> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.der-connect.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get your credentials">
    To get started you'll need your application credentials. Request or find yours on <a href="https://traxes.io" target="_blank">Traxes</a>.

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Authenticate" icon="shield" href="/guides/authenticate">
        Use your application credentials to retrieve a temporary access token.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect a device or vehicle">
    Having an Entity onboarded is essential to try out many of our features. Therefore, the onboarding guides are **a great place to start before exploring the other APIs**.

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Onboarding API" icon="hexagon-plus" href="/guides/onboarding-requests">
        Headless onboarding, completely managed through our APIs.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Explore our APIs">
    Try one of our APIs to access your Entity's Readings, Charge Sessions or to trigger Commands.

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Readings API" icon="gauge" href="/guides/readings">
        Use the Readings API to observe the state of an Entity over time.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Commands API" icon="square-terminal" href="/guides/commands">
        Use the Commands API to schedule or send instructions to Entities.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Charge Sessions API" icon="battery-bolt" href="/guides/charge-sessions">
        See when and where an Entity charged and how much energy it consumed.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Step>
</Steps>