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

# Quickstart

> Install the Paubox CLI, authenticate, and send your first email in under five minutes.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the CLI">
    Install the Paubox CLI globally with npm:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npm install -g paubox-cli
    ```

    Verify the install:

    ```bash theme={null}
    paubox --version
    ```

    For Homebrew (macOS) and Windows (winget) install options, see [Installation](/cli/installation).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Authenticate">
    Run `auth login` and enter your Paubox API credentials when prompted:

    ```bash theme={null}
    paubox auth login
    ```

    ```
    ? Paubox API username: your_endpoint_username
    ? Paubox API key: ********************************
    ✓ Credentials verified and saved.
    ```

    Your API key and username are stored securely in your OS keychain. To get credentials, see [Authentication](/cli/authentication).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send an email">
    Send your first encrypted email:

    ```bash theme={null}
    paubox send \
      --to patient@example.com \
      --from provider@yourclinic.com \
      --subject "Your appointment summary" \
      --html "<p>Thank you for visiting us today.</p>"
    ```

    On success, the CLI prints a tracking ID:

    ```
    ✓ Email sent. Tracking ID: abc123-def456
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check delivery status">
    Pass the tracking ID to `paubox status`:

    ```bash theme={null}
    paubox status abc123-def456
    ```

    ```
    Recipient              Status      Delivered At          Opened  Opened At
    patient@example.com    delivered   2026-05-24 09:14 UTC  Yes     2026-05-24 09:17 UTC
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

* [Installation](/cli/installation): install on other platforms or verify system requirements
* [Commands](/cli/commands): full reference for every command and global option