Getting started
Sign in with your email — there is no password, you get a one-time code. Create a cluster, drag images straight onto the canvas from your desktop, arrange them, and send a view-only link to anyone. No account is needed to view a shared board, and the free plan includes 100 cards and unlimited collaborators.
From an empty account to a board you would show someone, in about five minutes.
1. Sign in
Go to clusters.soleilpictures.com and enter your email address. You will get a one-time code — there is no password.
New accounts land on a starter cluster with a few cards already on it, so the canvas is never a blank intimidating rectangle. You can delete all of it.
2. Make a cluster
Click New cluster in the sidebar, or press ⌘K and type "create cluster".
Name it after the thing it is for — a scene, a project, a pitch. Names are searchable later and "Untitled cluster" is not.
3. Get things onto the canvas
The fastest way is to drag files straight from your desktop onto the canvas. Drop twelve images at once and they arrange themselves rather than landing in a pile.
Everything else lives in two places:
- The tool rail down the left edge — select, pan, image, note, doc, cluster, grid, arrow.
- Right-click the canvas — an Add menu grouped into Cards, Visual, Web and Annotate, plus paste, select all, background colour and export.
A few things worth knowing on day one:
| To do this | Do this |
|---|---|
| Add a note | Press N, or right-click where you want it |
| Add an image | Drag it in, or paste from the clipboard |
| Add a link | Paste a URL onto the canvas — it unfurls into a real card |
| Pan | Hold Space and drag, or press H |
| Fit everything on screen | ⇧1 |
| Undo | ⌘Z |
Double-clicking empty canvas opens an add menu right at your cursor, which is usually faster than crossing the screen to the rail.
4. Arrange it
Drag cards around. Alignment guides appear as you move, and cards snap to each other — hold Alt to bypass snapping when you want something deliberately off.
Select several cards and press ⌘G to group them. A group gets a name and an outline, moves as one, and can be commented on as a unit.
Draw connections with the arrow tool (A). Arrows anchor to cards, so they stay attached when you move things.
5. Share it
Click Share. You have two different things there, and the difference matters:
- Invite by email gives a named person Editor or Viewer access. Editors can change the board. This does not require them to pay — collaboration is free on every plan.
- Create a public link produces a view-only URL that works for anyone, with no account and no sign-in. You can set it to expire, and choose whether sub-clusters are included.
Where to go next
- Core concepts — the vocabulary, in two minutes
- The canvas — every tool and gesture
- Cards — what each card type does
- Sharing — links, roles, expiry and public boards
- The API — read and write all of this from your own code
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install anything?
No. Clusters runs in the browser. There are also iOS and Android builds and it installs as a PWA, but nothing is required to start.
Is there a password?
No. Sign-in is a one-time code sent to your email address. There is no password to lose or rotate.
Can people I share with edit my board?
Only if you invite them as an editor. A public link is view-only. Editors do not need a paid plan — collaboration is free on every tier.
Machine-readable: /docs/getting-started.md · /llms.txt