> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.trycroissant.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Quickstart
> Go from zero to actionable signals in under five minutes
> Welcome to Croissant, the AI-powered product analytics platform that turns raw events into actionable signals.
This guide walks you through getting up and running. If you already track events with a PostHog-compatible SDK, you can plug Croissant in without changing a single line of instrumentation code.
**Here's what we'll cover:**
1. [What is Croissant?](#what-is-croissant)
2. [Create your account](#1-create-your-account)
3. [Generate an API key](#2-generate-an-api-key)
4. [Send your first events](#3-send-your-first-events)
5. [See signals appear](#4-see-signals-appear)
***
## What is Croissant?
Most analytics tools ask you to define dashboards, write queries, and decide what to look at **before** anything interesting happens. Croissant works the other way around.
You send us raw events — clicks, page views, purchases, signups, API calls, anything — and our backend does the heavy lifting:
1. **Events** are ingested and stored.
2. **Insights** are automatically generated by analyzing patterns across your event data.
3. **Signals** surface the things that actually matter. A signal is a self-explaining, plain-language notification like *"Checkout conversion dropped 18% in the last 24 hours"* or *"Power users in the Enterprise plan are churning faster than usual"*.
You don't need to configure funnels, set thresholds, or build dashboards upfront. Just send events, and Croissant tells you what you should pay attention to.
Croissant is **post-hoc compatible** — it works with events you already track. If you use a PostHog-compatible SDK, just swap the API host and key. No re-instrumentation required.
***
## 1. Create your account
Head over to [app.trycroissant.ai](https://app.trycroissant.ai) and sign up. You'll get an organization created automatically — this is the workspace where your events, insights, and signals live.
***
## 2. Generate an API key
Once you're logged in, navigate to **Settings** and create a new API key. This key is what authenticates your events against your organization.
Your API key is only shown once. Copy it and store it somewhere safe — you won't be able to retrieve it later.
***
## 3. Send your first events
Croissant exposes a PostHog-compatible ingestion endpoint. That means if you already use `posthog-js`, `posthog-python`, or any PostHog SDK, all you need to do is point it at Croissant.
### Option A — Using the PostHog JavaScript SDK
If you already have `posthog-js` installed, just update the host and key:
```javascript theme={null}
import posthog from "posthog-js";
posthog.init("", {
api_host: "https://api.trycroissant.ai",
});
```
That's it. Every `posthog.capture()` call now flows into Croissant.
### Option B — Using a plain HTTP request
You can also send events directly with any HTTP client:
```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.trycroissant.ai/i/v0/e/ \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"api_key": "",
"event": "user_signed_up",
"distinct_id": "user-42",
"properties": {
"plan": "pro",
"source": "landing_page"
}
}'
```
### Option C — Batch ingestion
For higher throughput, send events in batches:
```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.trycroissant.ai/batch/ \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"api_key": "",
"batch": [
{
"event": "page_viewed",
"distinct_id": "user-42",
"properties": { "page": "/pricing" }
},
{
"event": "button_clicked",
"distinct_id": "user-42",
"properties": { "button": "upgrade_now" }
}
]
}'
```
You don't need to define event schemas ahead of time. Croissant automatically discovers the structure of your events as they arrive.
***
## 4. See signals appear
Once events start flowing in, Croissant gets to work behind the scenes:
1. **Event definitions** are created automatically — Croissant samples your event payloads, infers their schemas, and catalogs every event type.
2. **Insights** are generated by AI agents that analyze your data and build meaningful queries.
3. **Signals** are produced when those insights reveal something worth your attention — a trend change, an anomaly, an opportunity.
Open your [Croissant dashboard](https://app.trycroissant.ai) and head to the **Signals** page. Each signal includes:
* A **title** that summarizes what happened in plain language
* A **severity** so you know how urgent it is
* A **recommendation** on what to do next
* The **evidence** backing it up
You can also use the built-in **Chat** to ask questions about your data in natural language.
***
## Key concepts
Raw data points you send to Croissant — user actions, system events, transactions, anything with a name and properties.
Automatically generated analytical queries that Croissant builds from your event data to track key metrics over time.
Plain-language, actionable notifications that tell you what changed and why it matters. Think of them as an always-on analyst watching your data.
Ask questions about your data in natural language. Croissant translates your question into a query and returns an answer.
***
## Next steps
See your events, insights, and signals in real time.
Dive deeper into configuration, customization, and advanced features.
**Need help?** Reach out to us at [hi@trycroissant.ai](mailto:hi@trycroissant.ai).