---
title: Your first file in five steps
description: "Follow the five steps on the Get set up card, from adding your works to preparing your first file."
keywords: [get set up, first file, five steps, checklist, getting started, first time, setup progress]
---

The **Get set up** card at the top of **Today** lists five steps from an empty workspace to your first prepared file. It marks the step to do now and counts the ones that are done. Work down the card in order. Each step below links to the page that covers it in full.

## Before you start

Only owners and editors see the buttons on the card. If you can only look, the card shows your progress without buttons. [What the Workspace is](/docs/workspace/) explains the difference.

![The Get set up card on Today in a new workspace, with step 1, Add your works, marked Now and the four other steps still to come.](/docs/img/workspace/get-set-up.png)

## The five steps

1. **Add your works**. Press **Add a work** to add one by hand, or choose **Import a file (CSV, TSV, Excel or CWR)**. A work does not have to be complete to be saved. Once you have saved some, the step shows how many. See [Ways to add works](/docs/workspace/add-works/).
2. **Choose your societies**. Press **Choose societies**, which opens **Settings**. Your works are saved without this, but they are checked only for the [societies](/docs/cwr/glossary#society) you choose. See [Societies](/docs/workspace/settings/societies).
3. **Add your publisher details**. Press **Add details**, which also opens **Settings**. You need your publisher name and [IPI](/docs/cwr/glossary#ipi) number before you can prepare a file. See [Publisher details](/docs/workspace/settings/publisher-details).
4. **Fix what is missing**. Press **Fix works** to open the works that need information. See [Fix problems on a work](/docs/workspace/catalogue/fix-problems).
5. **Prepare and send a file**. Press **Choose works**, which opens **Catalogue**. Choose the works for the file and prepare it. See [Prepare a file](/docs/workspace/files/prepare).

## What you will see

- A progress bar labelled **Setup progress** counts the steps done, for example 2 of 5 done.
- Each step has a badge: **Done**, **Now** for the step to do next, or **Step** and its number for steps still to come.
- Only the step marked **Now** has a button.
- If you are an owner or editor, the card's button is the one main button on Today until steps 1 to 3 are done, and the **Your next step** panel is hidden. After that, the panel comes back and the card's button is quieter.
- Step 4 reads "Nothing missing" when no work needs information. It counts as done only once you have chosen societies, because works are not checked until then.
- When all five steps are done, the card disappears.

## Preparing a file is not the last step

The card counts step 5 as done as soon as a file is prepared. TrackForge sends nothing itself. You download the file, send it to the society yourself and record that you sent it. Until you do, Today lists the file under **Files in progress**. See [Download, send and record](/docs/workspace/files/send) and [Upload a response](/docs/workspace/files/upload-a-response).

## If something goes wrong

- **A step has no button.** You are view-only, or it is not the step marked **Now**. Only the current step has a button.
- **Step 4 is not marked done though nothing seems missing.** Check step 2. Works are checked only for the societies you choose.
- **The card has gone.** All five steps are done. Use [What needs you next](/docs/workspace/today/needs-you) to see what is left to do.

## Related

- [Finding your way around](/docs/workspace/finding-your-way)
- [What Today shows](/docs/workspace/today/)
- [What the statuses mean](/docs/workspace/catalogue/statuses)