Account Setup

This guide covers everything you need to know about setting up and managing your Girard account, from initial registration to advanced configuration.

Creating Your Account

Sign Up Options

Girard supports multiple authentication methods:

1. Email & Password

   • Enter your email address
   • Create a secure password (minimum 8 characters)
   • Verify your email via the confirmation link

2. Google Sign-In

   • Click "Continue with Google"
   • Select your Google account
   • Authorize Girard access

3. GitHub Sign-In

   • Click "Continue with GitHub"
   • Authorize the Girard application
   • Your account is created automatically

Account Security

We recommend enabling additional security measures:

• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) - Add an extra layer of security
• Session Management - Review and revoke active sessions
• Password Requirements - Use strong, unique passwords

Organization Setup

Girard uses organizations to manage teams and billing:

Creating an Organization

1. After signing up, you'll be prompted to create an organization
2. Enter your organization details:
   • Name: Your company or team name
   • Slug: URL-friendly identifier (e.g., my-company)
3. You become the Owner of the organization

Organization Roles

Inviting Team Members

1. Navigate to Settings > Team
2. Click Invite Member
3. Enter email addresses (one per line)
4. Select a role for the invitees
5. Click Send Invites

Invitees receive an email with a link to join your organization.

Profile Settings

Personal Information

Update your profile in Settings:

• Display Name - How your name appears in the app
• Avatar - Upload a profile picture
• Email - Your primary email address
• Timezone - For accurate timestamps

Notification Preferences

Configure how you receive notifications:

• Email Notifications

  • Generation completions
  • Credit alerts
  • Team invitations
  • Product updates

• In-App Notifications

  • Real-time alerts
  • System announcements

Billing Configuration

Choosing a Plan

Girard offers flexible plans:

Setting Up Billing

1. Navigate to Settings > Billing
2. Click Upgrade Plan
3. Select your desired plan
4. Enter payment details:
   • Credit/debit card
   • PayPal (where available)
5. Confirm subscription

Managing Payment Methods

• Add multiple payment methods
• Set a default payment method
• View payment history
• Download invoices

Credit Management

• Purchase Additional Credits - Top up anytime
• Auto-Refill - Automatically purchase credits when low
• Credit Alerts - Get notified when credits are running low

API Keys

Generating API Keys

For programmatic access to Girard:

1. Navigate to Settings > API Keys
2. Click Generate New Key
3. Enter a descriptive name
4. Set expiration (optional)
5. Click Create

Important: Copy your API key immediately. It won't be shown again.

API Key Security

Best practices for API key management:

# Store in environment variables, not in code
export GIRARDAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

# Use in your application
const apiKey = process.env.GIRARDAI_API_KEY;

• Never commit API keys to version control
• Rotate keys regularly for enhanced security
• Use separate keys for development and production
• Revoke compromised keys immediately

Key Permissions

API keys inherit your organization's plan limits:

• Rate limits based on plan
• Access to enabled features
• Credit consumption tracked

Webhooks

Configure webhooks to receive real-time notifications:

Setting Up Webhooks

1. Navigate to Settings > Webhooks
2. Click Add Webhook
3. Configure:
   • URL: Your endpoint URL
   • Events: Select events to receive
   • Secret: Signing secret for verification

Available Events

• generation.completed - When content generation finishes
• generation.failed - When generation fails
• credits.low - When credits fall below threshold
• workflow.completed - When workflow execution completes

Webhook Payload

{
  "event": "generation.completed",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "data": {
    "id": "gen_abc123",
    "type": "image",
    "status": "completed",
    "url": "https://storage.girardai.com/..."
  }
}

Verifying Webhooks

Verify webhook authenticity using the signature:

import crypto from 'crypto';

function verifyWebhook(payload: string, signature: string, secret: string): boolean {
  const expected = crypto
    .createHmac('sha256', secret)
    .update(payload)
    .digest('hex');
  return crypto.timingSafeEqual(
    Buffer.from(signature),
    Buffer.from(expected)
  );
}

Data & Privacy

Data Retention

• Generated Content: Stored for 30 days (configurable)
• Chat History: Stored until deleted
• Usage Logs: Retained for 90 days

Exporting Your Data

Request a data export:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy
2. Click Request Data Export
3. Receive download link via email

Deleting Your Account

To delete your account:

1. Go to Settings > Account
2. Scroll to Danger Zone
3. Click Delete Account
4. Confirm deletion

Warning: Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Can't sign in?

• Check your email and password
• Try resetting your password
• Clear browser cookies

Not receiving emails?

• Check spam/junk folder
• Add noreply@girardai.com to contacts
• Verify email address is correct

Organization not loading?

• Refresh the page
• Check your internet connection
• Contact support if issue persists

Getting Help

• Documentation: You're here!
• Support: support@girardai.com
• Status Page: status.girardai.com

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