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

# Getting Started

> How to configure Parlel for your company — from first login to first live conversation.

## Overview

Getting Parlel up and running takes four steps: connect your integration, build your knowledge base, configure authentication, and define your actions. Most companies are live within a day.

This guide walks through each step in the right order. Some steps have dependencies — actions require integrations to be configured first, journeys require actions to be defined first.

## Prerequisites

Before you start, you'll need:

* Access to the Parlel portal at [parlel.ai/portal](https://parlel.ai/portal)
* Admin credentials for the backend systems you want to connect (CRM, billing, support platform)
* Your company's knowledge content — product documentation, policies, FAQs — in any common format

## Setup sequence

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect your integration">
    Start in **Settings → Integrations**. Connect your CRM or backend system. Parlel needs at least one integration to look up customer data and execute actions.

    See [Integrations](/integrations/integrations) for connector setup guides.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build your knowledge base">
    Go to **Knowledge** in the portal. Upload your product documentation, policies, pricing, and FAQs. Parlel processes and indexes your content automatically.

    See [Knowledge Base](/knowledge/knowledge-base) for guidance on structuring content for best results.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure authentication">
    Go to **Authentication** in the portal. Define which authentication tier is required for each type of customer interaction.

    See [Authentication](/authentication/authentication) for the tier model and configuration options.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Define your actions">
    Go to **Actions** in the portal. Define what customers can do — update a subscription, change contact details, raise a support request.

    See [Actions](/actions/actions) for flow configuration.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test a conversation">
    Use the Parlel native chat interface to run through a test conversation as a customer. Verify that knowledge retrieval is accurate, authentication prompts appear at the right moment, and actions execute correctly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go live">
    Once testing passes, your AI interface integration — ChatGPT Custom GPT, Claude MCP, or parlel.ai native — is ready for real customers.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What to configure next

Once the basics are running, explore:

* [Journeys](/journeys/journeys) — structure multi-step customer conversations
* [Commercial Rules](/commercial/commercial-rules) — add campaigns and mandates
* [Fallback Flows](/fallbacks/fallback-flows) — define escalation behaviour