Getting Started

Creating Your Account

Step 1: Visit the UDP Social blog website (blog.udp.social). Look for the “Sign Up” or “Log in to get started” button on the homepage.

Step 2: Fill in your basic information You will be asked for:

• A username — this is your identity on UDP-Social (choose something you like, you will be known by this name)
• Your email address — used for account verification and notifications
• A password — make it strong! Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols

You are now a part of the UDP Social community, and are able to leave comments, feedback, or otherwise interact with us through the blog.

Step 3: Set up a subdomain To set up a UDP Social server instance, click the “Get Started” button anywhere on our blog while logged in. This will direct you to our checkout page, where you will need to:

1. Choose a website subdomain name that will become your social media portal (for example, “mysocial”.udp.social)
2. Provide a valid credit card for the subscription once the trial period expires

Make sure your email is valid! The email used to create the blog account is the email your new social media site login information will be sent.

Step 4: Verify your email Check your inbox for a verification email from UDP Social. This email contains your login account username and password. Make sure to keep these safe!

Step 5: You are in! Welcome to UDP Social. 🎉 Now let’s make it feel like home.

• Select Change profile picture. Upload a photo that represents you — it can be a photo of yourself, an illustration, or anything that feels right
• Recommended size: 300 x 300 pixels

Your Display Name and Description (Bio)

• Select Profile, then select Edit Profile and Personal
• Select a Display name, this is the name people will see on your posts — it can be different from your username
• For example, your username might be udp_kali but your display name could be Kali M.
• Under description, write a short description of who you are
• You can include your interests, location, or anything you would like others to know

Navigating the Dashboard for the First Time

When you first log in, here is the dashboard you will see when using a computer:

1. Timeline — This is your main stream — see your posts and the posts from everyone you follow, shown in chronological order
2. My posts and conversations — This shows only your posts
3. Community — Conversations on this and other servers, similar to Timeline
4. Messages — Your private conversations
5. Contact — Shows a list of your contacts
6. Groups — See and manage your groups
7. Notifications — Likes, comments, and new followers

The Search Bar At the top of the page — use it to find people, hashtags, and groups.

Bottom Navigation Menu (mobile only):

1. Home — Your main feed — see your posts and the posts from everyone you follow, shown in chronological order
2. Notifications — Likes, comments, and new followers
3. The Post circle  — This is where you write and share your posts. We will cover that in detail in another blog post.
4. Messages — Your private conversations
5. Profile — Your personal page

In mobile, to get access to Contacts and Groups, click on the three dots on the top right. You can also find the search icon, use it to find people, hashtags, and groups:

You are all set up and ready to go. In the next section, we will show you how to find your people, start connecting and write your first post.