![180510 Sndbox Thumbnail-18.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbjmWSpRMS5RGTVddD8cs7q7smCrz5nqE36mdWF2SHPKL/180510%20Sndbox%20Thumbnail-18.png)

## <center>Steemit Quick Start Guide</center>
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**Welcome! You finally made it.** You’re here and ready to dive into the first social media website powered by blockchain technology. Steemit.com is just that, an application fueled by a cryptocurrency called Steem. While this place might look similar to Medium.com or Reddit.com, there’s a lot of incredible gears churning under the hood that makes Steemit a different kind of social experience. Through Steemit.com, content creators and curators earn cryptocurrency simply by publishing content (posts, videos, music) or by upvoting the content of others. This is the first social media application to merge your engagement with cryptocurrency. Best of all, it’s completely free to use and the ecosystem of tools and media is growing by the day.

So enough talk, let’s get right to the action. **Here is a guide to get you started:**


## Save your Password
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Remember that long password that was generated for you after signing up? It's something like 52 character long and looks a lot like this:

<center>`P5KMpYPGmVMkWgaDBX337eo3nULEq3MwrEtURydXbdS213exrKbx`</center>

 Write it down on paper and keep it in a safe place. Do not share it online or in person, treat this “key” as you would the key to your house or car. Don’t share it or publish it anywhere.

![180510 Icons-19.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNgx8TBruc1u3CX4ET9L5WUJNSDzKJBT1kFHBaa5AvznT/180510%20Icons-19.png) | **Important!** Your Steemit password is not like most passwords. If you lose it, it’s gone.
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## Upvotes
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Upvotes are Steemit's way of saying you like and support someone's post or comment. **Upvoting is free** and *does not* remove anything from your wallet. To upvote, click on the Upvote icon at the bottom of the comment or post.


![180417 Icons-17.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZSfRXtVo47q4vyqLuzxi4xjcVenrUwRcUqN8KHoTZU75/180417%20Icons-17.png) | [How an Upvote Works](https://steemit.com/toolkit/@sndbox/what-is-a-steemit-upvote-an-illustrated-guide-to-rewards) - A guide explaining where the money and rewards come from.
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## Comments
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When you are exploring Steemit for the first time, try engaging with people. Kick up a new discussion, provide feedback or an idea. Remember, you can earn Steem through comments too! To create a comment - click on the "Reply" link at the bottom of the comment or post window.

![180417 Icons-01.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVMENg1WqUwm9SqLLXnjcYzjd2fnAE1nr5ca9p6evGtN6/180417%20Icons-01.png) | Don't be shy. Remember, Steem is a new social network. Building community is hard work!
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## Create A Post
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To create a post, click on the "Pencil" button in the upper right corner. All posts have three main parts: Title, Content, Tags. 

First and foremost, make sure your title is clear and attention grabbing. Your title and your the first image in your post (referred to as the "thumbnail") become a billboard for your content. So experiment with it and see what works best! The tags (hashtags) will help others discover your content. Each post can carry up to five tags. Make sure each of your tags are relevant to the content published within the post. You can refer to the trending list of tags on the Steemit homepage to see which ones can help your content get more exposure.

![180510 Icons-20.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWQWtLRhryU8oi1mrmR1pPZkz16JHkjSyn13Hhy2NZDsF/180510%20Icons-20.png) | Explore the #introduceyourself tag to see what newcomers are saying. Try your own!
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## Followers and Feeds
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To follow an author, click the "Follow" button next to their username. Once you follow someone, all of their posts will show up in your "Feed". As other Steemians come across your posts and comments, you will start to gain followers. You can see all of your followers and the people you are following in your profile page.

![180510 Icons-21.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVomeFgSNiFjEMux7zCAi2py9nYhK7LdW5y5e8tgYvzsy/180510%20Icons-21.png) | Share a post! If you want to share someone else's content, click on the resteem icon.
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## Your Wallet
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The wallet tab is your very own Steemit bank account. Here, you can keep track of how much STEEM and SBD you’ve earned, transfer it to other users, deposit or withdraw. Everything in your wallet - numbers, transactions, and other activity - is open for the public to see. 

STEEM, Steem Power and Steem Dollars are the three forms of digital currency used by the Steem Blockchain.

