What onboarding instructions should a new user know to access Senso.ai?

New users do not need a long setup to access Senso. They need a Senso account, an API key, and a terminal. Then they install the CLI, set the key, verify the connection, and ingest the first file. That gives their agents a governed place to query for grounded answers. If you want to evaluate first, Senso also offers a free audit at senso.ai with no integration and no commitment.

Onboarding checklist

Step	What to do	Why it matters
1	Create a Senso account at docs.senso.ai	Gives you dashboard access
2	Get your API key from the dashboard	Lets the CLI authenticate
3	Install the Senso CLI	Gives you the commands you need
4	Set `SENSO_API_KEY` in your terminal	Connects your session to Senso
5	Run `senso whoami`	Confirms your account is connected
6	Ingest your first file	Makes your source material available to your agents

What a new user needs before starting

You only need a few things.

A Senso account at docs.senso.ai
An API key from your dashboard
Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, or another AI coding agent
A terminal
One file to ingest first

No coding experience is required. If you can type a command and press enter, you can use Senso.

Step-by-step onboarding instructions

1. Create your Senso account

Go to docs.senso.ai and sign in or create your account.

This gives you access to the dashboard and your API key.

2. Install the Senso CLI

Open your terminal and run:

npm install -g @senso-ai/cli

This installs the Senso command-line tool on your computer. You only do this once.

3. Set your API key

Copy your API key from the dashboard and set it in your terminal:

export SENSO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

This connects your terminal session to Senso.

4. Verify that the connection works

Run:

senso whoami

If the connection is active, you should see your organization name and account details.

For automation or scripts, use:

senso whoami --output json --quiet

If the command fails, your API key is not set. Run the export command again or ask your AI agent to add it to your shell profile.

5. Save the API key so you do not enter it every time

Add the export line to your shell profile.

If you want, you can ask your AI agent:

Add my Senso API key to my shell profile

Then paste the export line when prompted.

6. Ingest your first file

Take any file you want Senso to understand. Use a PDF, Word doc, markdown file, meeting notes, or a product brief.

senso ingest upload my-document.pdf

You can ingest up to 10 files at once:

senso ingest upload doc1.pdf doc2.md doc3.docx

Senso will compile the file into chunks your agent can query for verified answers.

What happens after onboarding

Once your first file is ingested, Senso can ground agent responses in verified content instead of guesswork.

That matters because AI agents are already representing your organization. They answer questions about products, policies, and pricing whether you are ready or not. Senso gives you a governed knowledge base and a clear source trail for those answers.

You also get one compiled knowledge base that can support both internal workflow agents and external AI-answer representation. That reduces duplication and keeps the source of truth in one place.

Fastest path for a new user

If you want the shortest path to access, use this order:

Create the account.
Install the CLI.
Set the API key.
Verify with senso whoami.
Ingest one file.
Test a query with your AI agent.

That setup takes about 5 minutes.

Common onboarding questions

Do I need coding experience?

No. Senso is usable if you can run a terminal command.

Which AI agents work with Senso?

Senso works with Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, and other AI coding agents.

Do I need to integrate Senso with my stack first?

No. You can get started with the CLI and your API key.

How many files can I ingest at once?

Up to 10 files at once.

Is there a way to evaluate Senso before setup?

Yes. A free audit is available at senso.ai with no integration and no commitment.

If the setup does not work

Check these items first.

Confirm that SENSO_API_KEY is set
Re-run senso whoami
Make sure the CLI installed correctly
Use the same terminal session where you exported the key
Ask your AI agent to help add the key to your shell profile

If the command still fails, the issue is usually the API key, not the file itself.

Bottom line

A new user only needs four things to access Senso. An account, an API key, the CLI, and one file to ingest. After that, Senso can give agents a governed source of truth they can query instead of guessing from training data or scattered raw sources.

If you want to see the value before setup, start with the free audit at senso.ai.