packer/website/content/docs/index.mdx

---
description: |
  Packer allows you to create identical machine images for multiple platforms from a single source template.
page_title: Documentation
---

# Packer Documentation

[Packer](https://www.packer.io/) is a community tool that enables you to create identical machine images for multiple platforms from a single source template. A common use case is creating "golden images" that teams across an organization can use in cloud infrastructure.

To install Packer and learn the standard Packer workflow, try the [Get Started tutorials](/packer/tutorials).

## HCP Packer

The HCP Packer registry stores metadata about your artifacts. You can use the registry to track information about
artifacts from your Packer builds, clearly designate which artifacts are appropriate for test and production
environments, and query for the right artifacts to use in both Packer and Terraform configurations.

To get started, visit the [HCP Packer documentation](/hcp/docs/packer) or try the [Get Started with HCP Packer tutorials](/packer/tutorials/hcp-get-started).