> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.peanutsapp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Your First 5 Minutes
> Go from zero to your first logged entry in under 5 minutes
**Time:** 5 minutes | **Level:** Beginner\
**Prerequisites:** None
## What You'll Learn
* What Peanuts actually does (in 30 seconds)
* How to create an account
* How to log your first entry
* Where your data lives
***
## What is Peanuts?
Peanuts is your AI-powered personal assistant that tracks anything you tell it. Instead of downloading 10 different apps for expenses, workouts, recipes, and habits—you describe what you want to track, and Peanuts creates a custom tracker (called a **Helper**) just for you.
**Three things that make it different:**
1. **Natural language** — Type "coffee \$4.50" and Peanuts understands it's an expense
2. **AI-powered** — Ask questions about your data: "How much did I spend on food this week?"
3. **Works everywhere** — Log from the app, Telegram, WhatsApp, or email
***
## Let's Get Started
Go to [peanutsapp.com](https://peanutsapp.com) and sign up with your email or Google account. Takes 30 seconds.
After signing up, you'll see the **Immersive Hero** — a full-screen home experience with a Unified Input bar at the bottom. This is where everything happens.
In the input bar at the bottom, type something simple:
```
coffee $4.50
```
Press **Enter** or tap the send button.
Peanuts will either:
* **Create a new Helper** called "Expenses" and log your coffee there, or
* **Show you the Context Cloud** confirming where it's going, or
* **Ask you** what you'd like to track (if this is your very first entry)
Either way, your entry is saved. You just logged your first thing!
***
## Where Did My Entry Go?
Your entry lives inside a **Helper**. Think of Helpers as smart folders that understand your data.
To see your entry:
1. Look for the Helper card on your Home screen (probably called "Expenses")
2. Tap it to open
3. You'll see your coffee entry with the amount, date, and time
**Pro tip:** The Home screen shows recent entries from all your Helpers. You'll see your coffee entry right there too!
***
## The Context Cloud
As you type in the Unified Input, you'll notice a **Context Cloud** appears above the input. This shows:
* Which Helper your entry will go to
* Which fields will be filled
* Confirmation that Peanuts understood you
It's real-time feedback so you always know where your data is going.
***
## What If Nothing Matches?
If you log something that doesn't match any Helper, it goes to the **[Shoebox](/core-concepts/shoebox)** — your universal capture surface. Nothing is ever lost. You can organize it later or let Peanuts suggest new Helpers based on patterns.
***
## Exercise
Try logging these (one at a time):
1. `lunch $12.50 at Chipotle`
2. `groceries $45`
3. `taxi $8.50`
Notice how Peanuts extracts the amount, category, and description automatically. Watch the Context Cloud confirm each match.
***
## Key Takeaways
**Remember:**
* Type naturally in the Unified Input bar — Peanuts understands plain language
* Everything goes into a Helper (created automatically or by you)
* The Context Cloud shows you where entries are going in real-time
* Unmatched content goes to the Shoebox — nothing is lost
***
## You Did It! 🎉
You've logged your first entries. That's the core of Peanuts—telling it what happened, and letting AI organize it for you.
***
## Next Steps
Learn to create custom Helpers for anything you want to track
Deep dive into the intelligent input experience