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

# Getting Started as a Creator

> Set up your Anchors profile, build your media kit, and become discoverable to brands — in under 10 minutes.

Anchors helps you build a professional media kit, showcase your content performance, and get discovered by brands that are the right fit — all in one place.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Media Kit" icon="id-card" color="#E63946">
    A polished, shareable creator profile — built automatically from your LinkedIn data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Content Analytics" icon="chart-line" color="#E63946">
    Understand what's working with deep post-level performance insights.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Brand Discovery" icon="handshake" color="#E63946">
    Get found by brands actively searching for creators like you.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Phase 1 — Sign Up & Verify Identity

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="LinkedIn (Recommended)">
    Click **"For Influencers"** (top-right navbar) or **"Join Community"** (homepage center) to begin.

    On the login screen:

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Click 'Continue with LinkedIn'">
        The red button at the top of the right panel. This opens a LinkedIn OAuth window.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Authorize access">
        Sign in with your LinkedIn credentials. You'll be redirected back to Anchors automatically.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Confirm the welcome screen">
        You'll see a welcome card from the Anchors founder. Click **"Continue"** (bottom-right) to proceed.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Info>
      **Why LinkedIn?** Your LinkedIn data powers your entire creator profile — follower count, post analytics, engagement metrics. Connecting here means you skip manual data entry entirely and get a richer profile from day one.
    </Info>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Email">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Enter your email">
        Use the input field below the divider on the right panel.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify with a code">
        Click **"Send Verification Code"**, then enter the code from your inbox.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Confirm the welcome screen">
        Click **"Continue"** (bottom-right) on the welcome card to proceed.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Note>
      With email login, you'll need to connect LinkedIn or upload your analytics manually in a later step to populate your profile.
    </Note>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Phase 2 — Tell Us About Yourself

Anchors asks three quick questions to personalise your experience. None of these affect your profile — they help surface the right features for you.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Read about Anchors">
    A short context screen on why the platform exists. Click **"Continue"** when ready.
  </Step>

  <Step title="How did you find us?">
    Pick one: **LinkedIn · Community · Existing Creator · Personal Reachout · Search · Other**

    This helps us understand where our best creators come from. Click **"Continue"**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="What do you want to use most?">
    Select any **3** that resonate:

    **Community · Brand Collaborations · Media Kit · Free Tools · Collaborative Feed**

    Your selections shape which features are highlighted first in your dashboard. Click **"Continue"**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Phase 3 — Import Your Profile Data

This is the most consequential step. You're choosing how your creator profile gets populated.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Auto-Sync" icon="bolt" color="#E63946">
    **\~2 minutes.** Pulls your LinkedIn posts, stats, and profile automatically via a browser extension. Recommended for everyone.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manual Upload" icon="upload">
    **12–15 minutes.** Upload a LinkedIn analytics CSV yourself. Use this only if you can't install the extension.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Warning>
  Auto-Sync produces a significantly more complete profile. If you have any choice, use it.
</Warning>

### Auto-Sync

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review the permission breakdown">
    A modal shows exactly what Anchors can and cannot access:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="What we access">
        * Public profile info (name, headline, photo)
        * Public posts and content
        * Follower count
        * Engagement metrics — likes, comments, impressions
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="What we never access">
        * Direct messages or private conversations
        * Your connections or contacts list
        * Your LinkedIn password
        * Ability to post on your behalf
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>

    Check the **consent checkbox**, then click **"Install Extension"**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install the browser extension">
    Follow the browser prompts. Once installed, click **"Continue"** in the modal.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Let the sync run">
    A progress indicator will show *"Scanning your LinkedIn profile."*

    <Warning>
      Do **not** refresh the page or switch tabs mid-sync. This interrupts the process and you'll need to restart.
    </Warning>

    Sync typically completes in under 60 seconds.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Manual Upload (CSV)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Export from LinkedIn">
    Go to your LinkedIn analytics dashboard and export your data as a `.csv` file.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload the file">
    Select and upload your CSV when prompted on the manual setup screen.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for processing">
    Anchors validates and parses the file automatically. You'll land on the same Profile Data Screen as Auto-Sync users.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Phase 4 — Review Data & Build Your Media Kit

### Your Profile Data Screen

After importing, you'll see all your synced data in one view. Key things to note:

| Location   | Element                    | Purpose                                                 |
| ---------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Top-center | 🟢 **Only Visible to You** | Confirms your data is private — nothing is public yet   |
| Top-right  | **Sync Again**             | Re-pull your data if anything looks off                 |
| Top-right  | **Save & View Media Kit**  | Your next action — saves data and opens the kit builder |

Your post performance is displayed in a table:

| Column               | What It Shows                                       |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Posts**            | Post title or preview                               |
| **Created On**       | Publish date                                        |
| **Format**           | Content type (article, image, video, etc.)          |
| **Likes / Comments** | Direct engagement numbers                           |
| **Impressions**      | Total reach                                         |
| **Engagement**       | Calculated engagement rate                          |
| **Collab**           | Whether the post is flagged for brand collaboration |

<Tip>
  Something look wrong? Click **"Report an Issue"** (right side of the stats section) and the team will investigate.
</Tip>

Click **"Save & View Media Kit"** (top-right) when you're ready to continue.

