# Get started with Altertable

Connect your data and run a first query. Follow a quickstart yourself, or use your agent to choose and configure a setup for your stack.

You need an Altertable account and access to an [organization and environment](/docs/administration.md). If you do not have an account, [create one](https://app.altertable.ai/sign-up).

## Choose a starting point

To try Altertable with a small record, start with **Ingest your first data**. If you already have a source or instrumentation goal, choose its quickstart below.

- [Ingest your first data](/docs/getting-started/ingest-data.md): Append a small record to an Altertable table with the CLI, query it to verify ingestion, and continue with file uploads or an agent-led setup.
- [Connect an existing source](/docs/getting-started/connect-data.md): Connect a database, warehouse, or object-storage catalog to Altertable, inspect its tables, and verify a query without copying data into managed tables.
- [Track your first product event](/docs/getting-started/product-analytics.md): Enable Product Analytics, send a test event with an API key, and verify it in the lakehouse before instrumenting your application with an SDK.
- [Send your first logs and traces](/docs/getting-started/opentelemetry.md): Enable OpenTelemetry in Altertable, configure an exporter for logs or traces, and verify recent telemetry from your service with SQL.

If you are unsure which route fits, [compare ingestion and external catalogs](/docs/lakehouse/ingest-or-connect.md).

## Set up with your agent

Your agent can inspect your project, ask about your stack, and help connect your data. If it can read documentation, start with this prompt:

```text
Fetch https://altertable.ai/docs/getting-started/prompt.md and help me set up Altertable for my stack. Inspect the available project and connection context, and ask only for information you cannot discover.
```

The prompt guides the agent through MCP setup, adds the CLI when needed, and verifies a first answer from your data. Complete browser authorization when prompted. For clients without terminal access, the agent can guide you through the app or provide commands to run locally.

**Set up the tools yourself**

Follow [Connect your agent](/docs/agents/setup.md) for your client. Install the [CLI](/docs/lakehouse/clients/cli.md) when you need terminal commands or local files.

Once your data is connected, try an [example workflow](/docs/getting-started/examples.md).