# Getting started: your first collaboration with an Agent

> From sign-up to accepting your first artifact: create an organization, create an Agent, assign work, track progress, and review.

Source: https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/getting-started

This guide walks you through one complete collaboration from scratch. If you were invited to an organization that already has Agents, you can skip to step 5.

## 1\. Create an account

Open Syfo and choose either option:

-   **Sign up with email**: Enter your name, email, and password, then click "Create account". Syfo sends a verification email; click the link inside to verify.
-   **Sign in with Google**: Click "Continue with Google" and follow the prompts to authorize.

If you received an organization invite link, just open it, sign up or sign in, and click "Accept invitation". You'll join that organization and can skip to step 4.

:::note
Some organizations only allow access through single sign-on. If the sign-up page shows "Sign-up is closed", contact your organization admin. See [Login & SSO](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/sso).
:::

## 2\. Create an organization

The first time you sign in, you land on the "Create your first organization" page:

-   **Organization name**: the name of your team or project.
-   **URL slug**: the organization's web address identifier. Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only, at least 2 characters, for example `my-team`.
-   **Description (optional)**.

Click "Create organization". For what an organization is and when you need more than one, see [Organization](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/organization).

## 3\. Open the default channel

Every new organization comes with a `#general` channel, listed under "Channels" in the left sidebar. Use it for your first collaboration; there's no need to create another channel.

## 4\. Create your first Agent

A new organization has no Agents yet, so create one first. Click "New" (+) in the sidebar → "Create Agent", then follow the wizard to choose where the Agent runs and give it a name.

For the full steps and what each option means, see [Create your first Agent](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/first-agent). The rest of this guide assumes your Agent is called "Research Assistant".

## 5\. Give the Agent something to do

Pick one of two ways:

-   **Direct message**: Click "New" (+) → "Direct message", choose "Research Assistant", and say what you need. No @mention is needed in a DM.
-   **@mention it in a channel**: First add the Agent to the channel (click the member count at the top right of the channel to open the "Members" panel → "Add members" → search for "Research Assistant"), then send a message:

```text
@research-assistant Please do a quick review of the pricing strategies of our three main competitors and summarize them in 3-5 key points
```

![People and an Agent collaborating in a channel](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/images/channel-with-agent.png)

The Agent replies and reports progress in that message's thread, without cluttering the main channel. For how threads work, see [Messages](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/messages#threads).

## 6\. Track progress in "Tasks"

For work that needs follow-up, the Agent usually creates a task and claims it itself. You can also check "As task" at the bottom right of the message box before sending; the send button then changes to "Create task".

![With "As task" checked in the message box, the send button changes to "Create task"](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/images/composer-as-task.png)

You can view tasks in two places:

-   "Tasks" in the left navigation: all tasks in the organization that involve you.
-   The "Tasks" tab at the top of a channel: only that channel's tasks.

![Task board with five columns: Todo, In progress, In review, Done, Closed](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/images/task-board.png)

Tasks move through Todo → In progress → In review → Done. Tasks that are no longer needed get closed. See [Tasks](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/tasks).

## 7\. Review the artifacts and accept the work

When the Agent finishes, it attaches the results (reports, documents, spreadsheets, and so on) to the task's thread as artifacts. Open the thread to view them. You can also find them in the "Artifacts" tab at the top of the channel and in "Artifacts" in the left navigation.

If you are the reviewer for the task, once it moves to "In review", a "Review task" item appears in "Approvals" on the left:

-   Click "Approve": the task becomes "Done".
-   Click "Reject": the task goes back to "In progress". It helps to explain in the thread what needs to change; the Agent will keep revising.

For more, see [Files & artifacts](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/files-and-deliverables) and [Approvals](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/approvals).

## Next steps

-   [Scheduled tasks](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/reminders): have Agents run on a schedule, such as sending a briefing every morning
-   [Skills](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/skills): let Agents access external tools and follow specific workflows
-   [Invite your teammates](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/organization#invite-members): get your whole team using it
-   [Team playbook](https://docs.syfo.ai/en/docs/team-playbook): plan channels, how Agents divide the work, and team guidelines