# Set up your messaging project Create an Airship account and project so you can start sending messages. This page walks you from a brand-new Airship account through creating a messaging project. Configuring channels is largely a developer step. Once your project has at least one configured channel, you'll be ready to send your first message. ## Set up your account New accounts start on our free plan, and you can [upgrade to a more feature-rich paid plan at any time](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/account/company-and-plan/#changing-your-airship-plan). Follow these steps to create your Airship account:
  1. Create an Airship account on go.airship.com  or go.airship.eu . Make sure your Region selection matches the location where you want your data to be hosted.
  2. Check your inbox for a verification email from Airship and click Activate account to open the account setup page.
  3. Set up a password.
Now you can enter an email address to request a magic link to install our [1st Flight app](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/try-airship/) or skip. After either choice, your next screen is your [Dashboard](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#dashboard), where you can create a messaging project. > **Tip:** After creating an Airship account, you can access [Flight School](https://www.airship.com/blog/fast-track-your-airship-expertise-and-value-creation-with-flight-school/) to take training courses and complete our Certification Track. > > Select the help icon () in the dashboard header, then **Flight School**. Or you can go directly to [https://flightschool.airship.com/](https://flightschool.airship.com/). ## Add team members Invite team members directly to a messaging project and assign an [access level](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/messaging/teams-and-access/#access-levels) for that project. Only Company account Owners and team members with Administrator permission can send invitations and change access. For procedures, see [Manage messaging teams and access](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/messaging/teams-and-access/). Some actions, such as creating or deleting projects, viewing billing, and modifying login security settings, require Owner permission. By default, each company account has a single Owner. To add additional Owners or transfer ownership, see [Adding or changing a Company account Owner](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/account/company-and-plan/#adding-or-changing-a-company-account-owner). ## Create a messaging project Create a new project from the top-level dashboard: 1. Select **Create project**, then **Messaging project**. 1. Enter details about your project: * **Project Name** — You can edit this at any time. If your organization runs multiple projects, adopt a descriptive naming convention so teammates can find it. Examples: "Anytown News iOS — Development" or "McDowell's Chicago Android — Production". * **Icon (Optional)** — Upload your icon. This does not have to be the same icon you submit to app marketplaces, but that is the typical practice. * **Type** — Specify whether this project is live or for testing. If this is your first time configuring a project for Airship, you should choose **Test**. **This setting cannot be changed later.** Eventually you'll want both a Test build for sending test messages and a Live build for messaging customers. Apple treats production and development servers separately, so a device token from a testing sandbox won't work in production. See [iOS Channel Configuration](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/developers/configure-channels/#ios-channel-configuration). * **Industry** — Select an industry type and sub-industry. These are used for reporting. * **Website URL (Optional)** — Enter your homepage URL to provide context for [Audience Pulse](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/audience/segmentation/audience-pulse/) AI recommendations. 1. Select **Create project**. ### Managing projects After creating a messaging project, you can access its details, and edit or delete the project. Next to your project name, select the dropdown menu (), then **Project details**. From there you can view the following information: * Project name * Industry * App key * Secret — Requires access level [Owner, Administrator, or Full access](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/messaging/teams-and-access/#access-levels) * Master Secret — Requires access level [Owner or Administrator](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/messaging/teams-and-access/#access-levels) To edit the name, icon, or industry, select **Edit project details**, make your changes, and select **Save project details**. To delete your project, select **Delete project**. > **Warning:** When you delete a project: > > * All messages are deleted, including any scheduled or ongoing messages. > * All analytics are deleted. > * All channels are uninstalled. > * After 90 days, data related to the deleted project is purged. > > This action is irreversible. ## Configure channels Configuring a channel connects Airship to a delivery platform. Airship provisions email and SMS for you. See [Provision Account](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/api-integrations/email/getting-started/#provision-account) and [Configure your project](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/api-integrations/sms/getting-started/#configure-your-project) in the email and SMS *Getting Started* documentation. A developer sets up the remaining channels. App and web channels require integrating the Airship SDK. Set up each channel you plan to use: | Channel | What's required | Resources | | --- | --- | --- | | **Apple**
(iOS / iPadOS / visionOS / tvOS) | Add an APNs token or certificate to Airship, then integrate the SDK. | [Configuring Mobile Channels](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/developers/configure-channels/) and [Install and Set Up the Apple SDK](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/sdk-integration/apple/installation/getting-started/) | | **Android**
(FCM / HMS) | Add Firebase (FCM) service account credentials and/or Huawei (HMS) client ID and secret to Airship, then integrate the SDK. | [Configuring Mobile Channels](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/developers/configure-channels/) and [Install and Set Up the Android SDK](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/sdk-integration/android/installation/getting-started/) | | **Fire OS**
(ADM) | Add Amazon Device Messaging credentials to Airship, then integrate the SDK. | [Configuring Mobile Channels](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/developers/configure-channels/) and [Install and Set Up the Android SDK](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/sdk-integration/android/installation/getting-started/) | | **Web** | Set web push defaults, then install the SDK on your site. | [Web Getting Started](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/sdk-integration/web/getting-started/) | | **Open Channels** | Stand up a webhook server, then configure the Open Channel in the dashboard. | [Open Channels Getting Started](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/api-integrations/open/getting-started/) | For cross-platform frameworks, such as React Native, Flutter, and Cordova, see [Install and integrate Airship Mobile & Web SDKs](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/sdk-integration/). ## Next steps After at least one channel is configured, go to [Send your first message](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/messaging/send-first-message/). You will send to a [Test Group](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#preview_test_groups), so you only need your own test recipients, not your full audience. You add each test recipient by an ID. For app and web, that ID is a [Channel ID](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#channel_id), which is ready once the SDK is integrated. For email, you can add any address. For SMS and Open Channels, the recipient must already be registered in your project. See the following: - [Register SMS Users](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/api-integrations/sms/getting-started/#register-sms-users) in SMS *Getting Started* - [Register a Channel to Your Open Platform](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/api-integrations/open/getting-started/#register-a-channel-to-your-open-platform) in Open Channels *Getting Started* If you are migrating an existing Twilio SMS or SendGrid email program to Airship, see [Twilio and SendGrid activation](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/messaging/twilio-sendgrid/).