> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://shapesinc-4644c49f-cursor-docs-product-refresh-1067.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Go from zero to your first group chat with AI and a friend in a few minutes. Find a Shape, start talking, and bring people in. No setup required.

The whole point of Shapes is AI you experience *with other people*. This quickstart gets you there fast: first a chat with a Shape, then a group chat with a friend in it. A few minutes, no setup.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign up for free">
    Make an account at [shapes.inc](https://shapes.inc) or get the [iOS or Android app](https://shapes.inc). No card. No limits to start.

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/shapesinc-4644c49f-cursor-docs-product-refresh-1067/oEt_jCBwLeX2n_4G/images/signin.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=oEt_jCBwLeX2n_4G&q=85&s=29935b040608ecba5969d8abe177a7ca" alt="Sign in to Shapes" width="714" height="784" data-path="images/signin.png" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find a Shape you like">
    Search by name, browse a category, or just type a vibe like "grumpy chef" or "study buddy." Every Shape is an AI character someone made, with its own personality, memory, and voice.

    New to browsing? See [How to find and talk to Shapes](/how-to-talk-to-shapes).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start talking">
    Open a Shape and type. Try a voice note, send it a picture, or ask it to `/imagine` something. This is your own private space to get a feel for it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make it a group chat">
    This is the part you can't do anywhere else. Open the sidebar, tap **New Chat**, and add a Shape *and* a friend. Now you're all in the same chat: people and AI together.

    Full walkthrough: [Create an AI group chat](/create-a-chat).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Invite a friend">
    Open the chat menu, tap **Invite Friends**, and share the link. When they join, the Shape talks to all of you and remembers what happens.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Two ways in

Most people start one of two ways. Pick yours.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="I just want to chat" icon="comments" href="/how-to-talk-to-shapes">
    Find a Shape, start talking, and pull your friends into a group chat. No building required.
  </Card>

  <Card title="I want to make my own AI" icon="shapes" href="/how-to-make-a-shape">
    Give an AI character its own personality, knowledge, and voice, then bring it into a chat.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## A few things to know on day one

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="You can add up to five Shapes to a chat" icon="user-group">
    A chat can hold people, Shapes, or both. Turn on up to five Shapes in one chat and the active ones reply in turn. Want just one to answer? `@mention` it. More in [AI Group Chats](/ai-group-chats).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="300+ AI models, most of them free" icon="microchip">
    Every Shape runs on a model: Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, and many more. Most cost nothing. The best ones use [Shape Credits](/credits), which you can buy or earn free through [rewards](/rewards). A free model is always available, so you never have to pay to keep chatting.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Shapes do more than talk" icon="wrench">
    They send voice messages, make images, read PDFs, search the web, and remember you. See the full list in [What Shapes Can Do](/capabilities).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Quick commands" icon="terminal">
    Type `/` in any chat to see commands. `/imagine` makes an image, `/web` searches the web, `/activate` makes a Shape respond to everything. Full list in the [Commands Reference](/commands).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Your path from here

You've talked to a Shape and started a group chat. Here's the rest of the road, from curious newcomer to power creator. Follow it in order and you won't get lost.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Understand how it all fits">
    A five-minute read on the building blocks: [How Shapes Works](/core-concepts).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make your first Shape">
    Give an AI its own personality and voice: [Make Your First Shape](/how-to-make-a-shape).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make it genuinely great">
    The flagship craft guide: [Designing Great Shapes](/designing-shapes), plus [Prompt Engineering](/prompt-engineering).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Steal a head start">
    Copy a complete, ready-to-tweak config from the [Showcase](/showcase).
  </Step>
</Steps>

[Open Shapes and start](https://shapes.inc)