Create and access your account
How to create your account and sign in to AreaCacao for the first time, what the onboarding asks you, and what to do if you forgot your password.
You can create your account yourself and choose a paid plan to get in, or receive it when you purchase a plan. Once you have it, you sign in from the login screen.
Create the account
Open https://app.areacacao.com/register (or click the sign-up link on the sign-in screen) and choose:
- Continue with Google: the account is created from your Google account and you go straight on to choose your plan.
- With your email: fill in Name, Email address, and Password (at least 8 characters) and create your account. We send you a verification link. Open it before you sign in for the first time (it expires in one hour).
After signing up, you'll see the Choose how to start screen. Pick a paid plan (Starter or Pro; monthly, or one of the 3-, 6-, or 12-month offers) and pay to get in. There's no free option or free trial.
The details of sign-up, verification, and choosing a plan are in Create account. If you bought a plan through checkout, you'll receive an email to set your password.
Sign in
Go to https://app.areacacao.com/login. You'll see the sign-in screen with the AreaCacao name and the tagline "Know it works before you make it." You can:
- Click Continue with Google, or
- Enter your Email and Password, and click Sign in.
If your account has two-step verification turned on, you'll then be asked for the code from your authenticator app before you get in (or one of your single-use backup codes).
Don't have an account yet? At the bottom of the sign-in screen, the sign-up link takes you to create your account and choose a plan. If you've just purchased and your account doesn't work yet, wait a few minutes; if the problem persists, write to support@areacacao.com.
First sign-in: onboarding
The first time you sign in, AreaCacao asks you a single question: "What do you want to solve first?" Pick one of the five cards and the app takes you straight to the tool that solves it:
| Card | Where it takes you |
|---|---|
| Measure a filling I already make: its score and what adds the water | Your most recent recipe (or a blank one if you don't have any yet) with the validation panel open. |
| Know what each piece costs me and what price to sell it at | The Express costing wizard. |
| Formulate my own chocolate or couverture | The Chocolate formulator. |
| Bring my recipe book in (Excel, photos or PDF) | Import recipes. |
| Run a tasting with my team and read the result | A new sensory evaluation (if your plan includes the module; otherwise, the Sensory analysis hub). |
There's also the I would rather look around first link, which takes you to My recipes with an example recipe, and Skip, at the top, which takes you to the dashboard. If the app already knows where you want to start (for example, because you're coming from a purchase), you'll see that card highlighted with the Start button and the Choose something else link.
Below the cards, the app shows the region it detected ("Detected: country · currency · units · language."). If it isn't yours, click Change region and adjust Country, Currency, and Units. Everything can be changed later in Settings, and you can replay the onboarding from Settings → Regional → Replay onboarding.
Forgot your password?
On the sign-in screen, click Forgot your password? It takes you to the recovery flow, where you'll receive an email with a link to set a new one. If you need help at any point, the Help link opens an email straight to support. See Recover your password.
Two-step verification
If your account uses two-step verification, after entering your email and password you'll see the Two-step verification screen: type the six-digit code from your authenticator app and click Verify and continue. If you can't access the app, use the "Can't access your app? Use a backup code" link and enter one of your single-use codes. You can turn it on in Settings → Security; see Two-step verification (2FA).
What's next?
Once you're in, the next step is to get to know your home screen: continue with the Dashboard tour.