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

# Quickstart

> Connect your wallet, follow your first whale, and receive your first signal in under 5 minutes.

## Prerequisites

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="A Telegram account">
    The terminal operates entirely within Telegram. No web interface required for trading.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A funded Polygon wallet (for live trading)">
    You need a Polygon wallet with USDC to execute real trades. Paper trading mode is available with a \$10,000 virtual balance — no wallet needed to start.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Step 1 — Start the Bot

Open Telegram, find the bot, and send `/start`. You'll see the main menu with all available actions.

```
/start
```

## Step 2 — Choose Your Mode

<CodeGroup>
  ```text Paper Trading (Recommended to Start) theme={null}
  Uses a $10,000 virtual balance.
  All signals, patterns, and notifications are identical to real mode.
  Zero risk — perfect for learning the system.
  Enable via: /settings → Trading Mode → Paper
  ```

  ```text Live Trading theme={null}
  Uses your real Polygon wallet and USDC balance.
  FOK orders first, automatic GTC fallback.
  Enable via: /settings → Trading Mode → Live
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Step 3 — Add Wallets to Track

You have two separate wallet tracking features:

```
Main Menu → Follow Wallets   — Notification-only. Get alerted when wallets trade.
Main Menu → Copy Trade       — Auto-execute. Bot mirrors positions in real-time.
```

<Note>
  The **Intersection Pattern** requires at least 2 followed wallets to fire. We recommend starting with 5–10 known whale addresses from the apeindex.trade leaderboard.
</Note>

You can also add wallets instantly via deep-links:

* `t.me/bot?start=follow_0xADDRESS` — adds to Follow Wallets
* `t.me/bot?start=copy_0xADDRESS` — adds to Copy Trade

## Step 4 — Start Monitoring

Hit **▶ Start Monitoring** from the main menu. The terminal immediately begins scanning every 30 seconds.

```
/monitor
```

<Check>
  You're live. Signals will arrive within the next monitoring cycle. Each signal includes an AI Score (1–100), visual bar, and one-tap trade entry.
</Check>

## Step 5 — Act on Signals

Every signal notification includes:

| Button               | Action                                      |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Enter Trade**      | Pre-filled trade entry — review and confirm |
| **Skip**             | Dismiss without action                      |
| **Add to Watchlist** | Track price without trading                 |
| **View Market**      | Open market detail screen                   |

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card icon="bolt" href="/docs/core/signal-detection" title="All 8 Patterns">
    Deep dive into every detection pattern and when each fires.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="star" href="/docs/core/signal-scoring" title="Signal Scores">
    Learn how the 1–100 composite score is calculated.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>