diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4740ff87..61204dea 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ Follow the quick deploy steps on the deployment guide to deploy this solution to
[Click here to launch the deployment guide](./docs/DeploymentGuide.md)
+**For Local Development:**
+- [Local Development Setup Guide](docs/LocalDevelopmentSetup.md) - Comprehensive setup instructions for Windows, Linux, and macOS
+
| [](https://codespaces.new/microsoft/document-generation-solution-accelerator) | [](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode://ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/cloneInVolume?url=https://github.com/microsoft/document-generation-solution-accelerator) | [&message=Open&color=blue&logo=visualstudiocode&logoColor=white)](https://insiders.vscode.dev/azure/?vscode-azure-exp=foundry&agentPayload=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) |
|---|---|---|
diff --git a/docs/DeploymentGuide.md b/docs/DeploymentGuide.md
index 458792e2..be3de1b9 100644
--- a/docs/DeploymentGuide.md
+++ b/docs/DeploymentGuide.md
@@ -244,6 +244,9 @@ Once you've opened the project in [Codespaces](#github-codespaces), [Dev Contain
7. You can now delete the resources by running `azd down`, if you are done trying out the application.
> **Note:** If you deployed with `enableRedundancy=true` and Log Analytics workspace replication is enabled, you must first disable replication before running `azd down` else resource group delete will fail. Follow the steps in [Handling Log Analytics Workspace Deletion with Replication Enabled](./LogAnalyticsReplicationDisable.md), wait until replication returns `false`, then run `azd down`.
+
+> **Note:** To set up and run the application locally for development, see the [Local Development Setup Guide](./LocalDevelopmentSetup.md).
+
### 🛠️ Troubleshooting
If you encounter any issues during the deployment process, please refer [troubleshooting](../docs/TroubleShootingSteps.md) document for detailed steps and solutions
diff --git a/docs/LocalDebuggingSetup.md b/docs/LocalDebuggingSetup.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 14e0bc65..00000000
--- a/docs/LocalDebuggingSetup.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,136 +0,0 @@
-# Local Debugging Setup
-
-Follow the steps below to set up and run the **Document-Generation-Solution-Accelerator** locally.
-
-
-
-## Prerequisites
-
-Install these tools before you start:
-- [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) with the following extensions:
- - [Azure Tools](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.vscode-node-azure-pack)
- - [Bicep](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-azuretools.vscode-bicep)
- - [Python](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python)
-- [Python 3.11](https://www.python.org/downloads/). **Important:** Check "Add Python to PATH" during installation.
-- [PowerShell 7.0+](https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell#get-powershell).
-- [Node.js (LTS)](https://nodejs.org/en).
-- [Git](https://git-scm.com/downloads).
-- [Azure Developer CLI (azd) v1.18.0+](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/developer/azure-developer-cli/install-azd).
-- [Microsoft ODBC Driver 17](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/odbc/download-odbc-driver-for-sql-server?view=sql-server-ver16) for SQL Server.
-
-
-## Setup Steps
-
-### Clone the Repository
-
-Choose a location on your local machine where you want to store the project files. We recommend creating a dedicated folder for your development projects.
-
-#### Using Command Line/Terminal
-
-1. **Open your terminal or command prompt. Navigate to your desired directory and Clone the repository:**
- ```bash
- git clone https://github.com/microsoft/document-generation-solution-accelerator.git
- ```
-
-2. **Navigate to the project directory:**
- ```bash
- cd document-generation-solution-accelerator
- ```
-
-3. **Open the project in Visual Studio Code:**
- ```bash
- code .
- ```
-
-## Local Setup/Debugging
-
-Follow these steps to set up and run the application locally:
-
-### 1. Open the App Folder
-Navigate to the `src` directory of the repository using Visual Studio Code.
-
-### 2. Configure Environment Variables
-- Copy the `.env.sample` file to a new file named `.env`.
-- Update the `.env` file with the required values from your Azure resource group in Azure Portal App Service environment variables.
