> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.zer0.build/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.zer0.build/getting-started/first-steps.md).

# First Steps

Congratulations on installing zer0! This guide will walk you through the essential features and help you get the most out of your privacy-first browsing experience.

***

## 🎯 Understanding the zer0 Interface

### Main Browser Window

When you open zer0, you'll see a clean, minimal interface designed for distraction-free browsing:

```
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ← → ↻  [🛡️] https://example.com          [≡] [👤]    │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                         │
│                   Your Content Here                     │
│                                                         │
│  🟢 Tor Connected  |  💰 Earning: 0.13 $zer0/min       │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

**Key Interface Elements:**

| Icon                    | Meaning                                  |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| 🛡️ **Shield (Green)**  | Tor protection active - you're anonymous |
| 🛡️ **Shield (Gray)**   | Tor disconnected - check connection      |
| 💰 **Earnings Counter** | Real-time $zer0 earnings display         |
| 👤 **Wallet Icon**      | Access your wallet and balance           |
| ≡ **Menu**              | Settings, agents, and more               |

***

## 🔐 Your First Browsing Session

### Step 1: Verify Tor Connection

Before browsing, ensure you're protected:

1. Look for the **green shield icon** in the address bar
2. Visit [check.torproject.org](https://check.torproject.org)
3. You should see: "Congratulations. This browser is configured to use Tor."

{% hint style="success" %}
**All your traffic is now anonymous!** Your IP address is hidden, and your browsing cannot be tracked.
{% endhint %}

### Step 2: Start Earning $zer0

You're already earning just by browsing! Here's how it works:

* **0.13 $zer0 per minute** of active browsing
* Earnings are credited every **10 minutes**
* View your balance by clicking the **wallet icon** 👤

**Maximize Your Earnings:**

* Keep zer0 open while working
* Browse normally - every page counts
* Enable privacy-preserving ads for **2x earnings**
* Refer friends for **5% of their earnings**

### Step 3: Explore AI Agents

Click the **menu (≡)** → **AI Agents** to access on-device AI:

**Built-in Agents:**

* **🔍 Research Agent** - Summarize articles and extract insights
* **💱 DeFi Agent** - Private crypto swaps and yield optimization
* **📊 Data Agent** - Analyze spreadsheets without uploading
* **✍️ Writing Agent** - Generate content locally

{% hint style="info" %}
**All AI processing happens on your device.** No data is sent to cloud servers.
{% endhint %}

***

## 💰 Managing Your Wallet

### Viewing Your Balance

1. Click the **wallet icon** 👤 in the top-right
2. View your current $zer0 balance and earnings
3. See pending rewards and transaction history

### Sending $zer0

To send tokens to another wallet:

1. Click **Send** in wallet panel
2. Enter recipient's shielded address
3. Enter amount
4. Confirm transaction
5. Funds arrive in \~2 minutes (zk-shielded)

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Always verify addresses!** zer0 uses shielded addresses that start with `zs1...` for maximum privacy.
{% endhint %}

### Receiving $zer0

To receive tokens:

1. Click **Receive** in wallet panel
2. Copy your shielded address (starts with `zs1...`)
3. Share with sender
4. Funds appear automatically in your wallet

***

## 🔧 Essential Settings

### Privacy Settings (Recommended)

Navigate to **Menu (≡)** → **Settings** → **Privacy**:

**Essential Privacy Controls:**

```
✅ Always Incognito Mode (cannot be disabled - your protection)
✅ Block Third-Party Cookies
✅ Block Trackers & Ads
✅ WebRTC Leak Prevention
✅ Fingerprinting Protection
✅ Auto-clear on Exit
```

### Network Settings

**Menu (≡)** → **Settings** → **Network**:

| Setting          | Recommended   | Description                      |
| ---------------- | ------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Tor Routing**  | ✅ Always On   | Routes all traffic through Tor   |
| **Use Bridges**  | ⚠️ If Blocked | For regions blocking Tor         |
| **Auto-Connect** | ✅ Enabled     | Connect to Tor on startup        |
| **New Circuit**  | Manual        | Get new Tor route (click shield) |

### Earning Settings

**Menu (≡)** → **Settings** → **Earning**:

