> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.puddin.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Setting Up Puddin Core: Institution Account Configuration
> Set up your institution's Puddin Core account: configure settings, create administrator accounts, set data retention policies, and invite your team.
As the Administrator, you are responsible for getting your institution's Puddin Core environment ready before teachers and students can use it. This guide walks you through every configuration step in the order you should complete them. Work through the steps in sequence — later steps such as user invitations depend on your account and settings being fully configured first.
Start by registering your institution on Puddin.
1. Go to [puddin.io](https://puddin.io) and select **Create Institution Account**.
2. Enter your institutional email address and choose a password.
3. Check your inbox for a verification email and click the confirmation link to activate your account.
4. On first sign-in, you are prompted to enter your institution's details:
* **Institution name** — enter your official institution name as you want it to appear on verification records and student-facing screens.
* **Country and region** — used to apply the correct default compliance settings for your jurisdiction.
* **Primary contact email** — the address Puddin uses for billing, compliance, and platform notices.
5. Select **Save Institution Profile** to complete registration.
Your Administrator account is now active and you have access to the full Administrator dashboard.
The email address you use to register becomes the primary Administrator account. You can add additional administrators in a later step. Use a role-based institutional address (for example, `academic-integrity@youruniversity.edu`) rather than a personal one if your institution's governance requires it.
Before inviting anyone, review and configure your core institution settings. Navigate to **Settings → Institution** in the Administrator dashboard.
**General settings**
* Confirm your institution name and region are correct.
* Set your preferred **date and time format** for authorship records and reports.
* Choose your **default writing environment** (browser-based or Microsoft Word add-in) for new assignments. Teachers can override this per assignment.
**Notification settings**
* Configure whether teachers receive email notifications when students submit assignments.
* Set whether administrators receive digest reports on platform usage.
Select **Save Settings** after making any changes.
Data retention governs how long student writing records — including keystroke data, paste events, session logs, and authorship records — are stored before automatic deletion. Configure this before any data is created.
Navigate to **Settings → Data & Privacy**.
1. Set the **retention period** for authorship records. Options typically range from 6 months to 7 years. Check your institution's data governance policy and any applicable legal requirements before selecting a value.
2. Choose what happens when the retention period expires: **automatic deletion** (records are permanently removed) or **administrator review** (records are flagged for manual deletion approval).
3. Review the **data processing agreement** and, if your institution accepts it, select **Sign Agreement**. This agreement is required before any student data can be recorded.
4. If your institution is subject to GDPR or equivalent legislation, review the **Student Data Notice** template that Puddin provides and confirm it aligns with your institution's student privacy notices.
You must sign the data processing agreement before inviting users or creating assignments. Student writing data cannot be recorded until this step is complete.
See [Security & Privacy](/core/admin/security-privacy) for a full explanation of how Puddin stores and protects student data.
If more than one person at your institution needs administrator access, add them now.
1. Navigate to **Users → Invite User**.
2. Enter the staff member's institutional email address.
3. Set their role to **Administrator**.
4. Select **Send Invitation**.
The invited administrator receives an email with a link to set their password and complete account setup. Administrator accounts can manage all settings, users, and integrations — only grant this role to staff who need it.
Keep the number of administrator accounts small. For day-to-day user management, the **Teacher** role is sufficient for most academic staff.
Choose how your teachers and students will access Puddin.
**LMS integration (recommended)**
Connecting your LMS via LTI 1.3 enables single sign-on, automatic student enrolment, and assignment sync. Navigate to **Integrations** to begin. Supported platforms are Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace, and Manaba. Full setup instructions are in the [LMS Integration guide](/core/admin/lms-integration).
**Direct invitations**
If you are not using an LMS integration, invite teachers individually:
1. Navigate to **Users → Invite User**.
2. Enter the teacher's institutional email address.
3. Set their role to **Teacher**.
4. Select **Send Invitation**.
Repeat for each teacher who needs access. Teachers receive an invitation email with a link to set up their account.
You can manage student enrolment directly within each assignment, or leave enrolment to teachers once their accounts are active. See [Managing Users](/core/admin/managing-users) for more detail on bulk import and enrolment options.
Before going live with students, confirm that everything is configured correctly.
* **Account and settings** — check that your institution name, region, and notification preferences are saved correctly under **Settings → Institution**.
* **Data retention** — confirm your retention period is set and the data processing agreement is signed under **Settings → Data & Privacy**.
* **User accounts** — verify that any additional administrators and teachers you invited have completed their account setup (their status shows as **Active** in **Users**).
* **LMS integration** — if you set up an LMS integration, use the **Test Connection** tool in **Integrations** to confirm Puddin can communicate with your LMS.
* **Test submission** — ask a teacher to create a test assignment and make a test submission to confirm the writing environment and authorship record are working as expected.
Your institution is now ready to use Puddin Core.
## Related guides
Invite teachers, assign roles, manage student enrolment, and bulk-import users.
Connect Puddin to Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace, or Manaba.
Data storage, access controls, GDPR compliance, and retention configuration.
End-to-end onboarding overview for all roles.