> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.blerify.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.blerify.com/introduction-to-issuance/build/get-started.md). # Get Started This page takes you from an empty Portal to your first signed credential sitting in a holder's wallet. It assumes you haven't issued with Blerify before, so it starts with what you need in place and ends with a pointer to the full walkthrough. *** ## What you need first * **An Issuance Portal account** for your organization. If your organization doesn't have one yet, contact your Blerify representative to provision it. * **A project**, created in the Portal. A project groups credentials by type and by the rules that govern them — schema, validity period, revocation settings. Every credential you issue belongs to exactly one project. * **A service account**, if you plan to use the API. This is how your backend authenticates. See [Authentication](/introduction/authentication.md) for how to create one and download its credentials. If the words *project* and *service account* are new, [Core Concepts](/introduction-to-issuance/learn/core-concepts.md) explains how they nest together — but you don't need that detail to get going. *** ## What you're about to do Issuing a credential is always the same three moves, whether you click through the Portal or call the API: you **create** a draft, you **sign** it, and you **deliver** it to the holder. The draft carries no weight until it's signed; signing is the point where it becomes tamper-evident and trustworthy. [How Issuance Works](/introduction-to-issuance/learn/how-issuance-works.md) tells that story in full — this guide just gets you through it once. *** ## Authenticating the API Every API call authenticates as your service account. See [Authentication](/introduction/authentication.md) for how to create one and exchange its credentials for a bearer token. The account also needs the right role for what you're doing: * **`credentials.api`** — create, read, update, approve, hold, revoke, and resend credentials in a project. * **`notifications.api`** — send push notifications to wallet holders. Both roles are scoped to the project the service account belongs to. An account has no reach into other projects, even within the same organization. *** ## Pick your path You issue either by hand in the **Portal** — best for setup, testing, and small batches run by your operations team — or through the **API**, for high volume, scheduled batches, and issuance triggered by your own system events. Both run the same pipeline underneath; the Portal is a UI over the same calls your backend would make. *** ## Next steps [**Issue a W3C Credential**](/introduction-to-issuance/build/issue-a-w3c-credential.md) — the full walkthrough for both the Portal and the API, with a working example. See also: [Core Concepts](/introduction-to-issuance/learn/core-concepts.md) — the pieces you just set up, explained · [Portal Roles & Permissions](/introduction/portal-roles-and-permissions.md) — decide who on your team can do what. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.blerify.com/introduction-to-issuance/build/get-started.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.