```
✅ Earn $zer0 While Browsing (enabled by default)
⬜ Privacy-Preserving Ads (2x earnings, optional)
⬜ Auto-Stake Rewards (earn 15% APY, optional)
⬜ Referral Tracking (earn from referred users)
```

***

## 🤖 Using Your First AI Agent

Let's run a simple agent to see the power of private AI:

### Example: Research Agent

1. **Open AI Agents Panel**
   * Click **Menu (≡)** → **AI Agents**
2. **Select Research Agent**
   * Click on **Research Agent** tile
3. **Give it a Task**

   ```
   "Summarize the latest developments in zero-knowledge proofs"
   ```
4. **Watch it Work**
   * Agent searches privately
   * Processes data on-device
   * Returns summary in \~30 seconds
5. **Results**
   * Get a concise summary
   * No data left your device
   * No tracking or logging

{% hint style="success" %}
**All agent processing is local.** Even we don't know what you're researching!
{% endhint %}

***

## 🎓 Learning More

### Understanding the Basics

<table data-card-size="large" data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>🛡️ Privacy Architecture</strong></td><td>How zer0 keeps you completely anonymous</td><td><a href="/pages/VIifsrAiCIb9KqQ0CJZg">/pages/VIifsrAiCIb9KqQ0CJZg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>🤖 AI Agents Deep Dive</strong></td><td>Master the full power of zer0 agents</td><td><a href="/pages/L1ebNvVf1TIq5Pdpt2OT">/pages/L1ebNvVf1TIq5Pdpt2OT</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>💰 Token Economics</strong></td><td>Understanding the $zer0 flywheel</td><td><a href="/pages/PkzzAPiFMbq0z973lpve">/pages/PkzzAPiFMbq0z973lpve</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## 🚀 Power User Tips

### Keyboard Shortcuts

Master these shortcuts for faster browsing:

| Shortcut               | Action              |
| ---------------------- | ------------------- |
| `Ctrl/Cmd + T`         | New private tab     |
| `Ctrl/Cmd + W`         | Close tab           |
| `Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N` | New Tor circuit     |
| `Ctrl/Cmd + E`         | Open AI agent panel |
| `Ctrl/Cmd + ,`         | Settings            |

### Maximizing Earnings

**Pro strategies to earn more $zer0:**

1. **Enable Privacy-Preserving Ads**
   * Settings → Earning → Enable ads
   * Earn **2x more** while maintaining privacy
   * Ads are zk-cohort based (no PII)
2. **Refer Friends**
   * Share your referral link
   * Earn **5% of their lifetime earnings**
   * They get a **bonus 100 $zer0** on signup
3. **Stake Your Tokens**
   * Lock $zer0 to run a mixnode
   * Earn **15% APY** + transaction fees
   * Help secure the network
4. **Run Premium Agents**
   * Rent out specialized agents
   * Earn **10% of usage fees**
   * Popular agents can earn 50-100 $zer0/day

***

## 🔒 Security Best Practices

### Protecting Your Wallet

{% hint style="danger" %}
**CRITICAL: Seed Phrase Security**

Your 24-word seed phrase is the ONLY way to recover your wallet. Follow these rules:

* ✅ Write it on paper (never digital)
* ✅ Store in multiple secure locations
* ✅ Never share with anyone (even zer0 team)
* ❌ Don't screenshot or save in cloud
* ❌ Don't email or message it
* ❌ Don't store in password managers
  {% endhint %}

### Avoiding Phishing

**Stay safe from scams:**

* ✅ Only download zer0 from [official GitHub](https://github.com/BrowserZer0/Zer0)
* ✅ Verify URLs start with `https://zer0.build`
* ❌ Never enter seed phrase on any website
* ❌ Ignore DMs claiming to be zer0 support
* ❌ Don't click suspicious links promising free $zer0

***

## 🆘 Common Issues & Solutions

<details>

<summary>Earnings not showing up</summary>

**Solution:**

1. Check that Tor is connected (green shield)
2. Earnings are distributed every 10 minutes - wait a bit
3. Ensure wallet is synced (check sync status in wallet panel)
4. Restart browser if issue persists

</details>

<details>

<summary>Browser is slow</summary>

**Solution:** Tor routing adds slight latency (this is normal for anonymity):

* First page loads may take 3-5 seconds
* Subsequent loads are faster
* Close unused tabs to improve performance
* Consider disabling heavy extensions

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can't access certain websites</summary>

**Solution:** Some sites block Tor exit nodes:

* Click shield → "New Tor Circuit" to try different exit node
* Use "Tor Circuit for this Site" to get dedicated route
* If persistent, report to <dev@zer0.build>

</details>

<details>

<summary>AI agent failed to run</summary>

**Solution:**

1. Ensure you have enough RAM (4GB minimum)
2. Check internet connection for agent updates
3. Try restarting the agent
4. Update zer0 to latest version

</details>

***

## 🎯 Daily Checklist

Make zer0 part of your routine:

**Daily:**

* [ ] Open zer0 for browsing (start earning!)
* [ ] Check $zer0 balance and earnings
* [ ] Use AI agents for at least one task

**Weekly:**

* [ ] Review privacy settings
* [ ] Check for zer0 updates
* [ ] Explore agent marketplace for new tools

**Monthly:**

* [ ] Review staking options
* [ ] Consider running a mixnode
* [ ] Check referral earnings

***

## 📚 What's Next?

Ready to dive deeper? Explore these advanced topics:

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>🏦 Staking Guide</strong></td><td>Earn 15% APY by staking $zer0</td><td><a href="/pages/kn9DnwG5SbEQp4Hf7Snh">/pages/kn9DnwG5SbEQp4Hf7Snh</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>🔧 Running a Mixnode</strong></td><td>Help secure the network and earn fees</td><td><a href="https://github.com/Onesignature/Zer0-gitbook/blob/main/advanced/running-mixnode.md">https://github.com/Onesignature/Zer0-gitbook/blob/main/advanced/running-mixnode.md</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>🛍️ Agent Marketplace</strong></td><td>Discover and rent specialized agents</td><td><a href="https://github.com/Onesignature/Zer0-gitbook/blob/main/advanced/agent-marketplace.md">https://github.com/Onesignature/Zer0-gitbook/blob/main/advanced/agent-marketplace.md</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

{% hint style="info" %}
**Enjoying zer0?** Share your experience on [Twitter](https://x.com/BrowserZer0) and help spread privacy! 🚀
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions
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Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
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