detached mode, run:
+    
+    ```
+    docker compose up -d
+    ```
+    
+7. **Stop the Docker Compose stack**: To stop and remove the running containers, use:
+    
+    ```
+    docker compose down
+    ```
+    
+## Directory Setup
+
+Make a directory called `schematics` in the root of the repository. This directory is used for storing [WorldEdit](https://worldedit.org/) schematic files. To create it, run:
+
+```
+mkdir schematics
+```
+
+## Environment Variables
+
+To configure environment variables, make a copy of the example file:
+
+```
+cp .env.example .env
+```
+
+Then, open `.env` in a text editor and set appropriate values for your setup.
+
+|**Environment Variable**|**Description**|
+|---|---|
+|`UID`|The user ID that should be used for file ownership within the project.|
+|`GID`|The group ID that should be used for file ownership within the project.|
+|`VELOCITY_PORT`|The port number where the Velocity proxy service will listen. Default is set to `25565`.|
+|`RCON_PASSWORD`|The password for Remote Console (RCON) access. This should be a secure password.|
+|`FORWARDING_SECRET`|A secret key for forwarding data between services or to the proxy. This should be a secure password.|
+|`DCLINK_GUILD`|The Discord guild ID (server ID) where the bot will operate. See [dclink](#dclink) for more information.|
+|`DCLINK_CHANNEL`|The Discord channel ID where the bot will operate. See [dclink](#dclink) for more information.|
+|`DCLINK_ROLE`|The ID of the role that the bot will give to Discord members when they link their accounts. See [dclink](#dclink) for more information.|
+|`DCLINK_TOKEN`|The bot token used for authentication with Discord's API. Ensure this is kept secret and secure.|
+|`LUCKPERMS_DB_PASSWORD`|The password for the LuckPerms database. This should be a secure password.|
+
+Instead of using environment variables, the secrets section of `docker-compose.yml` can be modified to read files instead. This method will likely be used by default in future.
+
+## dclink
+This configuration uses [dclink](https://github.com/Kalimero2Team/dclink) to link users' Minecraft accounts and Discord accounts. This is so that a user can gain access to the Minecraft server if they are a member of the configured Discord server. 
+
+For this to work you must first [setup a discord bot](https://github.com/Kalimero2Team/dclink/wiki/Setup-Discord-Bot). Then set the relevant [Environment Variables](#environment-variables).
+