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

# Quickstart

> Get a Watcher Key, connect the desktop agent or SDK, and see your first experiment appear in Braven.

Everything in Braven — the desktop watcher, OneDrive sync, and the Python SDK — authenticates with the same credential: a **Watcher Key**. Get one once, then pick the path that matches how your data is already produced.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Generate a Watcher Key">
    Open [app.bravenlab.com](https://app.bravenlab.com) and go to **Settings** (bottom of the left sidebar). Under **Watcher Keys**, click **Generate Key** and copy the `braven_…` value — you'll need it for whichever path you pick below.

    <Warning>
      The key is only shown once at creation. If you lose it, revoke it and generate a new one.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose how data gets in">
    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="No code — Folder Watcher">
        From the same **Settings** page, click **Download for Windows** under **Braven Watcher**. Run the `.exe`, paste your Watcher Key when prompted, then **Add a folder** to watch.

        Every direct subfolder of a watched folder becomes one Experiment. See [Ingest data](/guides/ingest-data) for the full walkthrough, including OneDrive sync.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Python SDK">
        ```bash theme={null}
        python -m braven login
        ```

        You'll be prompted for the API URL (`https://api.bravenlab.com`) and your Watcher Key. Credentials are stored in `~/.braven/config.json`. See [Direct logging](/sdk-reference/direct-logging) for the full API.
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm a Company and Project exist">
    Data always lands in a **Project** inside a **Company**. If you're joining an existing team, ask an admin to invite you (Settings → Invite User) — you'll land in their company automatically. If you're starting fresh, create a Project from the app's project switcher.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Produce your first Experiment">
    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="No code">
        Drop a data file into the watched folder (or a subfolder — each subfolder becomes its own Experiment). Within a few seconds it appears under **Experiments** in the app.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Python SDK">
        ```python theme={null}
        import braven

        braven.init(name="My first experiment", project="TCS3448")
        braven.config("temperature_c", 25)
        braven.summary("peak_signal", 0.94)
        braven.finish()
        ```

        Run the script — the experiment appears immediately in the app under the project you named.
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attach a pipeline (optional but recommended)">
    Without a pipeline, an experiment is just a browsable data drop. Add one so every new experiment gets processed into Config, Summary, Series, and Figures automatically — see [Write a pipeline script](/guides/write-a-pipeline-script).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Learn the terms" icon="book" href="/concepts/glossary">
    Company, Project, Experiment, Run, Device, Pipeline — the vocabulary used everywhere else in these docs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tour the app" icon="compass" href="/navigating-braven/project-tabs">
    What each tab — Overview, Experiments, Devices, Analysis, Reports, Pipelines — is actually for.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>