> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.podscan.fm/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# Getting Started with Podscan: Your First 10 Minutes

Welcome to Podscan! This guide walks you through the essential first steps to start monitoring podcasts and extracting value from the platform immediately.

## Step 1: Explore Your Dashboard (1 minute)

After logging in, you land on the **Dashboard** — your command center.

**What you'll see:**
* Recent mentions across all your alerts (up to 10)
* Quick Actions section with tools like Smart Alert Wizard
* Navigation menu for all platform features

**Quick tip:** Bookmark the Dashboard as your starting point for daily monitoring.

## Step 2: Set Up Your First Alerts (3-5 minutes)

Alerts are the core of Podscan — they notify you when keywords appear in podcast transcripts.

### Option A: Smart Alert Wizard (Recommended for New Users)

1. Find **Smart Alert Wizard** in Dashboard Quick Actions
2. Enter your company name and description
3. Add competitors (optional but valuable)
4. Review the 10 AI-generated alerts
5. Create all alerts at once

This gives you comprehensive coverage in under 3 minutes.

### Option B: Manual Alert Creation

1. Go to **Alerts** in the navigation
2. Click **Add New Alert**
3. Name your alert (e.g., "Brand Mentions")
4. Add filter keywords (your brand name, variations, common misspellings)
5. Configure notifications (email, webhook, or both)
6. Save

## Step 3: Run Your First Search (2 minutes)

Search shows you what's already been said about topics that matter to you.

1. Navigate to **Search**
2. Enter your brand name, competitor, or industry topic
3. Browse results across:
* **Episodes**: Specific content mentions
* **Podcasts**: Shows covering your topic
* **People and Brands**: Individuals and companies mentioned
* **Topics**: Trending discussion themes

**Quick tip:** Use quotes for exact phrases: "your brand name"

## Step 4: Create Your First List (1 minute)

Lists help you organize and track content over time.

1. Go to **Lists**
2. Click **New List**
3. Name it (e.g., "Competitor Podcasts" or "Partnership Opportunities")
4. Start adding items using the "Add to List" button that appears throughout Podscan

## Step 5: Configure Notifications (2 minutes)

Make sure you receive alerts when they matter.

1. Go to **Alerts** → Edit any alert
2. Scroll to **Notifications**
3. Configure your preferences:
* **Email notifications**: Toggle on, set recipient email
* **Summary emails**: Daily, weekly, or monthly digests
* **Webhooks**: For Slack, Zapier, or custom integrations

**Email limits:** Default is 10/hour, 25/day. Contact support if you need higher limits.

## Essential Navigation Guide

| Section | Use For |
| ---- |
| **Dashboard** | Daily check-in, recent mentions |
| **Alerts** | Managing monitoring keywords |
| **Search** | On-demand content discovery |
| **Lists** | Organizing research and tracking |
| **Demographics** | Finding podcasts by audience |
| **Charts** | Competitive rankings |
| **Topics** | Trend analysis |

## Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with basics:

### Week 1
* Fine-tune alert restrictions to reduce noise
* Add competitor podcasts to a tracking List
* Explore the Demographics section

### Week 2
* Set up context-aware questions for ambiguous terms
* Connect webhooks to Slack or your workflow tools
* Try the Smart Alert Builder for natural language alerts

### Month 1
* Review alert performance and adjust
* Build Lists for different projects
* Export data for reporting

## Getting Help

* **Knowledge Base**: You're here! Browse other articles for detailed features.
* **Chat Support**: Click "Chat with us" on any help page
* **Email**: Contact support through the platform

## Quick Wins

**Find out if anyone's talking about you:**
Search for your brand name and review recent mentions.

**Track a competitor:**
Create an alert for their brand name with context-aware filtering.

**Discover guest opportunities:**
Search your topic in People and Brands, sort by "Most guesting."

**Build a media list:**
Use Demographics to filter for your target audience, add results to a List.

## Common First-Day Questions

**How do I stop getting irrelevant alerts?**
Edit your alert → Add restrictions (categories, languages) → Use context-aware questions.

**How far back does search go?**
Podscan indexes millions of episodes. Historical depth varies by podcast.

**Can my team see my alerts?**
Lists and alerts are team-visible by default. Check visibility settings to adjust.

**What if a podcast I care about isn't in Podscan?**
Use the "Suggest podcast" feature in the API section to submit its RSS feed.

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You're ready to start! The best way to learn Podscan is to explore — click around, try searches, and set up alerts for topics you care about.