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

# Account setup

> The one-time setup every Ionic integration needs, plus the settings each product adds.

Set up your account once, in Sandbox, before you build an integration.

## Steps for every integration

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in to the Dashboard in Sandbox">
    Sign in to the [Dashboard](https://app.ionicfi.com) and select **Sandbox**
    in the mode switch. Everything you build there uses test keys, [test cards](/guides/test-cards),
    and simulated terminals, and moves no money.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a test secret key">
    In **Developers → API keys**, create a secret key. Your server sends it in
    the `Authorization` header of every API request. Test secret keys start
    with `sk_v1_test_`. See [Authentication](/guides/authentication).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Invite your team">
    In **Settings → Team**, invite teammates by email as an **Owner** or
    **Admin**, so the people who build and run your payments have access.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a webhook endpoint">
    Open **Webhooks** and add the HTTPS endpoint that receives your events.
    Your server verifies each event with the endpoint's signing secret
    before acting on it. See the [webhooks quickstart](/webhooks/quickstart).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Additional steps by product

### Ionic Blocks and embedded checkout

Register each website origin that shows the payment form in
**Developers → Web domains**, once per mode. The scheme, hostname, and port
must match, and `http://` is accepted for `localhost` only. See
[Build a payment page](/guides/payment-fields) and
[Embedded checkout](/guides/embedded-checkout).

### Apple Pay

Apple Pay is enabled per account. Request it during onboarding or through
support. Hosted checkout, payment links, and hosted invoices show it once it is
enabled. Embedded checkout also needs your domain registered for Apple Pay and
Apple's association file served on it. See
[Apple Pay](/guides/apple-pay).

### Google Pay

Hosted checkout, payment links, and hosted invoices show Google Pay for
one-time payments, with no domain to register. Google Pay requires payment processing that supports it. Ask Ionic support to confirm it for your account. See [Google Pay](/guides/google-pay).

### In-person payments

Every test account includes two test locations and three simulated terminals,
so you can build before hardware arrives. For a physical terminal, create a
location and request hardware for it. See
[Accept in-person payments](/guides/in-person-payments).

### Connect platforms

Ionic enables Connect for your platform, and test mode is available as soon as
it is enabled. Then:

1. Create platform keys in **Connect → API keys**.
2. Add the domains your app returns users to, and your payment websites, in
   **Connect → Domains**.
3. Create an onboarding link in **Connect → Onboarding → Links**.

See [How Connect works](/guides/connect-overview) and
[Connect a new merchant](/guides/hosted-account-links).

## Before you go live

Live payments need an account activated for live payments, live keys, and live
copies of your domains and webhook endpoints. See
[Going live](/guides/going-live).

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/guides/authentication">
    Choose the right key for each part of your integration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="play" href="/quickstart">
    Create a hosted checkout session and take a test payment.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhooks quickstart" icon="play" href="/webhooks/quickstart">
    Verify each event's signature and fulfill orders from it.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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