# Quickstart

> Create a workspace, connect a channel and schedule your first post.

This takes about five minutes. You need an account on at least one of the networks Orbitwrite
[supports](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/platforms).

### 1. Create your workspace

[Sign up](https://orbitwrite.com/signup) and answer the setup questions:

- **Who is this for?** Choose **Just me** for your own accounts, or **My team** to invite people now. You can create a
  team workspace later either way.
- **Your goals** tune the suggestions you see. Pick as many as apply.

### 2. Connect a channel

On the **Connect your accounts** step (or later, under **Settings → Channels**), pick a network and sign in to it.
Orbitwrite asks the network for permission to publish on your behalf; it never sees your password.

Connect as many as your plan allows. The first one you connect becomes your **primary** channel: when you write a
post for several channels, the others copy its text until you change them.

See [Connect a channel](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/channels/connect) for what each network needs, such as a Business or Creator account
on Instagram.

### 3. Set your posting schedule

Choose how often you want to post each week, then **Set smart schedule** to create posting slots at times that tend
to work for each network, or pick the times yourself. Slots are the times the queue fills; you can always post at
any other time too. You can change them at any point in [Posting schedule](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/channels/posting-schedule).

### 4. Pick a tone

Choose the tone Orb, the AI assistant, writes in. It learns more from the posts you publish, and you can refine it in
[Brand voice](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/workspace/brand-voice).

The last step is choosing a plan. Every plan starts with a [10-day free trial](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/workspace/billing), and you
won't be charged until it ends.

### 5. Write and schedule a post

Click **New post** in the sidebar.

1. Pick the channels it goes to in the account row at the top.
2. Write the post. The counter under each channel shows how much room is left on that network.
3. Open **Preview** in the right rail to see it the way each network will show it.
4. Choose **Schedule**, then **Next slot** to drop it into the next free posting slot, **Best time** for the
   strongest time in the coming days, or **Custom** to pick a date and time.

The post appears on your [Schedule](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/scheduling/schedule-and-planner) and publishes on its own. You'll see it
move to **Posted** with a link to the live post once the network has taken it.

## Next steps

- [Cross-post with per-channel copy](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/composer/cross-posting)
- [Invite your team](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/collaboration/team-and-roles)
- [Set up approvals](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/collaboration/approvals)
- [Connect Claude or ChatGPT](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/developers/mcp)