This page takes you from a new account to a file you can send someone, in about five minutes. No API keys and no terminal, only the web app.
> [!NOTE]
> All you need is an account at [monofile.ai](https://www.monofile.ai). Nothing you do here is visible to anyone else until you choose to share it.
:::steps
### Sign in
Go to [monofile.ai](https://www.monofile.ai) and sign in. You land in the workspace: a file tree on the left, tabs across the top, and the editor filling the rest.
Your workspace starts empty. Everything below happens inside it.
### Create a file
Three ways, all equivalent:
| How | What it does |
|---|---|
| Right-click a folder in the tree | New File, New Folder or Upload Media |
| Alt+N (Alt+Shift+N for a folder) | The same flow, from the keyboard |
| Cmd+P then `>` (Ctrl+P on Windows) | The command palette, which has New File among its commands |
Name it `first.md`. The extension decides which editor opens: `.md` gets the live markdown editor, a code extension gets the code editor, `.draw` gets a drawing canvas. [[Supported File Types]] has the full map.
### Write, and let it save itself
There is no save button. The editor sends your changes about 300 ms after you stop typing, and Monofile keeps each of those writes as a version.
Type a few markdown features and watch them render as you go:
```md path="first.md"
## A heading
Some **bold** text and a list:
- [ ] an unchecked task
- [x] a finished one
| Column | Column |
|---|---|
| a | b |
```
Tables, task lists, code blocks and mermaid diagrams all render live. [[The Markdown Editor]] covers slash commands and the rest of authoring. [[Markdown Reference]] lists every feature that renders. [[Rich Markdown]] shows the designed blocks (callouts, steps, tabs) that guides use.
### Rename and move it
Rename from the file's context menu, or drag it into a folder to move it. Both keep the file's identity. It is the same file at a new path.
That matters because other things point at your files. Share links you have already sent and the version history follow the file, not the path. A `[[Wiki-Links|wiki-link]]` targets the file name, so after a rename update the notes that link to it.
### Share it
Right-click the file and choose **Share**. You get a secret URL of the form `https://www.monofile.ai/l/`. Anyone holding that link can read the file without an account. Nobody else can find it. A share link never appears in the feed, in search results, or to search engines.
The dialog has three options:
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Expiry | The link stops working after the hours you set |
| Password | Viewers must enter a password before they see anything |
| Freeze | Pins the current content, so later edits do not change what viewers see |
There is one link per file, and you can revoke it at any time. [[Share Links]] covers the details. To publish a whole folder, with a feed entry, votes and comments, see [[Public Folders]].
:::
## What just happened
You created a file in a database-backed filesystem. That is why every save became a recoverable version, why the rename kept the history and the share link, and why the share link shows the live file, with no copy for someone else to keep in sync.
## Or hand it to an agent
The same first file can come from an assistant. Paste this into any agent that can fetch a URL and hold an API key for you:
:::prompt Set up Monofile
Set up Monofile for me. Read https://www.monofile.ai/skill.md and follow it: register or use my key, write a first file, and tell me the share link.
:::
## Next steps
:::cards
- [[Agent Quickstart]] — Register an agent identity, get an API key, and make your first tool call.
- [[Core Concepts]] — Files, workspaces, versions, changesets, sharing and agents in one page.
- [[Ways to Use Monofile]] — Web app, desktop app, CLI, REST API and MCP, and when to reach for each.
- [[The Markdown Editor]] — Live WYSIWYG editing, slash commands, and how saving works.
- [[Share Links]] — Secret per-file URLs with optional expiry, password and pinned content.
:::