> ## 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.

# Getting Started with Puddin: Your Student Account Guide

> Accept your invitation, create your account, understand what Puddin records while you write, and open your first assignment to begin writing.

Puddin is the writing environment your institution uses to verify authorship of assessed work. When you write your assignment inside Puddin, it builds a record of your writing process — not to monitor you, but to confirm that you wrote your own work. This guide walks you through setting up your account and getting ready to write.

## Step 1 — Accept your invitation

Your teacher will send you an invitation email from Puddin. The email arrives from **[noreply@puddin.app](mailto:noreply@puddin.app)** with the subject line *You've been invited to \[Course Name] on Puddin*.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check your inbox">
    Look for the invitation email in your university inbox. If you don't see it after a few minutes, check your **Spam** or **Junk** folder — some university email servers filter automated messages.

    <Tip>
      If you still can't find the email, ask your teacher to resend the invitation from the Puddin Students panel. Each resend generates a fresh link.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the invitation link">
    Open the email and click **Accept Invitation**. This takes you to the Puddin sign-up page with your email address pre-filled.

    <Warning>
      Invitation links expire after 7 days. If your link has expired, contact your teacher and ask them to resend it.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your account">
    Enter a password and complete any identity verification your institution requires. If your university uses Single Sign-On (SSO), you may be redirected to your institution's login page instead — use your normal university credentials.

    Once your account is set up, you are taken directly to your Puddin dashboard.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2 — Log in if you already have an account

If you've used Puddin before (for a previous course or assignment), you don't need to create a new account. Go to [app.puddin.app](https://app.puddin.app) and sign in with your existing credentials. Your new course and its assignments will appear in your dashboard automatically once your teacher has enrolled you.

## Step 3 — Navigate to your assignment

From your dashboard, select the course your teacher enrolled you in. You'll see a list of published assignments. Click the assignment title to open it and read the instructions.

<Info>
  If you can see your course but the assignment isn't visible yet, it may not have been published by your teacher. Check back later or contact your teacher to confirm the assignment is open.
</Info>

## What Puddin records while you write

Before you begin, here is a clear explanation of what Puddin captures during your writing session:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Your keystrokes" icon="keyboard">
    Puddin records the characters you type as you write, building a timeline of how your document developed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Paste events" icon="clipboard">
    If you paste text into the document, Puddin records what was pasted, where, and when.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Revisions and edits" icon="pen">
    Deletions, rewrites, and corrections are recorded so your teacher can see the document evolving.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Writing speed and pauses" icon="gauge">
    Puddin tracks your typing pace and notes when you paused or stepped away during a session.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Session times" icon="clock">
    The start and end time of each writing session is recorded, including if you save and return later.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Document history" icon="timeline">
    A full timeline of your document's development from first word to submission is stored as your authorship record.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  Puddin records your **writing process** — what you type, when, and how your document develops. It does not record your screen, your webcam, your browsing activity, or anything outside the Puddin writing environment. Your writing record is private and is only visible to your teacher and designated course reviewers.
</Note>

Puddin's job is to show your teacher that you wrote your work. If you write your assignment yourself — even if you take notes alongside writing, look up sources, or take breaks — your writing record will reflect that.

## Step 4 — Start writing

Click **Open Assignment** to launch the Puddin writing environment. The instructions for your assignment are displayed in a panel on the left. The writing area is on the right.

You don't need to do anything special to start recording — Puddin begins capturing your writing process the moment you start typing. For guidance on using the writing environment, see [Using the Writing Environment](/core/student/writing-environment).