# Account setup

This guide walks you through creating your Makini account, activating your trial, and connecting your first integration.

## Create Your Account

<Steps>
    <Step title="Sign up">
        Go to [app.makini.io](https://app.makini.io) and sign up with your email address.
    </Step>
    <Step title="Verify your email">
        Check your inbox for a verification email and confirm your address.
    </Step>
    <Step title="Start your trial">
        Once verified, your account is activated with a **30-day free trial** — no credit card required.
    </Step>
</Steps>

After signing in, you'll land on the Makini Dashboard. If this is your first time, you'll see the **Connect to Platform** onboarding screen, which guides you through establishing your first connection.

## Connect Your First System

### Create a Sandbox

To test the API, you need access to a third-party system. If you don't already have one, Makini suggests several platforms that offer free accounts you can use as a personal sandbox:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
    <Card title="ERP">
        [Odoo](https://www.odoo.com/trial)
        [Zoho Creator](https://www.zoho.com/creator/)
    </Card>
    <Card title="EAM/CMMS">
        [UpKeep](https://www.upkeep.com/free-trial-signup/)
        [Limble](https://limblecmms.com/get-started/)
    </Card>
    <Card title="WMS">
        [Zoho Inventory](https://www.zoho.com/inventory/warehouse-inventory-management/)
        [Openboxes](https://demo.openboxes.com/openboxes/auth/signup)
    </Card>
</CardGroup>

Sign up for one of these systems and optionally load it with sample data to experiment with.

### Connect via Makini Link

Click **Open Makini Link** in the onboarding screen. This opens an authentication flow where you select the platform to connect and enter the credentials for that system.

After successful authentication, you are redirected back to the dashboard. The connection will take a few minutes to initialize as Makini syncs data from the connected system.

<TipInfo>Makini Link is the same authentication flow your end users will go through when connecting their own systems. Connecting a sandbox here lets you experience the flow firsthand.</TipInfo>

### Make Your First API Request

Once the connection is initialized, the dashboard displays the **Make API Request** screen — a built-in testing tool that lets you try the Unified API without writing any code.

1. Select your **Connection** from the dropdown.
2. Choose an **Endpoint** (e.g., Sites, Work Orders, Assets — depending on the connected system's category).
3. Click **Send API request**.

The dashboard generates a ready-to-use `curl` command with your API key and the correct endpoint URL. Copy it and run it in your terminal:

```bash
curl https://api.makini.io/v4/sites \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
```

The response returns data in Makini's [unified data model](/unified-data-model), regardless of which underlying system is connected.