> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.afterquery.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Complete your onboarding
> How to get set up on AfterQuery Experts: sign in, sign your agreements, verify your phone and identity, connect Stripe so you can be paid, and optionally link LinkedIn.
Before you can start on projects, you finish a short onboarding at [experts.afterquery.com/onboarding](https://experts.afterquery.com/onboarding). There are four required steps and one optional step. Each step unlocks once the one before it is complete, and you need all four required steps finished before you can be paid.
Review and sign two agreements in the app.
Verify the phone number on your account, through Persona.
Confirm your identity with a government-issued ID and a selfie, through Persona.
Complete Stripe setup so you can get paid.
Link your LinkedIn profile.
Before you start, check that your bank account is in a country we can pay out to: [Payment Countries](/articles/payments-taxes/payment-countries). If your country is on the unsupported list, please don't begin onboarding or work yet, because we won't be able to pay you.
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes, a little longer if Stripe asks for extra documents. Have a government-issued ID, a device with a camera, and your bank details nearby.
**One account per person.** Each email address and each identity can be used for one AfterQuery Experts account only. Creating more than one account is not allowed.
Your onboarding always lives at [experts.afterquery.com/onboarding](https://experts.afterquery.com/onboarding). Open it any time to see which step is still waiting for you.
## Step 0: Sign in
Review and sign two agreements in the app.
Verify the phone number on your account, through Persona.
Confirm your identity with a government-issued ID and a selfie, through Persona.
Complete Stripe setup so you can get paid.
Link your LinkedIn profile.
Before you start, check that your bank account is in a country we can pay out to: [Payment Countries](/articles/payments-taxes/payment-countries). If your country is on the unsupported list, please don't begin onboarding or work yet, because we won't be able to pay you.
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes, a little longer if Stripe asks for extra documents. Have a government-issued ID, a device with a camera, and your bank details nearby.
**One account per person.** Each email address and each identity can be used for one AfterQuery Experts account only. Creating more than one account is not allowed.
## Step 0: Sign in
You sign in with Google. There is no separate password. If you open any page while signed out, you'll see the sign-in screen first.
Google's account picker opens in a popup window.
You land on your onboarding checklist.
Always sign in with the same Google account you used to apply. Signing in with a different Google account starts a second account, which is not allowed.
## Step 1: Sign Legal
Your first screen shows a progress bar with all five steps. Only **Sign Legal** is open to start. The rest show a lock until you reach them.
Click **Sign** on each row, read the agreement, and sign it. The two agreements are:
* **Non-Disclosure Agreement:** covers how you handle confidential information you see while working on AfterQuery projects.
* **Data Submission Form:** covers the work you submit through the platform and who owns it.
Please read each agreement in full in the app before signing. The full text is what applies.
Once both are signed, the **Documents** page in the sidebar shows **2 of 2 signed**, and you can reopen either agreement any time with **View**.
## Step 2: Verify Phone
With both agreements signed, **Sign Legal** turns green and **Verify Phone** opens. This confirms the phone number on your account. It's handled by Persona, a third-party verification provider.
On the **Verify Your Phone Number** card, click **Start Verification**.
Persona opens in a window. Continuing means you accept Persona's privacy policy.
Persona texts a 4-digit code to the number on your account. Enter it and click **Continue**. If it doesn't arrive, click **Resend confirmation code**.
## Step 3: Verify Identity
Also handled by Persona. You'll need a government-issued ID and a device with a camera, since you'll be asked to take a selfie.
On the **Verify Your Identity** card, click **Start Verification**.
Persona opens in a window. Continuing means you accept Persona's privacy policy.
Options include a driver license, state ID, passport, passport card, permanent resident card, non-citizen travel document, visa, or work permit.
This confirms the person holding the document is you.
The step turns green once Persona approves the check.
Blurry photos, screenshots, photos of a screen, and expired documents are flagged. Your account name also needs to match the name on your ID, including middle names.
Persona supports multiple languages. Use the language selector in the bottom-left corner of the Persona window.
## Step 4: Set up Payments
We pay experts through Stripe. This step creates your Stripe account and connects it to AfterQuery.
Most AfterQuery contractors register as **Individual**. Only choose **Business** if you have a registered business with its own bank account.
If you're not sure which applies to your situation, check with a tax professional before continuing.
Select the country where you live. Your bank account must be in this same country. If they don't match, Stripe holds your payouts for a manual review, which delays your pay.
You'll see a summary screen confirming your business type and country. Click **Reset** to change either one.
This hands you off to Stripe to finish creating your account and add your payout details.
Check your country carefully before continuing. A Stripe account is tied to the country you choose and it generally can't be changed afterward, so a mistake here means creating a new account.
Finish Stripe setup all the way to the end. If you leave partway through, the step stays open and you can't be paid.
### What Stripe asks for
Have these ready so you can finish in one go:
* **A government-issued ID.** Stripe runs its own identity check, separate from Persona.
* **Your SSN, if you're in the US.** Stripe requires this by law and we can't waive it.
* **A bank account in your own legal name,** in the same country you selected. Joint accounts, business accounts you don't own, and accounts in someone else's name are rejected. Stripe pays to bank accounts only, not cards.
* **Your tax information.**
Use the exact same legal name across your AfterQuery account, Stripe, and your bank. A mismatch causes payout holds.
## Step 5: Connect LinkedIn (optional)
You can link your LinkedIn profile. It's optional, but connecting it improves your chances of being picked for projects.
## When you're done
Once every required step is complete, opening [experts.afterquery.com/onboarding](https://experts.afterquery.com/onboarding) takes you straight to your home page and your projects. That means you're all set.
Payouts are released every Friday via Stripe for the previous week's approved work. Your **first** payout has a 7-day holding period, which is a Stripe rule we can't override. See [Payments](/articles/payments-taxes/payment-setup) for the full schedule and how to track what you're owed.
## If you're chosen for a project
Finishing onboarding makes you ready for projects. If you're selected for one, you'll get a separate welcome email from [**notifications@afterquery.com**](mailto:notifications@afterquery.com) with your next steps. Your name, role, and project details will be filled in.
The email lists your next steps in order. Depending on the project, these can include:
* **Joining a Slack workspace** through an invite, or joining a project channel in the **Chat** tab on [experts.afterquery.com](https://experts.afterquery.com).
* **Sending a short message to your project admin** there, so the team can confirm your account and share the project guidelines.
* **Finishing any onboarding steps** still open on your profile.
Someone from the AfterQuery team may also reach out to you individually by email. Team members always write from an **@afterquery.com** address.
**Stay safe.** Official emails only come from [notifications@afterquery.com](mailto:notifications@afterquery.com) or a person's @afterquery.com address. If a message about AfterQuery work comes from any other address, don't reply or share your details. Write to [support@afterquery.com](mailto:support@afterquery.com) instead.
## FAQ
**Why do I have to verify my identity twice?** Persona verifies your identity for AfterQuery. Stripe separately runs its own checks as part of opening your payout account, because it's regulated as a payments provider. They're two different requirements and both are needed.
**I'm outside the US. Can I still get set up?** Yes, as long as your bank account is in a country Stripe supports. Check the list first: [Payment Countries](/articles/payments-taxes/payment-countries).
**Do I need a registered business to work with AfterQuery?** No. Most contractors register as individuals.
**I signed in with the wrong Google account.** Sign out and sign back in with the Google account you applied with. Don't continue onboarding on the second account. If you already did, contact support.
## Need help
Contact support at [support@afterquery.com](mailto:support@afterquery.com) with the email you use to log in, which step you're stuck on, and what you're seeing. Don't attach photos of your ID.
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