diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c7e3da9a6b49718e35a349399f65b0447e054607..5dcc27a5e73aec778e9e118aab4e5d1c8cf8e2f3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,3 +15,36 @@ This repo contains Ansible configs for the Freifunk Lëtzebuerg infra.
 - `gateway`: Set up a fflux gateway
 - `api`: api.freifunk.lu
 - `firmware`: firmware.freifunk.lu
+
+## Guide
+
+### Initial Server Setup
+
+First, add the machine to `hosts` at the top of the file:
+
+```yml
+machine-name-here ansible_host=10.20.30.40
+```
+
+Note that `machine-name-here` will be the machine's hostname.
+
+Then, put the machine under the `[initial]` group:
+
+```yml
+[initial]
+machine-name-here ansible_user=root
+```
+
+Finally, change the default private SSH key under `[all:vars]` if necessary:
+
+```yml
+ansible_ssh_private_key_file=/home/myuser/.ssh/id_ed25519
+```
+
+You can now run the playbook:
+
+```bash
+fflux@fflux:~/repos/Ansible-Configuration$ ansible-playbook -i hosts initial_server_setup/initial_setup.yml
+```
+
+Note that the placement of the repositories might impact the playbook's behaviour, particularly for more advanced setups, incl. web server.
diff --git a/hosts b/hosts
index 240632de4298927e1aee1f83e3d099710bcc85fc..828fe21a106f105d73677d8eede19151d1649a7b 100644
--- a/hosts
+++ b/hosts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ fflux-test
 # all machine variables come here
 [all:vars]
 ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3
+# Change this to the ssh key you want to use to connect to a server
 ansible_ssh_private_key_file=/home/fflux/.ssh/fflux_fflux
 server_config_dir=~/repos/Infrastructure-Intern/server_config
 server_scripts_dir=~/repos/Infrastructure-Intern/scripts