***

### Media Kit Preview

You're now in **Media Kit Preview Mode** — a live view of exactly how your profile appears to brands.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Left — Your Profile" icon="user">
    Photo · Name · Bio · Location · Social links · "Collaborate with me" CTA
  </Card>

  <Card title="Right — Your Highlights" icon="chart-bar">
    Follower count · Key stats · Engagement overview
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Two actions live in the **top-right corner**:

* **Edit** — update anything before going live
* **Publish** *(red button)* — creates your public media kit link

<Note>
  Your kit is still **visible only to you** at this stage. Clicking Publish is what creates a shareable link — but you still won't appear in brand searches until you Activate (Phase 5).
</Note>

***

### Publishing & Contact Details

Clicking **Publish** triggers a contact details modal. Brands need a way to reach you.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Email" icon="envelope">
    Pre-filled from your login. Update it if needed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Phone" icon="phone">
    Enter with your country code.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Click **"Continue"** (red button) to confirm. Your media kit link is now live and shareable.

<Warning>
  Incomplete contact details will limit your discoverability. Make sure both fields are accurate before continuing.
</Warning>

***

## Phase 5 — Go Live & Get Discovered

Publishing created your media kit — but brands still can't find you yet. **Activation** is what makes you searchable.

### Publish vs. Activate — The Difference

| State         | Your Media Kit Link    | Visible to Brands in Search? |
| ------------- | ---------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| **Published** | ✅ Exists and shareable | ❌ No                         |
| **Activated** | ✅ Exists and shareable | ✅ Yes                        |

After publishing, look for the **sticky banner** at the top of your screen:

> *"Your profile is saved but hidden from brands…"*

Click **"Make Me Visible →"** (right side of banner) to reach the Activation screen.

### What Activating Unlocks

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Brand Discovery" icon="magnifying-glass" color="#E63946">
    Your profile appears in brand searches. Inbound collaboration requests can start coming in.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Profile Analysis" icon="chart-bar" color="#E63946">
    Full access to your content performance insights and benchmarking.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Creator Community" icon="people-group" color="#E63946">
    Invite-only access to the Anchors creator community.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Collaboration Toggle" icon="toggle-on" color="#E63946">
    Control your availability — switch **Open for Collaborations** on or off at any time.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Click **"Activate Profile"** — the full-width red button at the bottom of the screen.

***

## Phase 6 — Your Dashboard

Once activated, you'll see a confirmation: *"Your profile is active now!"* ✅

Your full Anchors dashboard is now unlocked.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Share Your Media Kit" icon="link" color="#E63946">
    Copy your public link and drop it in your LinkedIn bio, email signature, or pitch decks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explore Analytics" icon="chart-line" color="#E63946">
    See which posts perform best and understand your audience's engagement patterns.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Browse Brand Deals" icon="briefcase" color="#E63946">
    View incoming collaboration requests and manage active brand partnerships.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Join the Community" icon="users" color="#E63946">
    Connect with other creators, share learnings, and find collaboration opportunities.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Sidebar Navigation Reference

| Section              | What It's For                                             |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Dashboard**        | Profile overview, activity summary, quick stats           |
| **CRM**              | Track brand relationships and follow-ups                  |
| **Community**        | Creator-only space for networking and collaboration       |
| **Boost Visibility** | Tools to increase how often you surface in brand searches |
| **Post Performance** | Granular analytics on your individual posts               |
| **Earnings**         | Track collaboration fees and payment history              |
| **Feed**             | Explore and engage with the Anchors creator feed          |
| **Brand Deals**      | Manage active, pending, and past collaborations           |

***

## Data Privacy

We only use what's publicly available. Here's the full picture:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="What we access">
    | Data                                   | Status |
    | -------------------------------------- | ------ |
    | Public profile (name, photo, headline) | ✅ Used |
    | Public posts and content               | ✅ Used |
    | Follower count                         | ✅ Used |
    | Likes, comments, impressions           | ✅ Used |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="What we never touch">
    | Data                        | Status           |
    | --------------------------- | ---------------- |
    | Direct messages (DMs)       | ❌ Never accessed |
    | Connections or contact list | ❌ Never accessed |
    | LinkedIn password           | ❌ Never accessed |
    | Posting permissions         | ❌ Never accessed |
    | Any private content         | ❌ Never accessed |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Your controls">
    * Profile is **hidden by default** — nothing is public until you choose to activate
    * Toggle **"Open for Collaborations"** off at any time to pause inbound requests
    * **Re-sync** your data whenever you want from the Profile Data Screen
    * Your stats remain **"Only Visible to You"** until you explicitly go live
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## FAQs

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is my data safe?">
    Yes. Anchors only accesses publicly available LinkedIn data. It's never sold, shared with third parties, or used outside of powering your creator profile.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can Anchors read my messages or DMs?">
    No. We have zero access to any private data — messages, contacts, or otherwise. Only your public posts and profile are used.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between Publish and Activate?">
    **Publish** creates a shareable media kit link — your profile exists but isn't surfaced in brand searches. **Activate** makes you fully discoverable. You need to do both to start receiving inbound collaboration requests.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I edit my media kit after publishing?">
    Yes, at any time. Click **Edit** from your media kit preview to update your bio, stats, or contact details. Changes apply immediately.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I turn off visibility after activating?">
    Yes. Toggle off **"Open for Collaborations"** in your profile settings whenever you need a break. You won't appear in brand searches, but your profile link still works.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to install the browser extension?">
    No. The Manual Setup (CSV upload) option is available if you'd prefer not to use the extension. Both paths lead to the same result.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if my stats look wrong after syncing?">
    Click **"Report an Issue"** on the Profile Data Screen. You can also hit **"Sync Again"** (top-right) to re-pull your data from LinkedIn.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does the sync take?">
    Usually under 60 seconds. Don't refresh the page or switch tabs while it's running — this interrupts the process.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

<Note>
  Still have questions? Reach out to the Anchors support team — we're always happy to help. 💬
</Note>