![180417 Icons-06.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRQqoKfFDwCNEgMqVPTFP9vXT3op4YXq9bbMyMyd2MaUz/180417%20Icons-06.png) | [Steemit Wallet](https://steemit.com/steemit/@sndbox/steemit-wallet-101-introduction-and-key-terms-illustrated-update) - The ins and outs of the Steemit Wallet, and how to interact with it. 
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![180417 Icons-12.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcJERPeQosp3RJct98r9NTNQSYaAeGRiC3UHyYuUZJbtU/180417%20Icons-12.png) | [The Benefits of Powering Up](https://steemit.com/steemit/@sndbox/why-you-should-power-up-showcasing-the-benefits-of-steem-power) - A comprehensive and illustrated guide to building SP.
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![180417 Icons-15.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmafVdGYEAeoQzo62yHzZmszu3pGWaboK6FCBvEPco4VoV/180417%20Icons-15.png) | [Trading SBD to SP](https://steemit.com/tutorial/@sndbox/how-to-convert-sbd-into-steem-power-a-visual-guide-to-powering-up) - How to convert your SBD into Steem Power with the local market.
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## Curation (Upvoting)
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25% of the rewards for each posts actually gets distributed across all of the people who voted on it. These upvoters are called curators. The more Steem Power you have in your account, the more your upvotes will be worth and the more curation rewards you can earn!

![180417 Icons-10.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmS9WazQNr3u9zmRDhTUb7KD8U6GbTMQ1Ctpp7Cnqge1VW/180417%20Icons-10.png) | [Earn by Upvoting - Curation Rewards Guide](https://steemit.com/toolkit/@sndbox/earn-steem-by-upvoting-how-curation-rewards-work-on-steemit) - Maximize rewards based on timing.
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## Payouts
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All Steem and SBD payouts are made 7 days after the post / comment is first authored. You can claim your rewards in your wallet immediately after that 7 day window has passed. Payments for posts are split between the author (at least 75%) and the curators (up to 25%). 

![180417 Icons-07.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWANpG5SvkGysicy99WPYpMB2bfRdaM5h8GqW23H6mpCq/180417%20Icons-07.png) | [How much is your post worth?](https://steemit.com/steemit/@sndbox/how-much-is-your-post-worth-a-steemit-rewards-guide) - How all of the post / comment payout options work.
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## Your Reputation Score
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A reputation score is one way Steemit measures the amount of value you have brought to the community. The higher the number, the more weighted votes an account has earned. All new users start at 25. Your reputation will go up as you earn upvotes for your posts and comments, but it can come down if they are flagged/downvoted.

![180417 Icons-11.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZZ3tcNaCWYa1uZDXoASnMf9xUPXwwpdZYSCjLiiVvhvw/180417%20Icons-11.png) | [What is a Reputation Score?](https://steemit.com/toolkit/@sndbox/what-is-a-steemit-reputation-score-an-illustrated-guide) - What your rating number means and what influences it.
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![180417 Icons-14.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcDYFBJRmKA2DsxU5PKa4LHK87yckbvVVv3pwvf4gxPWc/180417%20Icons-14.png) | [Why Flagging is Important](https://steemit.com/abuse/@sndbox/why-flagging-is-important) - Exploring the use of flags within the Steem blockchain.
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## Basics of Blockchain & Crypto
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If your really feeling crypto-curious, here's a deeper look into the ins and outs of blockchain and how witnesses work to keep the blockchain gears churning in a decentralized fashion.

![180417 Icons-02.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmUZzMNAYH3v98JMcjBhnbWZg5eTuTJVEUufBhjb2jye6m/180417%20Icons-02.png) | [What is Crypto & Blockchain?](https://steemit.com/blockchain/@sndbox/blockchain-and-cryptocurrency-an-illustrated-introduction) - A digestible guide for newcomers to the technology.
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![180417 Icons-08.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXosuzcKT8HqDMoDMfh4rCWoPpgwhS3NXPfGZZj1PWpTK/180417%20Icons-08.png) | [What is a Steemit Witness?](https://steemit.com/toolkit/@sndbox/what-is-a-steem-witness-introducing-the-basics) - The roles and responsibilities of a witness explained.
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## Additional Links & Resources
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[FAQ](https://steemit.com/faq.html) - A full archive of commonly asked questions
[Bluepaper](https://steem.io/steem-bluepaper.pdf) - Explanation of how the platform works
[The Steem Whitepaper](https://steem.io/SteemWhitePaper.pdf) - Technical details of the Steem blockchain
[Apps Built on Steem](https://steemprojects.com/) - Directory of apps, sites and tools built by Steem community

*This post was modeled off of the official Steemit Quick Start Guide, [here](https://steemit.com/welcome).*

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