-- You can get all env value in your deployed resource group under App Service:
-
-- Alternatively, if resources were
-provisioned using `azd provision` or `azd up`, a `.env` file is automatically generated in the `.azure//.env`
-file. To get your `` run `azd env list` to see which env is default.
-
-### 3. Start the Application
-- Run `start.cmd` (Windows) or `start.sh` (Linux/Mac) to:
- - Install backend dependencies.
- - Install frontend dependencies.
- - Build the frontend.
- - Start the backend server.
-- Alternatively, you can run the backend in debug mode using the VS Code debug configuration defined in `.vscode/launch.json`.
-
-## Running with Automated Script
-
-For convenience, you can use the provided startup scripts that handle environment setup and start both services:
-
-**Windows:**
-```cmd
-cd src
-.\start.cmd
-```
-
-**macOS/Linux:**
-```bash
-cd src
-chmod +x start.sh
-./start.sh
-```
-
-## Running Backend and Frontend Separately
-
-#### Step 1: Create Virtual Environment (Recommended)
-
-Open your terminal and navigate to the root folder of the project, then create the virtual environment:
-
-```bash
-# Navigate to the project root folder
-cd document-generation-solution-accelerator
-
-# Create virtual environment in the root folder
-python -m venv .venv
-
-# Activate virtual environment (Windows)
-.venv/Scripts/activate
-
-# Activate virtual environment (macOS/Linux)
-source .venv/bin/activate
-```
-
-> **Note**: After activation, you should see `(.venv)` in your terminal prompt indicating the virtual environment is active.
-
-#### Step 2: Install Dependencies and Run
-
-To develop and run the backend API locally:
-
-```bash
-# Navigate to the API folder (while virtual environment is activated)
-cd src/
-
-# Upgrade pip
-python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-
-# Install Python dependencies
-pip install -r requirements.txt
-
-# Install Fronend Packages
-cd src/frontend
-npm install
-npm run build
-
-# Run the backend API
-cd src/
-
-start http://127.0.0.1:50505
-call python -m uvicorn app:app --port 50505 --reload
-```
-
-> **Note**: Make sure your virtual environment is activated before running these commands. You should see `(.venv)` in your terminal prompt when the virtual environment is active.
-
-The App will run on `http://127.0.0.1:50505/#/` by default.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/LocalDevelopmentSetup.md b/docs/LocalDevelopmentSetup.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9219390e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/LocalDevelopmentSetup.md
@@ -0,0 +1,461 @@
+# Local Development Setup Guide
+
+This guide provides comprehensive instructions for setting up the Document Generation Solution Accelerator for local development across Windows and Linux platforms.
+
+## Important Setup Notes
+
+### Multi-Service Architecture
+
+This application consists of **two separate services** that run independently:
+
+2. **Backend API** - REST API server for the frontend
+3. **Frontend** - React-based user interface
+
+> **⚠️ Critical: Each service must run in its own terminal/console window**
+>
+> - **Do NOT close terminals** while services are running
+> - Open **2 separate terminal windows** for local development
+> - Each service will occupy its terminal and show live logs
+
+
+### Path Conventions
+
+**All paths in this guide are relative to the repository root directory:**
+
+```bash
+document-generation-solution-accelerator/ ← Repository root (start here)
+├── src/
+│ ├── .venv/ ← Python virtual environment
+│ ├── backend/
+│ │ ├── api/ ← API endpoints and routes
+│ │ ├── auth/ ← Authentication modules
+│ │ ├── helpers/ ← Utility and helper functions
+│ │ ├── history/ ← Chat/session history management
+│ │ ├── security/ ← Security-related modules
+│ │ └── settings.py ← Backend configuration
+│ ├── frontend/
+│ │ ├── .venv/ ← Node.js dependencies
+│ │ ├── node_modules/
+│ │ ├── src/ ← React/TypeScript source
+│ │ └── package.json ← Frontend dependencies
+│ ├── static/ ← Static web assets
