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

# Quickstart: Get up and running with Selah in minutes

> Sign up, complete onboarding, and make your first capture, note, and Companion conversation in Selah — all in under five minutes of setup.

Selah is a Bible study and teaching workspace built for anyone who opens the Bible with purpose — pastors preparing sermons, small group leaders, and disciples devoted to personal study and growth. This guide walks you through creating your account and touching each core feature so you can see how everything connects. You'll be up and running in under five minutes.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create your account">
    Selah is currently invite-only. If you don't have a code yet, [join the waitlist](/account/waitlist-and-invite) from the landing page — you'll receive one by email when a spot opens.

    Sign-up is three quick steps:

    1. **Enter your invite code** — paste the `SELAH-XXXX` code from your invite email (or use the direct link, which pre-fills it).
    2. **Set your email and password** — choose a password of at least 8 characters.
    3. **Verify your email** — enter the 6-digit code Selah sends to your inbox.

    Once verified, you'll land directly in the onboarding flow — no dashboard detour.

    Already have an account? The sign-in page supports Google OAuth and email with password.

    <Note>
      If you're coming from Telegram, add `?via=telegram` to the sign-up URL or follow the link your bot provides. Selah will detect this and link your Telegram account automatically after sign-in.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete onboarding">
    Onboarding is four short steps. Selah uses your answers to tune the Companion's voice and defaults — nothing here locks you in permanently.

    **Step 1 — Your role.** Choose how you primarily use scripture:

    * **Pastor** — preparing sermons week after week
    * **Small group leader** — leading a regular study with others
    * **Serious student** — going deep in scripture for yourself
    * **Personal study** — reading and reflecting on your own

    **Step 2 — Tune your Companion.** Pick your preferred Bible translation (ESV is pre-selected) and up to two theological traditions. The Companion uses these to stay in your lane rather than pushing contradictory frameworks.

    **Step 3 — Set a daily rhythm.** Optionally turn on a daily devotional — a short verse and reflection each morning, shaped by what you've been studying. You can also connect Telegram here to capture thoughts on the go.

    **Step 4 — Your first thought.** Type a scripture reference or observation to save as your very first capture, then click **Enter Selah**.

    <Tip>
      Every onboarding step has a **Skip** option. You can update all of these preferences later from your account settings.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make your first capture">
    Navigate to **Capture** in the sidebar (or press `N` anywhere in the app).

    Type any thought, observation, or question that comes to mind as you study — then press **Enter** to save it. Captures are intentionally low-friction: no titles, no formatting, just the raw thought.

    **Scripture auto-detection:** If you type a reference like `John 3:16` or `Romans 8:28`, Selah automatically recognizes it and turns it into an expandable scripture pill. You don't need to do anything special — just write naturally.

    <Tip>
      Think of Capture like a journal you write in real time. You can always promote a capture into a full note later.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write your first note">
    Navigate to **Notes** and click **+ New Note** (or press `N`).

    Notes use a Notion-style editor: click anywhere and start writing. To see what's available, type `/` on a blank line to open the slash command menu. Some commands to try:

    * `/scripture` — embed a verse inline. Type the reference and the verse text drops right into your note.
    * `/prep` — start a teaching prep block
    * `/thread` — mark a line as a thread to explore further

    Notes move through stages as your thinking matures: **Capture → Studying → Done**. You can change the stage from the note header at any time.

    <Note>
      The filter tabs at the top of the Notes list let you see all notes, or narrow by stage (Capture, Studying, Done) or type (Threads, Prep, Teaching).
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ask the Companion a question">
    Navigate to **Companion** in the sidebar.

    Type a question about a passage you're studying and press **Enter**. Selah won't lecture you — it asks questions back to help you surface what you already know. The insight belongs to you, and you can save it to your notes in your own words. This works whether you're building toward a teaching or simply spending time with a passage.

    **Slash commands to try:**

    * `/prep` — starts a structured sermon or teaching prep session. Selah interviews you about your passage, then assembles a formatted prep note when you're ready.
    * `/interview` — opens a Socratic deep-dive. Selah asks questions to help you think through a text more carefully.
    * `/pray` — logs a prayer to your Prayer Board.
    * `/reflect` — surfaces weekly themes from your recent captures and notes.

    You can also **attach captures or notes** to any message using the paperclip icon, giving the Companion direct context from your study material.

    <Tip>
      After a `/prep` session, Selah can optionally enrich your draft with historical context, word studies, and cross-references before saving it as a note.
    </Tip>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Capture" icon="pen-to-square" href="/features/capture">
    Learn how scripture auto-detection works, how to promote captures to notes, and how to use Capture on the go via Telegram.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Notes" icon="book-open" href="/features/notes">
    Explore the full editor, all slash commands, note types, and how notes flow from raw capture to finished teaching point.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Companion" icon="comments" href="/features/companion">
    Go deeper with `/prep`, `/interview`, and attaching your study material as context for richer conversations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prayer Board" icon="hands-praying" href="/features/prayer-board">
    Track active, waiting, answered, and ongoing prayers with a drag-and-drop Kanban board.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Knowledge Graph" icon="diagram-project" href="/features/knowledge-graph">
    See the theological concepts, people, places, and doctrines Selah automatically extracts from your notes and captures.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Telegram integration" icon="paper-plane" href="/integrations/telegram">
    Link your Selah account to Telegram to capture thoughts, chat with the Companion, and receive your daily devotional in chat.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>