# Your first day in Conduit

Conduit is a social blogging site. This page covers signing in, creating an account, and
maintaining your account settings.

| If you need to… | Go to |
| --- | --- |
| sign in to an existing account | [Sign in](doc:sign-in) or **Sign in** on `/login` |
| create an account | [Sign up](doc:sign-up) or **Sign up** on `/register` |
| change account details or sign out | [Manage your settings](doc:manage-your-settings) or **Your Settings** on `/settings` |
| understand the wider authentication flow | [Authentication overview](doc:authentication-overview) |

Choose the route that matches your task, then follow the corresponding procedure below.

## Before you start

Collect the email address and password for an existing account before you sign in. To create an
account, collect a username, email address, and password. To change settings, sign in first so
the settings form can use the current account details.

The sign-in, sign-up, and settings fields do not show a required marker. Keep the account details
you collected ready for the matching route below.

## Find and recognize the account screens

Use these routes to open the account surface you need:

| If you need to… | Open |
| --- | --- |
| sign in | `/login` |
| create an account | `/register` |
| change account details or sign out | `/settings` |

On `/login`, use **Email**, **Password**, **Sign in**, and **Need an account?**. On `/register`,
use **Username**, **Email**, **Password**, **Sign up**, and **Have an account?**. On `/settings`,
use **URL of profile picture**, **Username**, **Short bio about you**, **Email**, **New Password**,
**Update Settings**, and **Or click here to logout.**

## Sign in or create an account

Choose the existing-account path or the account-creation path below.

**Prerequisites**

- For sign-in, have an existing account's email address and password.
- For sign-up, have a username, email address, and password.

**Steps**

1. Choose and complete one account path:

   | Existing account | New account |
   | --- | --- |
   | Open `/login`. | Open `/register`. |
   | Enter the account email in **Email**. | Enter the new account name in **Username**. |
   | Enter the account password in **Password**, then select **Sign in**. | Enter the new account email in **Email**. |
   |  | Enter the new account password in **Password**, then select **Sign up**. |

2. To move between the two account routes, select **Need an account?** or **Have an account?**.

The submit control is disabled while its account request is in progress.

**Result:** A successful sign-in or sign-up leads to `/`. If you need to change account details,
open `/settings`.

## Update account settings

Your settings are the account details you can review, change, and save while signed in.

**Prerequisites**

- Sign in before opening `/settings`.
- Have the profile picture URL, username, short bio, and email values you want to keep.
- Have a new password ready only if you want to change it.

**Steps**

1. Open `/settings`.
2. Review **URL of profile picture**.
3. Review **Username**.
4. Review **Short bio about you**.
5. Review **Email**.
6. To change the password, enter it in **New Password**.
7. Select **Update Settings**.
8. To leave the signed-in session, select **Or click here to logout.**.

The form removes a blank **New Password** before saving the other settings. The settings values
are populated from the current account when that account is available.

**Result:** A successful settings save leads to `/`. Selecting **Or click here to logout.** signs
you out and leads to `/`. If an account action produces an error, use the guidance below.

## When an account action goes wrong

An error list is the area on an account screen where returned account errors appear. Each entry
shows the error name followed by its message.

| What you see | What it means | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| An error name followed by its message | The account request returned an error entry. | Read the entry, correct the related account value, and submit the form again. |

The sign-in and sign-up screens place this error list above their forms. The settings screen places
it above the settings form.