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

# Getting started

> Apply for access, start your trial when available, and set up your first business profile.

## 1. Create your account

Apply for access at [neariq.io/beta](https://neariq.io/beta). Once your account is approved or self-serve signup is open, log in at [app.neariq.io/login](https://app.neariq.io/login). You can sign in with:

* **Google** — one-click, no password needed
* **Apple** — sign in with Apple ID
* **Email + password** — standard sign-up flow

<Note>
  During early access, new accounts require waitlist approval. You will receive an email after approval.
</Note>

## 2. Start your free trial

Every new account gets a **7-day free trial** with full Growth plan features — no credit card required. The trial gives you access to:

* 5×5 rank tracker grid
* Up to 20 competitors
* Dashboard alerts, email alerts, and digest emails
* AI agents (3 concurrent)
* Email digest

After the trial, you choose a plan or continue on the free tier with limited access.

## 3. Link your Google Business Profile

This is the most important setup step. NearIQ needs to know which Google Maps listing is yours so it can track your rank, monitor your reviews, and calculate your GBP health score.

1. Go to **My Business** tab in the dashboard
2. Click **Link my listing**
3. Search for your business name
4. Select your listing from the results

NearIQ stores your Google Place ID — this is used for exact matching in rank checks and review monitoring.

## 4. Add your first competitors

Go to the **Competitors** tab and click **Add competitor**. You can:

* **Search by name** — type a competitor's business name and select from results
* **Search by address** — find businesses near a specific location
* **Auto-suggest** — NearIQ will suggest businesses in your category within a configurable radius

Add at least 3–5 competitors to start seeing meaningful comparisons in the Market Intelligence view.

## 5. Set up alerts

Go to **Alerts** → **Settings** and configure:

* **Alert types** — which changes you want to be notified about (rating drops, review surges, GBP changes)
* **Minimum severity** — filter out low-signal noise (info / warning / danger)
* **Delivery** - dashboard alerts, email digest (daily/weekly), email alerts, and Growth+ Slack/Discord/Teams webhooks

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="bolt" href="/guides/quickstart">
    Jump straight to your first rank check and competitive report
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dashboard guide" icon="gauge" href="/guides/dashboard/my-business">
    Full walkthrough of every tab in the dashboard
  </Card>
</CardGroup>