diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..567609b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+build/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index abc6fca1..cee03711 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,3 +2,32 @@ libportal - Flatpak portal library
 ==================================
 
 libportal provides GIO-style async APIs for most Flatpak portals.
+
+
+## Getting started
+
+### The Meson build-system
+
+`libportal` uses Meson to build its projects. To install Meson on your system, follow instructions here: https://mesonbuild.com/Getting-meson.html. If your system is missing a dependency, Meson will tell you which one. How you install your missing dependencies is up to you.
+
+### Build libportal
+```
+meson build/libportal
+ninja -C build/libportal
+```
+
+### Build and run portal-test
+```
+meson build/potal-test -Dbuild-portal-test=true
+ninja -C build/portal-test
+chmod +x ./build/potal-test/portal-test/portal-test
+./build/potal-test/portal-test/portal-test
+```
+
+### Build and view docs
+```
+meson build/doc -Dgtk_doc=true
+ninja -C build/doc
+
+# @TODO How to view the docs?
+```