You join i-consult by accepting an email invitation, then completing a short multi-step setup form. This guide walks you through both, and covers what to do if you can't find your invite.

```callout kind="info"
**Before you start**

- Your invitation is an **email link**, valid for **30 days**.
- Invitations are sent by the Akuru team; they are **not** sent automatically.
- Have your professional details handy: title, specialty, practice name, and location.
```

## Find your invitation

Look in your email inbox for the i-consult invitation. If you can't find it, check your spam or junk folder first.

```callout kind="info"
**"Where's my invite?"** Invitations are not auto-sent. Someone at Akuru sends them, and they can be resent. If yours hasn't arrived, or the 30-day link has expired, contact the Akuru team and ask them to resend it. A resent invitation supersedes any earlier one.
```

## Complete the setup form

Open the invitation link and work through the steps.

```steps
1. On the **Welcome to i-consult** step, fill in your profile: **Full Name**, **Professional Title**, **Specialty**, **Practice Name**, and **Location**. Tick the terms checkbox, then select **Continue**.
2. On the **Consultation defaults** step, set your **Focus Level**, **Days Before Appointment**, and your **Consultation Time** for New and Follow-up appointments. Select **Continue**.
3. On the **Integration** step, connect **Gentu** or **Genie** if you use one. This step is optional; you can skip it and set it up later in Settings.
4. Select **Accept Invitation** to finish.
```

```callout kind="info"
**Choosing your Focus Level.** This sets how the questionnaire is targeted by default:

- **Specialty Specific**: a targeted history for your specialty plus some background; balances specialty focus with general context.
- **Broad**: a comprehensive general medical history; good for GPs or initial assessments needing full background.
- **Referral Specific**: focuses on the history around the specific referral concern; best for specialists needing targeted referral information.
```

```callout kind="info"
**Days Before Appointment** controls when the patient receives their questionnaire link. The recommended default is **3 days**, which balances getting fresh information before a consult against rushing the patient. You can change it per patient later when you create an episode.
```

## What you'll see

When you finish, the **"Invitation Accepted"** screen confirms *"Your account is now active."* You can then log in to i-consult and start using it straight away.

You don't have to get every default perfect now. Everything you set here can be changed later in **Settings → Profile** under i-consult Preferences.

## If it doesn't work

- No invitation in your inbox → check spam/junk, then ask the Akuru team to resend it. Invites are not auto-sent.
- The link says it has expired → invitations are valid for 30 days; ask the Akuru team to resend a fresh one.
- You don't think you have i-consult access yet → see **Who can use i-consult?** to confirm your setup qualifies.

## Where to go next

- Now that you're set up, see **How i-consult fits your day**.
- Want to explore the optional dashboard? See **A tour of the i-consult dashboard**.