> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.harmonica.chat/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Get started with Harmonica in minutes

## Welcome to Harmonica!

This quick guide will help you get started whether you're creating a session or participating in one.

## Are you a participant or host?

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="I'm a participant" icon="users" href="/guides/participants/participating-in-sessions">
    Learn how to join a session and contribute to discussions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="I'm creating a session" icon="user-gear" href="/guides/hosts/creating-sessions">
    Learn how to create sessions, invite participants, and manage results.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Quick start for participants

<Steps>
  <Step title="Receive an invitation">
    You'll receive an invitation link to join a Harmonica session. This may come via email, message, or shared link.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the invitation link">
    Open the link in your browser. You may need to sign in or create an account if you don't have one yet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start your conversation">
    Once in the session, you can start your guided conversation. Share your thoughts, answer questions, and contribute to the discussion.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review results">
    After the session, you can view summaries and insights generated from all participants' contributions.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Quick start for hosts

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in to Harmonica">
    Go to [app.harmonica.chat](https://app.harmonica.chat) and sign in to your account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a template or describe your goal">
    The fastest way to get started is to **pick a template** — browse options like Team Retrospective, Customer Discovery, or Community Feedback. Each template comes with a pre-configured facilitation prompt and session structure.

    Alternatively, type your objective into the "What do you want to find out?" field and Harmonica will generate a session for you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Design your session">
    Complete the multi-step form:

    * **Objective**: What are you trying to achieve?
    * **Critical to gather**: What information do you need from participants?
    * **Context**: Background information for the AI facilitator (optional)
    * **Session name**: A clear name for your session
  </Step>

  <Step title="Refine and configure">
    * Review and edit the AI-generated conversational guide — this is the prompt that shapes how the facilitator talks to participants
    * Configure pre-session questions (name, email, role, etc.) — all fields can be made optional for anonymous participation
    * Launch your session when ready
  </Step>

  <Step title="Distribute to participants">
    Share your session using any of these channels:

    * **Direct link** — copy the unique session URL
    * **QR code** — generate and share for in-person events
    * **Telegram** — distribute to a Telegram group via the Harmonica bot
    * **API / MCP** — programmatically distribute via the REST API or MCP server
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review results">
    As participants complete their conversations, Harmonica generates:

    * **AI summary** with key themes, perspectives, and areas of agreement or tension
    * **Individual conversation threads** — each participant's full dialogue
    * **Export to JSON** for further analysis or integration with other tools
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Participating in sessions" icon="users" href="/guides/participants/participating-in-sessions">
    Detailed guide for participants
  </Card>

  <Card title="Creating sessions" icon="user-gear" href="/guides/hosts/creating-sessions">
    Detailed guide for hosts
  </Card>

  <Card title="Managing projects" icon="folder" href="/guides/hosts/managing-projects">
    Learn about organizing sessions into projects
  </Card>

  <Card title="FAQ" icon="circle-question" href="/faq">
    Find answers to common questions
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Need help? Contact us at [hello@harmonica.chat](mailto:hello@harmonica.chat) or reach out on [Telegram](https://t.me/harmonica_support).
</Tip>