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When you sign in to Selah for the first time, you’ll go through a short four-step setup. Each step takes about thirty seconds, and every question is optional — you can skip anything you’d rather not answer now and change it from settings later. By the end, the AI companion will already know something about you, and your first thought will be waiting in the Stream.
1

Tell Selah how you use scripture

The first step asks one question: how do you mostly engage with Scripture right now?Choose the option that best describes you:
  • Pastor — preparing sermons week after week
  • Small group leader — leading a regular study with others
  • Serious student — studying scripture deeply for yourself
  • Devoted disciple — reading, reflecting, and growing in your daily walk with God
This helps the companion understand your context from the very first conversation. If none of the options fit, hit Skip — you can set your role later in account settings.
2

Tune your companion

The second step lets you share a few optional details so the companion can meet you where you are.Bible translation — select the translation you read most often. Selah defaults to the ESV, but you can switch to NIV, NLT, KJV, NASB, CSB, NRSV, The Message, or mark it as another translation.
Setting your preferred translation here means the companion will reference and quote scripture in the version you actually read. You can update it any time in Bible translation settings.
Theological tradition — optionally pick up to two traditions that shape how you read and teach. Options include Reformed, Wesleyan/Methodist, Pentecostal/Charismatic, Baptist, Anglican/Episcopal, Lutheran, Catholic, Orthodox, Non-denominational, and others. Picking two lets Selah handle blended backgrounds (like Reformed Baptist) without pushing you toward contradictory content.All of these choices are optional. Hit Skip all if you’d rather jump ahead.
3

Set a rhythm for your week

This step lets you set up two optional features: a daily devotional and companion check-ins. Both are delivered through Telegram, so connecting your account here unlocks them right away.Toggle Daily devotional on to enable it, then choose:
  • Delivery time — the hour each morning you’d like to receive it (in your local timezone, detected automatically)
  • Your week closes on — the day your weekly reflection lands, drawing the week’s study to a close. The morning after opens a new theme.
Below the devotional card, you’ll see an option to connect Telegram. If you link your account, you can receive the devotional in Telegram, capture thoughts on the go, and access the companion from your phone without opening a browser.Once Telegram is connected, a Companion check-ins toggle appears inline. When enabled, Selah sends you brief nudges via Telegram when something in your notes or prayers deserves attention — a stalled note, a thematic connection, or a prayer worth revisiting. You can enable check-ins here during onboarding instead of finding them later in settings.
If you skip this step, you can always connect Telegram and enable both the devotional and check-ins later from account settings. Check-ins are also configurable from the proactive check-ins section of the companion docs.
Everything on this step is optional. Hit Skip for now to move on.
4

Drop your first thought

The final step shows you a sample companion exchange so you can see how Selah studies with you. Notice that the companion doesn’t lecture — it asks questions and lets you do the thinking.Below the sample, there’s a text field where you can drop your own first thought before you enter the app. Type a scripture reference (like Romans 8:28) and any observation or question you have about it. Selah will recognize the reference automatically and save it to your Stream.This is optional too — if you’re ready to explore, click Enter Selah and you’ll land on the home screen with your workspace ready.

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What happens after onboarding

Once you complete setup, Selah seeds the companion’s memory with your answers — role, translation, and tradition. That means from your very first conversation, the companion already has real context instead of starting cold. If you typed a thought in the last step, it’s waiting in your Stream. Open the companion and start asking questions about it, or head to Notes and begin building out a study.
You can revisit and change any of your onboarding choices at any time from account settings, including your Bible translation, role, and devotional schedule.