> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/llms.txt).

# Start using Convert

Create your ZeraBooks account, start the 7-day free trial, choose Convert and take the short walkthrough. You can replay it, or move to the General Ledger, from the menu at the top of the sidebar.

## Sign up and start your trial

Every ZeraBooks account starts the same way, whichever product you use first.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Create your ZeraBooks account

Sign up on the ZeraBooks website. If you open a Convert page while signed out, ZeraBooks asks you to sign in first and then takes you back to that page.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
### Start your 7-day free trial

After sign-up you land on **Start your free trial** (`/trial`). Choose **Monthly** or **Annual**, click **Start your free trial**, and complete checkout on Stripe's secure page. A card is needed at checkout.

The trial starts on the ZeraBooks plan: $149 a month, or $79 a month billed yearly ($948 a year). You can move to a bigger plan later. See [Plans and pages](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/convert-plan-and-settings/plans-and-pages).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
### Choose Convert

The next screen asks **What would you like to do first?** Click **Convert documents**: "Statements and other PDFs in, clean CSV or Excel out, ready for QuickBooks, Xero or a spreadsheet."

The other choice, **AI-Native General Ledger**, is for having ZeraBooks keep the books. You can switch products later.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
### Take the walkthrough

The walkthrough runs once, the first time you open Convert. Each stop has a short silent clip. Click a clip to enlarge it. Use **Back** and **Next** to move between stops, and **Finish walkthrough** on the last one.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## What the walkthrough covers

| Stop | Title | What it shows |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Your last 30 days at a glance. | **Home**: documents converted in the last 30 days, pages used on your plan and what needs a look. |
| 2 | Upload a statement. Proven to the cent. | **Bank & Credit Cards**: upload statements, or drop them anywhere on the page. Transactions are split by account and cardholder and checked against the statement's own balances. |
| 3 | Checks, invoices, investments and more. | Each document type has its own page and its own upload button, and how each one is read and checked. |

## Replay the walkthrough

1. Click **ZeraBooks Convert** at the top of the sidebar to open the menu.
2. Click **Replay the walkthrough**.

The same menu holds, in order: **Switch to General Ledger** (or **Keep your books in ZeraBooks**), **Replay the walkthrough**, **Billing** and **Sign Out**.

## Move to the General Ledger

The menu at the top of the sidebar also leads to the ZeraBooks General Ledger, where ZeraBooks keeps the books:

- If your account has the General Ledger, click **Switch to General Ledger**. It reads **Switching…** while it works. If the switch fails, you see "Could not open the General Ledger. Convert is unchanged. Please try again."
- If it doesn't, click **Keep your books in ZeraBooks** to see what the General Ledger does.

## Frequently Asked Questions

<details>
<summary>Is there a free version of Convert?</summary>

No. Every ZeraBooks plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and there is no free tier. See [Plans and pages](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/convert-plan-and-settings/plans-and-pages).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Why was I sent to the trial page?</summary>

Your account has no active subscription or trial yet. Start your 7-day free trial to open Convert.
</details>

<details>
<summary>My subscription ended. Can I still see my documents?</summary>

Yes. If you already have Convert documents, you can still open Convert and see them. Converting new documents needs a subscription: open the menu at the top of the sidebar, click **Billing**, then click **Restart your subscription**.
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I watch the walkthrough again?</summary>

Open the menu at the top of the sidebar and click **Replay the walkthrough**.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Do I need to set anything up before I convert?</summary>

No. Open **Bank & Credit Cards** (or the page for your document) and upload a PDF. See [Upload documents](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/convert-documents/upload-documents).
</details>

---

## Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://www.zerabooks.com/help/convert-getting-started/start-using-convert.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.

The full index is at https://www.zerabooks.com/help/llms.txt. An MCP server with `searchDocumentation`, `getPage` and `askQuestion` tools is at https://www.zerabooks.com/help/mcp.