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

# Quickstart

> Get your first AI agent up and running in 5 minutes

## Create Your First AI Agent

Follow these steps to set up your SmartAlex AI voice agent.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign Up">
    Create your SmartAlex account at [getsmartalex.com/instant](https://getsmartalex.com/instant).

    New accounts start with a **7-day free trial** with full access to all features.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete Setup Checklist">
    After signing in, the setup checklist on your dashboard tracks the essentials:

    1. Create your AI agent
    2. Test your agent
    3. Connect a phone number
    4. Import your contacts
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Your AI Agent">
    Open the agent studio and click **Create Agent**. You'll choose between two creation paths:

    * **Standard** *(recommended)*, paste your website URL and SmartAlex auto-builds an agent trained on your business in under 60 seconds.
    * **Advanced**, step-by-step wizard with full control over voice, identity, tools, and detailed settings.

    For multi-agent setups (e.g. a router plus specialists), use **Squad Architect**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get a Phone Number">
    Go to **Phone Numbers** and click **Buy New**:

    * Select your country (US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, or South Africa)
    * Pick from available local, mobile, or toll-free numbers
    * Numbers are **from \$2/month** plus per-minute usage
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test Your Agent">
    Use the **Quick Test** button on any agent to have a conversation before going live. This uses web calling so you can test without a phone.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Understanding Call Types

SmartAlex handles three types of calls:

| Type          | Description                            | Cost             |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| **Inbound**   | Someone calls your SmartAlex number    | \~\$0.05/min avg |
| **Web Calls** | Click-to-call from your website widget | \~\$0.05/min avg |
| **Outbound**  | Your agent calls a contact (campaigns) | \~\$0.05/min avg |

## What's Next?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configure Your Agent" href="/essentials/agents">
    Add knowledge base, custom instructions, and multiple languages.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run a Campaign" href="/essentials/campaigns">
    Set up outbound calling campaigns with automatic retries.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add a Website Widget" href="/essentials/widgets">
    Let website visitors call your agent with one click.
  </Card>

  <Card title="View Analytics" href="/essentials/analytics">
    Track call performance, sentiment, and costs.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  **Need help?** Contact us at [support@getsmartalex.com](mailto:support@getsmartalex.com)
</Note>