# Who uses conduit

Conduit is “A place to share your knowledge.” Use this page to decide whether you need to
sign in with an existing account or create a new one.

## What conduit is for

Conduit is a place to share your knowledge. When you arrive signed out, the home page presents
this purpose and the **Global Feed** as the starting point for browsing.

| If you need to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Prepare information for sign-in or registration | [Before you start](#before-you-start) |
| Reach the sign-in or registration screen | [Reach the sign-in or registration screen](#reach-the-sign-in-or-registration-screen) |
| Locate fields and submit controls | [Understand the authentication screens](#understand-the-authentication-screens) |
| Enter an existing account or create a new one | [Sign in or create an account](#sign-in-or-create-an-account) |
| Choose between the two account paths | [Choose the account path that applies](#choose-the-account-path-that-applies) |
| Understand an authentication error | [When authentication goes wrong](#when-authentication-goes-wrong) |
| Continue after authentication | [Know what happens next](#know-what-happens-next) |
| Complete the next getting-started task | [Your first day](doc:your-first-day) |
| Learn about the wider interface | [Understanding the interface](doc:understanding-the-interface) |

## Before you start

For sign in, have the account email address and password. For sign up, have the username, email
address, and password for the new account.

Prerequisites

| Account path | Have ready |
|---|---|
| Existing account | The account email address and password |
| New account | The username, email address, and password for the new account |

The sign-in and registration screens do not show a required marker, so prepare the information
for the path you choose before you begin.

> [!NOTE]
> The account path determines which fields you complete.

## Reach the sign-in or registration screen

Use the sign-in screen for an existing account and the registration screen for a new account.
The sign-in screen has **Need an account?**. The registration screen has **Have an account?**.

Steps

1. Select **Need an account?** on the sign-in screen or **Have an account?** on the registration screen.

   | If you are on… | Select |
   |---|---|
   | The sign-in screen | **Need an account?** |
   | The registration screen | **Have an account?** |

**Result:** The screen for your account path is open.

## Understand the authentication screens

The sign-in screen collects an email address and password. The registration screen collects a
username, email address, and password.

| Screen | Field | Type | Required marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign in | **Email** | Text | None shown |
| Sign in | **Password** | Text | None shown |
| Sign up | **Username** | Text | None shown |
| Sign up | **Email** | Text | None shown |
| Sign up | **Password** | Text | None shown |

The sign-in form ends with **Sign in**. The registration form ends with **Sign up**.

## Sign in or create an account

Use the form that matches your account situation.

Prerequisites

- Have the information listed in [Before you start](#before-you-start).
- Have the matching authentication screen open.

Steps

1. Complete the row that matches your account situation.

   | Account situation | Enter | Then select |
   |---|---|---|
   | Existing account | **Email** and **Password** | **Sign in** |
   | New account | **Username**, **Email**, and **Password** | **Sign up** |

**Result:** Conduit processes the selected account action and follows the applicable destination.

## Choose the account path that applies

When deciding which action applies, use the account situation that matches you.

The sign-in screen does not ask for a username or password confirmation. The registration screen
does not ask for password confirmation. After either action, Conduit returns you to the page you
requested within Conduit. If you did not request a page, it opens the home page.

Steps

1. Select the account path that matches your situation.

   | If you… | Select | Complete |
   |---|---|---|
   | Already have an account | **Sign in** | **Email** and **Password** |
   | Need an account | **Sign up** | **Username**, **Email**, and **Password** |

**Result:** The account path that matches your situation is selected.

## When authentication goes wrong

Authentication errors appear in the message list above the form fields. The message lists the
error key followed by the first value returned for that key. The API supplies the returned error
values, so use the text shown in the message list when deciding what to correct.

## Know what happens next

After either action, Conduit returns you to the page you requested within Conduit. If you did not
request a page, it opens the home page.

Continue with [Your first day](doc:your-first-day) for the next getting-started task. For a
broader catalogue of messages, see [General error messages](doc:general-error-messages).