> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.kick.co/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.kick.co/best-practice-guides/setup-guide.md). # Setup Guide Use this guide to get from zero to fully running - accounts connected, transactions flowing, and your team in place. *** ## Step 1: Set up your workspace Create your account at [use.kick.co/register](https://use.kick.co/register). During registration, you'll create your workspace and add your first business entity. If you own more than one business, add each as a separate entity - this keeps your books, reports, and tax packages separate. → [Set Up Your Workspace](/setting-up/set-up-your-workspace.md) *** ## Step 2: Connect your accounts Connect every bank account, credit card, and financial tool your business uses. The more complete your connections, the more accurate your books will be automatically. * Connect your [**business bank accounts and credit cards**](/setting-up/connect-your-accounts-and-integrations.md) via Plaid - covers 12,000+ institutions * Connect [**Stripe or PayPal**](/integrations/payment-processors.md) if you accept payments through them * Connect [**Ramp**](/integrations/ramp.md) or [**Mercury**](/integrations/mercury.md) if you use them * Connect [**Gusto**](/integrations/gusto.md) if you run payroll * Connect [**Bill.com**](/integrations/bill.com.md) if you manage bills and accounts payable * Connect [**personal accounts**](/common-workflows/personal-to-business.md) if you ever pay for business expenses personally If your financial institution isn't supported by Plaid, or you don't have online access to an account, you can upload bank statements or CSVs manually using [Import Transactions](/setting-up/universal-importer.md). **Use AI to work with your books in natural language**\ Kick supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), which lets you connect AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT directly to your workspace. Once connected, you can ask questions, run reports, and manage transactions using plain language - without opening Kick. If you or your accountant work with AI tools, this is worth setting up early. → [MCP & CLI](https://docs.kick.co/ai-and-automation) *** ## Step 3: Enter opening balances If you're starting Kick mid-year or migrating from another platform, import your opening balances so your Balance Sheet starts from the right place. → [Opening Balances](/setting-up/opening-balances.md) *** ## Step 4: Invite your accountant or team Add your accountant, bookkeeper, or business partners to your workspace. Assign them the right role based on what they need to access. → [Invite Your Team](/setting-up/invite-your-team.md)\ → [Roles & Permissions](/reference/roles-and-permissions.md) *** ## Step 5: Review your transactions Once your accounts are connected, Kick starts categorizing automatically. Spend 10-15 minutes reviewing the first batch and correcting anything that's wrong. When you update a category, Kick notices. It will prompt you to apply the same change to similar transactions - past and future. Confirming this teaches the model how to handle that transaction going forward, so you won't have to correct it again. The more you engage with your transactions early on, the more accurate Kick becomes for your specific business. Also confirm that transfers between accounts are matched correctly - money moving between your bank and credit card, or from a payment processor to your bank, should show as transfers, not income or expenses. → [Categorization](/common-workflows/categorization.md)\ → [Transfers](/common-workflows/transfers.md) *** ## Step 6: Set up receipt capture Get in the habit of attaching receipts to transactions as they come in - not at year-end. Kick lets you attach receipts directly from the transaction detail, forward email receipts to a dedicated inbox, or photograph them from your phone. For meals, travel, and purchases over $75, a receipt attached to the transaction is what makes the deduction defensible if it's ever questioned. → [Receipts](/setting-up/receipts.md) *** ## Step 7: Set up Rules for edge cases Kick's model learns from your behavior over time, but there are situations it can't infer on its own - custom categories you've created, specific vendors that should always map to a particular account, or transactions that need to be split across entities. Rules handle these cases. After your first review, create Rules for anything that: * Belongs in a custom category Kick wouldn't know about * Should always be assigned to a specific entity * Needs to be split the same way every time it appears * Involves a vendor or description that's ambiguous without context you have Rules run automatically every time a matching transaction syncs - so you set them once and they work in the background indefinitely. → [Rules](/common-workflows/rules.md) *** ## Setup checklist * [ ] Create workspace and add entities * [ ] Connect all business bank accounts and credit cards * [ ] Connect direct integrations (Stripe, PayPal, Ramp, Mercury, Gusto) * [ ] Connect personal accounts * [ ] Import opening balances (if applicable) * [ ] Invite your accountant or team * [ ] Review first batch of transactions and correct categories - Kick learns from your changes * [ ] Set up receipt capture - forwarding address, mobile app, or manual upload * [ ] Set up Rules for edge cases, custom categories, and anything the model can't infer on its own * [ ] Connect MCP if you use Claude, ChatGPT, or other AI tools --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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