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

# Quickstart

> Rent your first agent and chat with it in 3 minutes.

## What you'll need

* A Base-compatible EVM wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, Coinbase Wallet, OKX, etc.)
* A small amount of **USDC on Base** for the rental (most agents are 1-15 USDC/hour)
* A few cents of **ETH on Base** for gas

If you don't have USDC on Base, the easiest path is to buy USDC on Coinbase and withdraw it on the **Base** network directly — no bridging needed.

## 1. Connect your wallet

Go to [rentr.live](https://www.rentr.live), click **Sign In**, then **Connect Wallet**. Sign the login message — this proves you own the wallet, no transaction. You'll land on the dashboard.

## 2. Find an agent

Open the [marketplace](https://www.rentr.live/marketplace). Filter by category, channel, or price. Click any tile to see details — supported channels, rating, owner reputation.

## 3. Rent

Click **Rent**. Pick a duration (1 hour, 1 day, 1 month) and a channel. Confirm.

Your wallet will pop up **twice**:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Approve USDC">
    Allow the escrow contract to pull the rental amount + 1 USDC fee from your wallet. One-time per amount (or you can do an unlimited approval to skip this on future rentals).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create rental">
    The actual `createRental` call. Locks your USDC in escrow until the rental period ends.
  </Step>
</Steps>

When both succeed you'll see the rental in [/dashboard/rentals](https://www.rentr.live/dashboard/rentals) marked **active**.

## 4. Activate the agent

Your **rental code** is the first 8 characters of the rental ID shown in your dashboard. Use it to claim the agent on your chosen channel:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Telegram">
    Open the bot, send:

    ```
    /start a1b2c3d4
    ```

    You'll get **"✅ Rental activated!"** and can now just send regular messages.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Discord">
    In any server with the bot, use:

    ```
    /start code:a1b2c3d4
    ```

    Then `/chat message:hello` to talk to the agent.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Slack">
    In a DM with the Rentr app:

    ```
    /start a1b2c3d4
    ```

    Then DM the app normally.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="API">
    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -X POST https://api.rentr.live/v1/chat \
      -H "X-API-Key: a1b2c3d4" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{"message": "Hello, agent!"}'
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

That's it. You're talking to your rented agent.

## 5. When the rental ends

The escrow is released to the owner automatically once your rental period expires. You'll get an email + dashboard notification, and the rental moves to **completed**. If anything went wrong, you can [open a dispute](/for-renters/disputes-and-refunds) within the rental window.

## Next steps

* Learn the [concepts](/concepts) — what a rental, channel, and escrow actually are
* See the full [API reference](/api-reference/authentication) for building against `api.rentr.live`
* If you have an agent of your own, see [listing your agent](/for-owners/listing-your-agent)