This guide walks through account creation, login, API-key setup, and first-run checks so you can start testing email workflows quickly.

## Before you start

Have these ready:

- an email address you can access immediately
- a password manager (recommended)
- your target environment (`local`, `staging`, or `ci`)

Go to the signup page: [app.mailslurp.com/sign-up](https://app.mailslurp.com/sign-up/).

## Step 1: Create your account

Enter your name, email, and password, then submit the form.

![MailSlurp signup form](/assets/app/sign-up/sign-up-filled.png)

Tips:

- use a team-owned email for shared environments
- keep personal and production workspaces separate
- prefer unique passwords and MFA where available

## Step 2: Confirm your email address

MailSlurp sends a confirmation link or code to the address you entered.

- open the message and click the link, or
- copy the code into the confirmation field

![MailSlurp email confirmation](/assets/app/sign-up/confirm.png)

If the message does not arrive, check spam/quarantine first and then retry from the signup flow.

## Step 3: Log in

After verification, sign in at [app.mailslurp.com/login](https://app.mailslurp.com/login/).

![MailSlurp login screen](/assets/app/sign-up/login-filled.png)

## Step 4: Create your first API key

From settings, generate an API key for your environment. Keep separate keys for local development, CI, and production workloads.

Settings page: [app.mailslurp.com/settings](https://app.mailslurp.com/settings/)

Operational guidance:

- rotate keys on a schedule
- do not commit keys to source control
- inject keys via environment variables in CI

## Step 5: Run a first-run validation

Use your API key to create an inbox and confirm your account is ready for automation.

Suggested path:

1. Create an inbox via dashboard or API.
2. Send a test message to that inbox.
3. Fetch the received message with an SDK or REST call.

If you want a complete walkthrough, continue with [getting started](/guides/getting-started/) and [receive emails in code](/about/receive-emails-in-code/).

## Common setup issues

### "I didn't get the verification email"

- check spam/junk and organization quarantine
- verify you entered the email correctly
- resend verification from signup

### "I can log in but API calls fail"

- confirm the key is copied correctly (no extra spaces)
- verify the key is being read by your runtime environment
- test a simple endpoint before full test-suite integration

### "Team members cannot access shared workflows"

- confirm workspace membership and roles
- use separate keys per service, not one shared personal key
- document key ownership for audits and rotations

## Next steps

After account setup, move to one of these:

- [create test inboxes](/guides/creating-inboxes/)
- [send and receive email in tests](/guides/send-and-receive-email/)
- [email testing strategy](/guides/email-testing/)