+│ ├── tests/ ← Unit and integration tests
+│ ├── app.py ← Main Flask application entry point
+│ ├── .env ← Main application config file
+│ └── requirements.txt ← Python dependencies
+├── scripts/
+│ ├── prepdocs.py ← Document processing script
+│ ├── auth_init.py ← Authentication setup
+│ ├── data_preparation.py ← Data pipeline scripts
+│ └── config.json ← Scripts configuration
+├── infra/
+│ ├── main.bicep ← Main infrastructure template
+│ ├── modules/ ← Bicep modules
+│ ├── scripts/ ← Infrastructure scripts
+│ └── main.parameters.json ← Deployment parameters
+├── docs/ ← Documentation (you are here)
+└── tests/ ← End-to-end tests
+ └── e2e-test/
+```
+
+**Before starting any step, ensure you are in the repository root directory:**
+
+```bash
+# Verify you're in the correct location
+pwd # Linux/macOS - should show: .../document-generation-solution-accelerator
+Get-Location # Windows PowerShell - should show: ...\document-generation-solution-accelerator
+
+# If not, navigate to repository root
+cd path/to/document-generation-solution-accelerator
+```
+
+## Step 1: Prerequisites - Install Required Tools
+
+Install these tools before you start:
+- [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) with the following extensions:
+ - [Azure Tools](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.vscode-node-azure-pack)
+ - [Bicep](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-azuretools.vscode-bicep)
+ - [Python](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python)
+- [Python 3.11](https://www.python.org/downloads/). **Important:** Check "Add Python to PATH" during installation.
+- [PowerShell 7.0+](https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell#get-powershell).
+- [Node.js (LTS)](https://nodejs.org/en).
+- [Git](https://git-scm.com/downloads).
+- [Azure Developer CLI (azd) v1.18.0+](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/developer/azure-developer-cli/install-azd).
+- [Microsoft ODBC Driver 17](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/odbc/download-odbc-driver-for-sql-server?view=sql-server-ver16) for SQL Server.
+
+
+### Windows Development
+
+#### Option 1: Native Windows (PowerShell)
+
+```powershell
+# Install Python 3.12+ and Git
+winget install Python.Python.3.12
+winget install Git.Git
+
+# Install Node.js for frontend
+winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
+
+# Install uv package manager
+py -3.12 -m pip install uv
+```
+
+**Note**: On Windows, use `py -3.12 -m uv` instead of `uv` for all commands to ensure you're using Python 3.12.
+
+#### Option 2: Windows with WSL2 (Recommended)
+
+```bash
+# Install WSL2 first (run in PowerShell as Administrator):
+# wsl --install -d Ubuntu
+
+# Then in WSL2 Ubuntu terminal:
+sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3.12 python3.12-venv git curl nodejs npm -y
+
+# Install uv
+curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
+source ~/.bashrc
+```
+
+### Linux Development
+
+#### Ubuntu/Debian
+
+```bash
+# Install prerequisites
+sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3.12 python3.12-venv git curl nodejs npm -y
+
+# Install uv package manager
+curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
+source ~/.bashrc
+```
+
+#### RHEL/CentOS/Fedora
+
+```bash
+# Install prerequisites
+sudo dnf install python3.12 python3.12-devel git curl gcc nodejs npm -y
+
+# Install uv
+curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
+source ~/.bashrc
+```
+
+
+## Step 2: Clone the Repository
+
+Choose a location on your local machine where you want to store the project files. We recommend creating a dedicated folder for your development projects.
+
+#### Using Command Line/Terminal
+
+1. **Open your terminal or command prompt. Navigate to your desired directory and Clone the repository:**
+ ```bash
+ git clone https://github.com/microsoft/document-generation-solution-accelerator.git
+ ```
+
+2. **Navigate to the project directory:**
+ ```bash
+ cd document-generation-solution-accelerator
+ ```
+
+3. **Open the project in Visual Studio Code:**
+ ```bash
+ code .
