---
title: How do I start using CorekChat and what do I need ready
updated: 2026-10-06
canonical: https://corekchat.com/ayuda/en/como-empieza
---

## What you need on hand

Three things:

- Your menu with prices.
- Your opening hours.
- The WhatsApp number your customers write to.

That's it. **We don't ask for a card to get started.**

## Create your account

You open it at **https://corekchat.com/register**.

We ask for four things: your restaurant's name, your name, your email and a
password. It takes less than a minute and you're in. We don't ask for a card and
you don't have to talk to anyone to get started: you open the account yourself.

If you already have an account and just want to sign in, go to
**https://corekchat.com/login**.

## Load your menu

This is the step that takes the longest, so there are three ways to do it and
you pick the one that suits you:

**With photos of your menu.** You upload photos of your menu and the system
extracts the categories, dishes and prices. Then you review what it understood
and confirm it: nothing is saved until you approve it. It's the fastest way if
your menu is printed or in an image.

**With a spreadsheet.** You can download a template, fill it in and upload it.
It works well when you already have your menu in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet
holds everything about a dish: price, stock, allergens, ingredients, calories,
sizes, add-ons and the layers of the 4D view, each on its own sheet. Before
importing, you see what each product brings and which rows have errors.

**By hand.** Category by category and dish by dish. It's the slowest option, but
for a short menu it's perfectly reasonable.

Whichever path you choose, you can edit everything afterwards: prices,
descriptions, photos, what sold out.

(Captura del sistema, sólo para clientes: The Menu section, with products grouped by category and their price)

## Connect WhatsApp

You do it from «Configuraciones → Integraciones» (Settings → Integrations).
There are two ways and they take very different amounts of time; they're
explained in detail in the guide on how WhatsApp gets connected.

(Captura del sistema, sólo para clientes: The Integrations section of Settings, with WhatsApp, WhatsApp Cloud API and the web widget)

## Try it out

This is the step that will convince you, and it takes two minutes: grab your
personal phone and write to your own restaurant, the way a customer would. Ask
about the menu, the opening hours, put together an order.

You'll see the agent answering with your dishes and your prices. If something
sounds different from how you want it to talk, you can adjust it.

Haven't connected WhatsApp yet? You can still try it: the «Probar agente» (Test
agent) section in the side menu is a practice chat with the same agent, and next
to it you'll find its settings — the tone, the welcome message and your business
rules. Whatever you write there doesn't reach any customer.

(Captura del sistema, sólo para clientes: The Test agent screen: a practice chat on the left and the agent's settings on the right)

## How long it all takes

It depends almost entirely on the menu. With your menu in photos and a regular
menu, an afternoon is enough to be up and running. If your menu is very large or
has many variants and add-ons, plan for more time.

Everything else — creating the account, loading hours, connecting WhatsApp — is
a matter of minutes.

## Do I need someone who knows about technology?

No.

We say it that briefly because it's the doubt that holds people back the most.
Everything is done from a screen, typing and choosing options. There's nothing
to install on your computer and nothing to program.

If you get stuck at any point, someone on the team is there to help you.

## What happens when the trial ends

Everything you loaded stays: your menu, your hours, your contacts and your
conversations. When you choose a plan, you pick up exactly where you left off.

If you decide not to continue, your information isn't used for anything. Ask us
for it and we'll give it to you.