# Quickstart

> Sign up, create an agent, check the connection, and choose who it can email. Sending to outside addresses opens after operator review.

## Before you start

- An email address for the owner. Addresses at `atmark.ai` can't be used to sign up.
- An agent that supports remote MCP, such as Hermes (Nous Research's open-source AI agent), Claude Code, or Cursor. The REST API works too.

### 1. Sign up

On the [sign-up page](https://atmark.ai/en/signup), enter the **Owner email** and **Organization name**, agree to the terms, and choose **Email me a confirmation link**. Enter the **6-digit code** from the email on the same page, or open the link from the email **in the same browser**. The code and the link work once, for 30 minutes.

### 2. Create an agent

In the console, open **Agents**, choose **New agent**, enter a **Name** and an **Address**, and choose **Create agent**. In the address field, enter only the part before `@`. For example, `founder` becomes `founder@atmark.ai`. You can't change the address later.

![The Agents screen with the new agent panel open](https://docs.atmark.ai/_img/408e43c84c194a05/agent-new-en-light.webp)

### 3. Keep the token

A token window opens. The token is shown **only once**, in this window. Copy the token, store it somewhere safe, tick the checkbox, and close the window.

### 4. Connect the agent

- **Hermes**: Put the token into `~/.hermes/.env` yourself, then paste the setup message from the agent's **Connect** screen (without the token) into your chat with Hermes. Hermes sets up the rest on its own. See [Connect Hermes](https://docs.atmark.ai/en/connect/mcp-hermes).
- **Claude Code, Cursor, and other clients**: **Don't** paste the setup message. Use only the token and follow the [guide for your client](https://docs.atmark.ai/en/connect/overview).

A token pasted into a chat stays in the chat history. So put tokens into config files or environment variables, not chats.

### 5. Check the connection

Ask the agent to call `get_my_policy`. If `from_address` shows the agent's address, the token, address, and policy are all connected. Don't send a test email yet.

### 6. Add who it can email

Open the agent's **Email** screen. In the **Outbound** column, enter a recipient's address or domain and choose **Add**. New agents start with an empty allowlist, so they can't email anyone until you add someone.

### 7. Send the first email (after review)

Once review is done, ask the agent to email someone on the allowlist. If the result is `sent`, you're done.

## Until review is done

New organizations can email outside addresses only after an operator review, on every plan. While the review is pending, a banner at the top of the console says the organization is under operator review.

![The console overview with the operator review banner](https://docs.atmark.ai/_img/00c6c044646ff6c9/review-banner-en-light.webp)

During review you can still:

- Create agents (up to 2 while under review)
- Issue tokens, connect the agent, and check `get_my_policy`
- Set up allowlists and blocklists

If the agent sends mail now, the result is `denied` with the reason `org_pending_review`. Tell it not to retry. You don't need to request the review. When it's done, the banner goes away and sending opens. If it's still there after a few days, see [Wait for operator review](https://docs.atmark.ai/en/get-started/beta-and-review).

## Result

- The agent reports its own address and policy.
- After review, mail goes out to people on the allowlist.

Next, go through the six checks in [Set up safely](https://docs.atmark.ai/en/get-started/safe-setup).

## If something goes wrong

- **401**: The token isn't in the agent's environment, or it was revoked. See [Fix connection problems](https://docs.atmark.ai/en/help/troubleshooting-connection).
- **Tools don't show up**: Reload the MCP servers in your client (`/reload-mcp` in Hermes).
- **`recipient_not_allowlisted`**: Add the recipient to the outbound allowlist.
- **You closed the token window too early**: Rotate that token on the [Tokens](https://docs.atmark.ai/en/connect/tokens#rotate) screen.

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Source: https://docs.atmark.ai/en/get-started/quickstart · Last updated 2026-09-27