+ ```
+
+
+## Step 3: Development Tools Setup
+
+### Visual Studio Code (Recommended)
+
+#### Required Extensions
+
+Create `.vscode/extensions.json` in the workspace root and copy the following JSON:
+
+```json
+{
+ "recommendations": [
+ "ms-python.python",
+ "ms-python.pylint",
+ "ms-python.black-formatter",
+ "ms-python.isort",
+ "ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl",
+ "ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers",
+ "redhat.vscode-yaml",
+ "ms-vscode.azure-account",
+ "ms-python.mypy-type-checker"
+ ]
+}
+```
+
+VS Code will prompt you to install these recommended extensions when you open the workspace.
+
+#### Settings Configuration
+
+Create `.vscode/settings.json` and copy the following JSON:
+
+```json
+{
+ "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "./.venv/bin/python",
+ "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": true,
+ "python.formatting.provider": "black",
+ "python.linting.enabled": true,
+ "python.linting.pylintEnabled": true,
+ "python.testing.pytestEnabled": true,
+ "python.testing.unittestEnabled": false,
+ "files.associations": {
+ "*.yaml": "yaml",
+ "*.yml": "yaml"
+ }
+}
+```
+
+## Step 4: Azure Authentication Setup
+
+Before configuring services, authenticate with Azure:
+
+```bash
+# Login to Azure CLI
+az login
+
+# Set your subscription
+az account set --subscription "your-subscription-id"
+
+# Verify authentication
+az account show
+```
+
+## Step 5: Local Setup/Deplpoyment
+
+Follow these steps to set up and run the application locally:
+
+## Local Deployment:
+
+You can refer the local deployment guide here: [Local Deployment Guide](https://github.com/microsoft/document-generation-solution-accelerator/blob/main/docs/DeploymentGuide.md)
+
+### 1. Open the App Folder
+Navigate to the `src` directory of the repository using Visual Studio Code.
+
+### 2. Configure Environment Variables
+- Copy the `.env.sample` file to a new file named `.env`.
+- Update the `.env` file with the required values from your Azure resource group in Azure Portal App Service environment variables.
+- You can get all env value in your deployed resource group under App Service:
+
+- Alternatively, if resources were
+provisioned using `azd provision` or `azd up`, a `.env` file is automatically generated in the `.azure//.env`
+file. To get your `` run `azd env list` to see which env is default.
+
+> **Note**: After adding all environment variables to the .env file, update the value of **'APP_ENV'** from:
+```
+APP_ENV="Prod"
+```
+**to:**
+```
+APP_ENV="Dev"
+```
+
+This change is required for running the application in local development mode.
+
+
+### Required Azure RBAC Permissions
+
+To run the application locally, your Azure account needs the following role assignments on the deployed resources:
+
+#### App Configuration Access
+```bash
+# Get your principal ID
+PRINCIPAL_ID=$(az ad signed-in-user show --query id -o tsv)
+
+# Assign App Configuration Data Reader role
+az role assignment create \
+ --assignee $PRINCIPAL_ID \
+ --role "App Configuration Data Reader" \
+ --scope "/subscriptions//resourceGroups//providers/Microsoft.AppConfiguration/configurationStores/"
+```
+
+#### Cosmos DB Access
+```bash
+# Assign Cosmos DB Built-in Data Contributor role
+az cosmosdb sql role assignment create \
+ --account-name \
+ --resource-group \
+ --role-definition-name "Cosmos DB Built-in Data Contributor" \
+ --principal-id $PRINCIPAL_ID \
+ --scope "/"
+```
+> **Note**: After local deployment is complete, you need to execute the post-deployment script so that all the required roles will be assigned automatically.
+
+## Running with Automated Script
+
+For convenience, you can use the provided startup scripts that handle environment setup and start both services:
+
+**Windows:**
+```cmd
+cd src
+.\start.cmd
+```
+
+**macOS/Linux:**
+```bash
+cd src
+chmod +x start.sh
+./start.sh
+```
+### Start the Application
+- Run `start.cmd` (Windows) or `start.sh` (Linux/Mac) to:
+ - Install backend dependencies.
+ - Install frontend dependencies.
+ - Build the frontend.
+ - Start the backend server.
+- Alternatively, you can run the backend in debug mode using the VS Code debug configuration defined in `.vscode/launch.json`.
