# First-run setup

The first time you open Curator, it walks you through a short setup. You create a
profile, set up the local AI engine, and tell Curator where your files are.

> [!NOTE]
> The whole thing takes about two minutes.

1. **Welcome.** The first screen previews the three steps ahead: your profile,
   on-device AI, and your files. Click **Get Started**.

2. **Create your profile.** Enter a name. That is all Curator needs. There is no
   email, no password, and no account to sign up for. Your profile is a local,
   name-only identity that stays on your Mac. Learn more in
   [Profiles](/concepts/profiles/).

3. **Set up Ollama.** Curator checks your Mac's RAM and looks for **Ollama**, the local AI engine that powers search and chat. You have three ways to set it up.

   - **Install Ollama for me** installs it automatically in one click. Curator
     handles the download and setup for you.
   - **Connect to it on another computer** lets you point Curator at an Ollama
     server running elsewhere on your network. Enter its address and Curator
     tests the connection.
   - **Or download and install it yourself** opens the Ollama download page so
     you can install it by hand. Curator waits until it comes online.

   Once Ollama is ready, Curator shows a model recommendation screen titled
   **Based on your Mac**. It suggests AI models sized to your RAM, each with a
   one-line description of its job and its download size. Download the ones you
   want, or choose **Skip for now**. If you skip, AI features stay off until you
   download models later. Learn more in
   [Ollama and models](/concepts/ollama-and-models/).

   {/* SCREENSHOT: the Ollama setup step showing the three options (Install Ollama for me, Connect to it on another computer, download yourself) */}

4. **Choose where your files are.** Tell Curator what to index. Pick **A folder
   on this Mac** (recommended) and point it at a folder, or pick **Cloud object
   storage** (advanced) to connect a storage bucket you own. Curator reads files
   in place and never moves them. Learn more in
   [Storage sources](/concepts/storage-sources/).

   {/* SCREENSHOT: the "Where are your files?" step showing the folder choice and the cloud object storage choice */}

5. **You're all set.** The final screen confirms setup is done. Click **Open
   Curator**. Curator starts indexing your files in the background and keeps working while you use the app.

## Next steps

Curator is now indexing your files. Head to the
[Quickstart](/get-started/quickstart/) to run your first search and ask your
first question.