> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cortex-foundation-add13747-droid-1a2462c9-cor-444-sanitize.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Bot quickstart

> Sign in, create your first bot, open its computer, give it a task, and approve its first consequential step.

This quickstart uses the web app, where a bot's computer runs in the Cloud. The [Bot desktop app](/bot/desktop) adds **This PC**.

<Frame caption="What a guest sees on a Bot deep link. Sign in to reach the setup form.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cortex-foundation-add13747-droid-1a2462c9-cor-444-sanitize/f_vF1T0UHRUAu9OO/images/product/bot-home.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=f_vF1T0UHRUAu9OO&q=85&s=ebe25f8f6d4f8bc3422b2bd74d0c5988" alt="Cortex Bot guest gate — This space is reserved for signed-in accounts" width="1280" height="800" data-path="images/product/bot-home.png" />
</Frame>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in and open Bot">
    Sign in from the sidebar footer at [cortex.foundation](https://cortex.foundation), then choose **Bot** in the product switcher. Guests see **This space is reserved** — choose **Sign in**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a bot">
    With no bots on the account you land on the **setup form**. Give the bot a name and a purpose, then create it. It appears in the sidebar; the pane opens on it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open its computer">
    On the Computer rail choose **Open desktop**. The Cloud guest starts — the rail reads **Connecting** while it does — and the live desktop appears: screen, browser, files.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Give it a task">
    Describe the job in the conversation.

    ```text theme={null}
    Open our status page, check whether any component is degraded, and tell me what you find.
    ```

    The bot works on its desktop while you watch. It reports back in short messages rather than a transcript of every click.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve — or decline — a parked step">
    When the bot reaches a consequential action — changing something in a connected app, or a dangerous computer step — it parks and shows **Allow / Deny / Always**. Nothing runs until you choose. See [Approvals](/bot/approvals).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Put it on a schedule (optional)">
    Add a **routine** for work you want repeated. Routines fire in your local weekday hours. See [Routines](/bot/routines).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Let it sleep">
    Choose **Sleep** on the Computer rail when you are done. The next task wakes the guest before the bot is prompted.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Give the bot tools

Under **Customize → Connectors**, connect an app and make it available to **Cortex Bot** (or to both Chat and Bot). A bot never inherits a connection you did not assign. See [Tools and connectors](/chat/tools).

## Good first tasks

| Task                                               | Why it suits a bot                       |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| Check a dashboard and summarise what changed       | Browsing plus a short report             |
| Fill a recurring form from a document you attach   | Desktop work with a clear stopping point |
| Watch a page and notify you when something appears | A routine plus `notify`                  |
| Pull a report from a connected app every Monday    | A routine with an approved connection    |

## Related

* [Computer](/bot/computer) — Open desktop, Sleep, and the hosts.
* [Tools](/bot/tools) — everything a bot can call.
* [Troubleshooting](/bot/troubleshooting)