> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.teal.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Quickstart
> See Teal in action by building a real cash flow report.
Before following this guide, complete the steps in [Initial Setup](/guides/introduction/initial_setup).
1. Select a chart of accounts
Every Instance needs to have a [Chart of Accounts](/guides/platform/chart_of_accounts_config) (CoA). We provide you with default templates that you can use, which you can access in the [Developer Portal](https://developer.teal.dev) or via the [List all Chart of Accounts Templates](/api-reference/chart-of-accounts-templates/list-all-chart-of-accounts-templates) endpoint.
You can edit these templates in the [Developer Portal](https://developer.teal.dev) or via the API. You'll likely want to do this later when you get to creating a tailored chart of accounts based on your users' unique needs.
2. Create the Instance
Call the [Create Instance](/api-reference/instances/create-an-instance) endpoint. You can choose your parameters, but here are some suggestions:
* Use the `coa_template_id` that you copied from the previous step.
* Set your `entries_start` date to `2024-01-01T00:00:00Z`. This date indicates the beginning of the business' activity, or the migration date from another accounting system.
* Set your `subscription` to `tier3`. More on subscription tiers can be found [here](/guides/instances/overview#subscription-tier)
You won't be able to import any transactions or run any reports that have dates before the `entries_start` date.
You can read more about creating new Instances in the [Instances overview](/guides/instances/overview).
```Shell theme={null}
curl --request POST \
--url 'https://api.sandbox.teal.dev/v0/platform/instances' \
--header 'authorization: Bearer ' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"name": "ACME Goods Inc",
"accounting_package": "platformgl",
"coa_template_id": ,
"entries_start": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
"subscription": "tier3"
}'
```
1. Create a ledger
Create a ledger representing the bank account by calling the [Create Ledger](/api-reference/ledgers/create-a-ledger) endpoint. Set the `financial_account_type` to `bank_account`.
```Shell theme={null}
curl --request POST \
--url 'https://api.sandbox.teal.dev/v0/ledgers' \
--header 'authorization: Bearer ' \
--header 'teal-instance-id: ' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"sort_code": "1050",
"name": "Chase Checking 1234",
"ledger_type": "asset",
"debit_credit": "debit",
"financial_account_type": "bank_account",
"report_cash_flow": true
}'
```
2. Create a source account
[Create a Transaction Source Account](/api-reference/transaction-sources/create-a-source-account) and link it to the ledger using the `ledger_id`.
```Shell theme={null}
curl --request POST \
--url 'https://api.sandbox.teal.dev/v0/source-accounts/business' \
--header 'authorization: Bearer ' \
--header 'teal-instance-id: ' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"name": "Chase Checking 1234",
"ledger_id":
}'
```
3. Manually import transactions
Manually import transactions via the [Create Transactions](/api-reference/transactions/create-transactions) endpoint. For each transaction, we'll include an `amount` in a 2 decimal float, a `datetime` of when the transaction occurred, a `description` telling us about the transaction, and an `id` to prevent duplicate transactions.
We encourage you to prepare and submit a diverse set of banking transactions so that you can see Teal in action.
You can also use our native [Plaid integration](/guides/transactions/data_integrations) to automate the process of importing transactions to Teal.
```Shell theme={null}
curl --request POST \
--url https://api.sandbox.teal.dev/v0/source-accounts/{source_account_id}/transactions \
--header 'authorization: Bearer < token >' \
--header 'teal-instance-id: < instance_id >' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '[
{
"amount": -101.93,
"datetime": "2024-01-02T00:00:00Z",
"description": "COSTCO Wholesale",
"id":"txn_1",
},
{
"amount": 2218.23,
"datetime": "2024-01-04T00:00:00Z",
"description": "Deposit",
"id":"txn_2",
},
]'
```
Call the [Get Cash Flow Report](/api-reference/reports/retrieve-the-cash-flow-report) and select a `start_date` and an `end_date`.
```Shell theme={null}
curl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.sandbox.teal.dev/v0/reports/cash-flow?start_date=2024-01-01&end_date=2024-12-31' \
--header 'authorization: Bearer ' \
--header 'teal-instance-id: '
```
### Interpreting the cash flow report
The cash flow report will analyze all cash-bearing ledgers that have the `report_cash_flow` parameter. Here's how to interpret the report object:
* The `cash-flow-report` endpoint will return `starting_debit_balance` and `ending_debit_balance`. These are the total amounts of cash the business had across all financial account ledgers marked with the `report_cash_flow` parameter, on the report's `start_date` and `end_date`, respectively.
* The `starting_balances` and `ending_balances` objects will break down `starting_debit_balance` and `ending_debit_balance` by financial account ledger.
* The `cash_flow_ledgers` object contains the ledgers that contributed to changing the total cash balance over the reporting period and by how much. It also reports on the individual line items and journal entries that contributed to the change, if you want to provide the ability to provide further detail to the user.
* The changes reported by the `cash_flow_ledgers` object will equal exactly the difference between the `starting_debit_balance` and `ending_debit_balance` amounts.
* For more information on how to present this report to the end user in your front-end, check out our [cash flow report guide](/guides/reports/cash_flow_report).