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

# Get your key

> How keys, checkout, account access, and the first device activation fit together.

<div className="bf-article">
  <p className="bf-lead">
    Your key is how a device or runtime identity can trigger Bitfield for your account. The account portal owns the customer path: account, checkout, email, key access, runtime identities, recovery, and plan management.
  </p>

  You want to try Bitfield on the device in front of you. You need account access first, then device activation, then Runtime Kit can run against that account path.

  <div className="bf-flow" aria-label="Get your key flow">
    <div className="bf-flow-step">
      <span>1</span>
      <strong>Create account</strong>
      <p>Use the account portal and confirm the email you will keep.</p>
    </div>

    <div className="bf-flow-arrow">→</div>

    <div className="bf-flow-step">
      <span>2</span>
      <strong>Choose access</strong>
      <p>Start a trial or plan with the runtime/device range you need.</p>
    </div>

    <div className="bf-flow-arrow">→</div>

    <div className="bf-flow-step">
      <span>3</span>
      <strong>Activate device</strong>
      <p>Use the key path to connect this device to your account.</p>
    </div>
  </div>

  The account portal should show your account, plan or trial state, available runtime/device range, and the current way to activate this runtime identity.

  ## 1. Open the account portal

  Go to [account.bitfield.so](https://account.bitfield.so).

  Use an email you control. Account recovery, checkout receipts, key access, and device messages depend on that email.

  ## 2. Choose the trial or plan

  1. Choose the plan or trial that fits the runtime/device range you need.
  2. Confirm the checkout terms and billing authorization.
  3. Confirm your email when it arrives.
  4. Open the account portal and activate the first device.

  The runtime/device count is not the number of users in your imagination. It is the number of runtime identities that trigger Bitfield in the billing window.

  ## 3. Activate the first device

  Use the account portal's current activation path for the device you are using.

  If you are testing alone, this is usually your laptop first. If you are testing with a phone and laptop, each triggered runtime identity can matter. If you give access to a friend or teammate, treat it like real account access.

  ## 4. Keep the account path recoverable

  The account portal is the customer control room. It is where you see your plan, billing cadence, keys, runtime/device range, replacement history, and cancellation options when they are available.

  Keep access to the email you used at checkout. License-key and account-recovery messages go there. If a device is lost or replaced, use the portal to revoke that device and free the spot for another one.

  ## Common failures

  | Symptom                                | Likely cause                                                           | Fix                                                                                                                                      |
  | -------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | You cannot find the key path           | Email or checkout step is incomplete                                   | Confirm email, then reopen the account portal                                                                                            |
  | A new device will not activate         | Active-device count is full                                            | Revoke or replace an old device in the portal                                                                                            |
  | You used the wrong email               | Account ownership is tied to checkout/recovery email                   | Use the email you can keep and recover                                                                                                   |
  | You are unsure what counts as a device | Active device means a triggered runtime identity in the billing window | Read [Active devices](/concepts/active-devices)                                                                                          |
  | Billing or cancellation is unclear     | Plan management belongs in the account lifecycle                       | Read [Trials and billing](/activation/trials-and-billing) and [Plan changes and cancellation](/activation/plan-changes-and-cancellation) |

  ## Next

  * Make the first app-facing call: [Quickstart](/start/quickstart)
  * Understand the app-facing package: [JavaScript Runtime Kit](/runtime-kit/javascript)
  * Understand active devices: [Active devices](/concepts/active-devices)
  * Read the full account path: [Account and key flow](/activation/account-and-key-flow)
  * Understand billing timing: [Trials and billing](/activation/trials-and-billing)
</div>