# Getting started with OD

> **Review scope:** Linked public documentation checked October 30, 2026. Examples are proposed checks, not recorded OD results; use your account's current controls.

You will open the site, learn the main controls, and send a first message. You do not need a character sheet, art prompt, or game engine for this lesson.

OD is an adults-only website. Complete its own age and account steps before using the service. An **AI character** is a fictional participant whose replies are generated by an artificial-intelligence model. A **chat** is the conversation you have with that character. An **image model** makes pictures and may be different from the model writing the chat.

## Before you begin

Open the [OD website](https://ourdream.ai/) in your browser. Have access to the account you intend to use. If the site offers a plan or a paid operation, read the current terms and displayed cost before choosing it; you can learn the navigation without buying anything.

## Step by step

1. **Sign in.** Use **Login**, or complete the site's registration process if you need an account. Keep your sign-in details in the site's own login form.
2. **Find the navigation.** On a narrow screen, expand the site menu if its labels are hidden. Look for the labels below rather than relying on an icon's shape.
3. **Open Explore.** This is the starting point for browsing characters made available by creators.
4. **Choose a character.** Read its public description. This explains the premise to you. Then read the opening message, called the **Greeting**.
5. **Identify your role.** Decide who you are in this particular conversation. You can begin with an ordinary visitor without inventing a long biography.
6. **Write a first message.** Enter it in the chat message box. For example, in a suitable archive scenario, write: “Hello. I'm looking for an old town map. Can you help?”
7. **Send once and read the reply.** Check whether the character addressed your question. Your next message can answer, ask for clarification, or take an action.
8. **Return to Chat.** Find the conversation you just used. This gives you a way back without starting another conversation accidentally.

The Known State [Quickstart](https://guide.ourdream.ai/getting-started/quickstart) describes browsing, beginning a chat, creating a character, and generating an image.

## What the main areas are for

| Area | Use it when you want to |
| --- | --- |
| Explore | Find a public character |
| Chat | Open or continue conversations |
| Create | Build a character of your own |
| My AI | Find characters you have created |
| Generate | Open the available media-generation tools |
| Profile | Find account and persona settings |
| Help Desk | Get help with account or service problems |

These labels appear on the [public site](https://ourdream.ai/). Their position can change between desktop and mobile views.

## How to write an action

Dialogue can be ordinary text. To describe an action, place an asterisk before and after it:

```text
*I place the folded map on the desk.* Is this the right district?
```

Here, **you** supplied the action. You do not need to ask the AI to decide what your character does. [Action formatting](https://help.ourdream.ai/en/articles/7617921).

## Check your result

You should be able to find your conversation again, identify who the AI character is, and send a message without mixing up the chat and image tools.

## If something goes wrong

- **A button is missing:** expand the menu and check that you are signed in. Account features can differ. Use the service’s Help Desk if the feature is still unavailable; do not enter credentials into a third-party tutorial or unverified support form.
- **The opening assumes a role you do not want:** choose another scenario or explain the desired starting role before continuing.
- **The reply invents your decision:** correct that particular action and use the user-agency instructions in [Personas and Custom Instructions](14_Personas_and_Custom_Instructions.md).

**Next:** [Create your first character](02_Create_Your_First_Character.md), or [learn the chat controls](15_Chat_Controls_and_Slash_Commands.md).

[Back to the tutorial index](README.md)