Getting Started with Nerlude

Nerlude is a comprehensive SaaS management platform designed specifically for founders, indie hackers, and small teams who need to keep track of multiple software subscriptions, API keys, and digital services across their projects.

Think of Nerlude as the control center for your entire tech stack. Instead of scattered spreadsheets, password managers, and sticky notes, you get one unified dashboard where you can:

• Track all your SaaS subscriptions - Know exactly what you're paying for and when renewals are due
• Store credentials securely - Keep API keys, passwords, and secrets encrypted with AES-256
• Monitor costs - See your total monthly burn across all services at a glance
• Never miss renewals - Get automated reminders before any subscription expires
• Collaborate with your team - Share access with team members using role-based permissions
• Document everything - Keep notes, setup instructions, and documentation for each service

Whether you're running a single side project or managing multiple products, Nerlude helps you stay organized and in control of your infrastructure.

Getting started with Nerlude takes less than a minute. Here's how to create your account:

1. Visit the signup page - Go to nerlude.io/signup or click "Get Started Free" on our homepage.
2. Enter your details - Provide your email address and create a secure password. We recommend using a password manager to generate a strong, unique password.
3. Verify your email - Check your inbox for a verification email and click the confirmation link. This helps us keep your account secure.
4. Complete onboarding - Answer a few quick questions about your use case so we can personalize your experience.

That's it! You're now ready to create your first project and start organizing your SaaS stack.

In Nerlude, a project represents a product, app, or business that you're building. Each project contains its own set of services, credentials, and team members.

For example, if you're building a mobile app and a marketing website, you might create two separate projects to keep their services organized.

How to create a project:

1. Click "New Project" - You'll find this button in the top navigation bar or on your dashboard.
2. Choose a name - Give your project a descriptive name like "MyApp Production" or "Marketing Website".
3. Select a project type - Choose from Web App, Mobile App, API, Landing Page, Extension, or Desktop App. This helps categorize your project.
4. Pick an icon - Select an emoji or icon to make your project easily recognizable in the dashboard.
5. Add a description (optional) - Include any notes about the project for your reference.

Once created, you'll be taken to your project's overview page where you can start adding services.

Services are the individual SaaS tools, APIs, and subscriptions that power your project. Nerlude supports over 100 popular services out of the box, and you can add custom services for anything else.

To add a service:

1. Open your project - Navigate to the project where you want to add the service.
2. Click "Add Service" - You'll find this button on the Services tab or the project overview.
3. Search or browse - Find your service by searching (e.g., "Stripe", "AWS", "Vercel") or browse by category.
4. Fill in the details - Enter information like:
   • Monthly cost (for tracking your burn rate)
   • Billing cycle (monthly, yearly, etc.)
   • Renewal date (to set up reminders)
   • Account email or username
5. Save the service - Click "Add Service" to save it to your project.

Your Nerlude dashboard gives you a bird's-eye view of your entire SaaS stack. Here's what you'll find:

Stats Overview

At the top of your dashboard, you'll see four key metrics:

• Active Projects - Total number of projects you're managing
• Monthly Burn - Combined cost of all your services per month
• Total Services - Number of services across all projects
• Upcoming Renewals - Services with renewals in the next 30 days

Project Cards

Below the stats, you'll see cards for each of your projects. Each card shows:

• Project name and icon
• Project type (Web App, Mobile, etc.)
• Health status (Healthy, Warning, or Critical based on upcoming renewals)
• Monthly cost for that project
• Number of services
• Alert count for urgent items

Click any project card to dive into its details and manage its services.

One of Nerlude's most powerful features is secure credential storage. You can save API keys, passwords, tokens, and other secrets directly with each service.

How credential storage works:

1. Navigate to a service - Open any service in your project.
2. Go to the Credentials tab - You'll see options to add different types of credentials.
3. Add your credentials - Enter the credential name (e.g., "Production API Key") and the value.
4. Save securely - Your credentials are encrypted with AES-256 before being stored.

Never miss a subscription renewal again. Nerlude automatically tracks renewal dates and sends you reminders before they're due.

Default reminder schedule:

• 30 days before - Early heads up for annual subscriptions
• 14 days before - Time to review and decide
• 7 days before - Final reminder
• 1 day before - Last chance alert

You can customize these reminder intervals in your project settings or for individual services.

To set a renewal date:

1. Open the service you want to configure
2. Click "Edit" or go to the Settings tab
3. Set the renewal date and billing cycle
4. Save your changes

Nerlude will automatically calculate future renewal dates based on your billing cycle.

Now that you've got the basics down, here are some things you might want to explore:

• Invite team members to collaborate on your projects
• Learn advanced service management techniques
• Review security best practices for your account
• Explore pricing plans if you need more features