# Quickstart: your first 15 minutes

> Seven steps from sign-up to your AI agent answering a real customer, in order, with what to check after each one.

Source: https://waslo.io/docs/quickstart · Last updated: 2026-10-12

Follow these steps in order. Each one ends with a check, so you know it worked before you move on. You can stop after any step: the dashboard remembers what is still missing.

**What you need:** your phone with WhatsApp (or access to the Instagram, Messenger, Telegram or Outlook account you want to connect), and one document that answers your customers' usual questions: a price list, a services page, an FAQ.

## 1. Create your account (1 minute)

1. Go to [waslo.io/sign-up](https://waslo.io/sign-up). With **Google** it is one click and there is no email to confirm.

2. Or enter your name, email and a password (at least 8 characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter and a number). The invitation code field is optional; leave it empty.

3. If you used email, open the verification link we send you (check spam too), then sign in.

**Check:** you land in the setup wizard. Your workspace already holds **75 free credits**. No card is needed.

## 2. Tell Waslo about your business (1 minute)

The first wizard step asks your industry and what the agent should do first: book appointments, sell products, sort your leads, handle support questions and more. Waslo picks a starting prompt for your industry from that.

**Check:** the next step shows the channels you can connect.

## 3. Connect your first channel (2 minutes)

Most businesses start with WhatsApp:

1. Choose **WhatsApp** and wait for the QR code.
2. On your phone, open WhatsApp → **Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device**.
3. Scan the code.

**Check:** the number card says **Connected**. A large account first shows *Syncing with WhatsApp*; leave the phone linked until that clears. Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, Outlook and the website chat widget connect from the same step. See [Connecting channels](/docs/connecting-channels).

## 4. Give your agent its facts (5 minutes)

This is the step that decides how good the answers are.

1. **Prompt.** The starting prompt has blanks in square brackets, such as your business name and opening hours. Fill every one; Waslo will not save a prompt that still has a blank in it, because the agent would otherwise invent the answer.
2. **Knowledge base.** Upload your price list, menu, services page or FAQ (PDF, Word, text or CSV). Waslo reads it and answers from it. See [Knowledge base](/docs/knowledge-base).
3. **Catalog (optional).** If you sell products, add them with prices and photos so the agent can send them. See [Product catalog](/docs/product-catalog).

**Check:** the knowledge base shows your document as **Ready**.

## 5. Test it in the sandbox (3 minutes)

Beside your setup there is a live sandbox. Ask it what your customers ask:

- "How much is …?"
- "Are you open on Friday?"
- A question your document does not answer.

The last one matters most: a good agent says it will check with the team instead of guessing. If an answer is wrong, fix the prompt or the document, not the question.

**Check:** three test questions answered correctly.

## 6. Choose where alerts reach you (1 minute)

Pick where Waslo tells you about a hot lead or a customer asking for a person: email, WhatsApp or Telegram. See [Operator alerts](/docs/operator-alerts).

**Check:** the wizard's last screen lists what is set up and what is still missing.

## 7. Send yourself a real message (2 minutes)

From a different phone, message the number you connected the way a customer would. Then open **Inbox** in the dashboard.

**Check:** the conversation appears with the agent's reply. Click **Why this reply?** under the answer to see which document it used. See [Why this reply?](/docs/why-this-reply).

## What it costs from here

On pay-as-you-go a text reply costs 1 credit (2 once a product catalog or calendar is on), so your 75 free credits cover about 75 replies, or about 37 with a catalog or calendar. When you are ready, buy a credit pack, or move to Growth for unlimited replies. See [Billing and plans](/docs/billing-and-plans).

## Next steps

- [Hand a conversation to a person](/docs/human-handoff) when the customer asks for one
- [Leads and classification](/docs/lead-management): which conversations are hot
- [Industry playbooks](/docs/clinic-playbook): ready-made setups for clinics, real estate, restaurants, salons, gyms and hotels