> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dataerai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Quickstart
> Sign in to Dataerai, create a project, upload your first dataset, and share it with your team — in a few minutes.
Use this guide to go from a new account to a shared dataset in a few minutes.
You'll do four things:
* Sign in.
* Create a project.
* Upload a file.
* Share it with another person or group.
For the background concepts, see [Key concepts](/get-started/key-concepts).
## Before you begin
You'll need:
* A Dataerai account with an allocation.
* A data file to upload. Anything works for this walkthrough — a CSV, an image, or an instrument output file.
Your allocation gives you access to Dataerai resources. If you don't have one yet, ask your Dataerai administrator.
## Sign in
Open your Dataerai site and go to **Sign up**. Create an account with your **name**, **email**, and a **password**, or choose **Continue with Globus** to sign in through a trusted identity provider, such as your university or Google.
If you created a Dataerai email/password account, Dataerai emails you a verification link. Open it to activate your account, then sign in. Email verification is only required for Dataerai email/password accounts, not Globus sign-in.
## Create a project
A **project** is a workspace for a study, grant, or effort. It holds your data and controls who can see it.
From the main view, click **New project**.
Give it a **Name** and an optional **Description**, then click **Create**. You become the project's **Admin**, so you can invite others and manage access.
You can make a project publicly readable at creation time, or keep it private and share it selectively later. See [Sharing and permissions](/sharing/permissions).
## Upload your first dataset
Each piece of data in Dataerai is an **asset** — a file (or bundle of files) plus its metadata. The fastest way to add one is to upload it in the browser.
Inside your project, click **Upload** — or drag a file directly onto the page.
Give the asset a title and any **tags**. If Dataerai recognizes the file format, it shows a **metadata preview** with fields extracted from the file, which you can review before uploading.
Start the upload. Progress is shown live, and the asset becomes available as soon as the transfer finishes.
Moving many files or very large datasets? Use the high-throughput, resumable [desktop app and CLI](/data/desktop-and-cli) instead of the browser.
## Share it
Sharing is controlled per object using three roles:
| Role | What it allows |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| **Read** | View metadata, content, and notes |
| **Write** | Read, plus edit metadata, content, and notes |
| **Admin** | Write, plus share the object with others |
Where you set access depends on the object:
* **Asset** — select it, then click **Permissions** in the action bar that appears (or right-click and choose **Permissions**). The action bar only shows up once an asset is selected.
* **Project** or **collection** — select it, then open its settings from the side panel (the gear button) and use the **Permissions** section in the dialog.
Add a person or a **group** and choose **Read**, **Write**, or **Admin**. To share with anyone who has the link, turn on **Make publicly available** — public access is always read-only, and any signed-in user with the link can view.
## Next steps
How organizations, projects, collections, assets, and datasets fit together.
Browser uploads, metadata extraction, and the desktop app and CLI.
Group data into collections and add notes and provenance.
Roles, groups, and public links.