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

# Get Started with Parabola

> Start automating in minutes. Describe what you want to build, and Parabola's AI creates a workflow with inspectable steps you can refine and schedule.

You can go from signup to a working workflow in minutes. Here's the fastest path.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign up">
    [Create a free account](https://parabola.io/app/signup).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Describe what you want to automate">
    After signing up, you'll land in the workflow canvas. The Prowork chat panel is open. Describe the process you want to automate:

    `I get a CSV of orders from our warehouse every day. I need to match them against our Shopify orders, find anything that's missing, and send the exceptions to a Google Sheet.`

    Be specific about your data sources, what needs to happen, and where the results should go. See [Prowork Best Practices](/product/overview/best-practices) for tips on writing good descriptions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Answer follow-up questions">
    Prowork asks clarifying questions about your data and your process. Answer in plain language. These questions help Prowork build the right steps with the right logic.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the workflow">
    Prowork builds steps on the canvas. Click any step to see:

    * What operation it performs
    * The logic and configuration
    * A preview of the data at that stage

    If something's off, tell Prowork in the chat for corrections or clarifications.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect your data">
    Click on source steps to authenticate with your systems (Google Sheets, Shopify, NetSuite, email, etc.). Run the flow to see real results with your actual data.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Schedule it">
    Once the workflow produces correct results, set it to run automatically:

    * **Hourly, daily, or weekly** on a fixed schedule
    * **Triggered** by a new email, file, or webhook
    * **Manual** whenever you click "Run"
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Other ways to get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card icon="puzzle-piece" iconType="solid" href="/product/overview/use-cases" title="Start from a template">
    Browse the Use Case Library for pre-built workflows across operations, finance, and supply chain. Click any template to start with a working flow you can customize.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="books" iconType="solid" href="/parabola-university" title="Take Parabola University">
    Parabola University is a free, interactive course (\~1 hour) that covers the fundamentals: flows, steps, data sources, transformations, and scheduling. Available in tracks for general, finance, logistics, and brand operations.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Getting help

* **Prowork chat in-app:** Ask the chat panel questions about Parabola, your data, or your workflow at any time.
* **Email:** [help@parabola.io](mailto:help@parabola.io)
* **In-app chat:** Available on Business plans for real-time support.