+
+
+## Step 6: Running Backend and Frontend Separately
+
+#### Step 1: Create Virtual Environment (Recommended)
+
+Open your terminal and navigate to the root folder of the project, then create the virtual environment:
+
+```bash
+# Navigate to the project root folder
+cd document-generation-solution-accelerator
+
+# Create virtual environment in the root folder
+python -m venv .venv
+
+# Activate virtual environment (Windows)
+.venv/Scripts/activate
+
+# Activate virtual environment (macOS/Linux)
+source .venv/bin/activate
+```
+
+> **Note**: After activation, you should see `(.venv)` in your terminal prompt indicating the virtual environment is active.
+
+#### Step 2: Install Dependencies and Run
+
+To develop and run the backend API locally:
+
+```bash
+# Navigate to the API folder (while virtual environment is activated)
+cd src/
+
+# Upgrade pip
+python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+
+# Install Python dependencies
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+
+# Install Fronend Packages
+cd src/frontend
+npm install
+npm run build
+
+# Run the backend API (Windows)
+cd src/
+
+start http://127.0.0.1:50505
+call python -m uvicorn app:app --port 50505 --reload
+
+# Run the backend API (MacOs)
+cd src/
+
+open http://127.0.0.1:50505
+python -m uvicorn app:app --port 50505 --reload
+
+# Run the backend API (Linux)
+cd src/
+
+xdg-open http://127.0.0.1:50505
+python -m uvicorn app:app --port 50505 --reload
+
+```
+
+> **Note**: Make sure your virtual environment is activated before running these commands. You should see `(.venv)` in your terminal prompt when the virtual environment is active.
+
+The App will run on `http://127.0.0.1:50505/#/` by default.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Common Issues
+
+#### Python Version Issues
+
+```bash
+# Check available Python versions
+python3 --version
+python3.12 --version
+
+# If python3.12 not found, install it:
+# Ubuntu: sudo apt install python3.12
+# macOS: brew install python@3.12
+# Windows: winget install Python.Python.3.12
+```
+
+#### Virtual Environment Issues
+
+```bash
+# Recreate virtual environment
+rm -rf .venv # Linux/macOS
+# or Remove-Item -Recurse .venv # Windows PowerShell
+
+uv venv .venv
+# Activate and reinstall
+source .venv/bin/activate # Linux/macOS
+# or .\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 # Windows
+uv sync --python 3.12
+```
+
+#### Permission Issues (Linux/macOS)
+
+```bash
+# Fix ownership of files
+sudo chown -R $USER:$USER .
+
+# Fix uv permissions
+chmod +x ~/.local/bin/uv
+```
+
+#### Windows-Specific Issues
+
+```powershell
+# PowerShell execution policy
+Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
+
+# Long path support (Windows 10 1607+, run as Administrator)
+New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" -Name "LongPathsEnabled" -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD -Force
+
+# SSL certificate issues
+pip install --trusted-host pypi.org --trusted-host pypi.python.org --trusted-host files.pythonhosted.org uv
+```
+
+### Azure Authentication Issues
+
+```bash
+# Login to Azure CLI
+az login
+
+# Set subscription
+az account set --subscription "your-subscription-id"
+
+# Test authentication
+az account show
+```
+
+### Environment Variable Issues
+
+```bash
+# Check environment variables are loaded
+env | grep AZURE # Linux/macOS
+Get-ChildItem Env:AZURE* # Windows PowerShell
+
+# Validate .env file format
+cat .env | grep -v '^#' | grep '=' # Should show key=value pairs
+```
+
+## Related Documentation
+
+- [Deployment Guide](DeploymentGuide.md) - Instructions for production deployment.
+- [Delete Resource Group](DeleteResourceGroup.md) - Steps to safely delete the Azure resource group created for the solution.
+- [App Authentication Setup](AppAuthentication.md) - Guide to configure application authentication and add support for additional platforms.
+- [Powershell Setup](PowershellSetup.md) - Instructions for setting up PowerShell and required scripts.
+- [Quota Check](QuotaCheck.md) - Steps to verify Azure quotas and ensure required limits before deployment.
\ No newline at end of file