Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.asquareportal.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Portals is a Mac desktop app (also available as a web app). This guide walks you through downloading it, creating your account, and launching your first creative project. The whole process takes about five minutes.
The free tier uses Pollinations AI for image and text generation — no API key required to get started. If you want to use OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, or other providers, you can add your API keys later in the AI Providers settings.
1

Download and install the app

Download the latest Portals .dmg from the releases page and open it to install.Once installed, open Portals from your Applications folder. On first launch you’ll see the Portals startup screen with the product branding and sign-in options.
Portals is also accessible as a web app if you prefer not to install the desktop version. The interactive startup screen with mode demos is only available in the desktop app.
2

Create your account

On the startup screen, choose how you want to sign in:
  • Continue with Google — connects your Google account in one step
  • Sign up with Email — enter your email address and a password, then click Create Account
After signing in, you’ll land in the main workspace. Your session persists across restarts; you won’t need to sign in again on the same machine.
If Portals is in closed beta, you’ll see an invite code prompt on the startup screen. Enter your 6-digit invite code to unlock the full workspace. No code yet? Join the waitlist from the same screen.
3

Choose your first mode

Portals has three modes, selectable from the mode switcher at the top of the app:

Brainstorming

Start here if you have a topic to explore. Infinite canvas for cards, shapes, mind maps, and moodboards.

Design

Start here if you’re ready to work on a visual mockup or layout. Artboard-based vector editor.

Compose

Start here if you want to generate an app, slides, or storyboard directly from a prompt.
If you’re not sure, start with Brainstorming — it’s the most open-ended mode and a good way to get familiar with the canvas and the Portal Agent.
4

Try the Portal Agent

The Portal Agent bar runs across the top of the workspace. Click it, type a prompt, and press Enter.A few prompts to try on your first session:
  • Research sustainable architecture and create a moodboard
  • Create a mind map of product-market fit strategies
  • Find inspiration images for a dark mode dashboard
  • Build me a simple to-do app
The agent selects from 40+ canvas tools to execute your request — it searches the web, adds cards, draws shapes, fetches images, and arranges content on your canvas automatically.
You can switch modes mid-session without losing your work. Try brainstorming an idea, then switch to Design mode to create a mockup, and finally use Compose to generate a working app from it — this is the full Design-to-Build workflow.

​
Next steps

Set up AI providers

Add API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, or Ollama to use premium models.

Portal Agent deep dive

Explore all 40+ canvas tools and learn how to run complex multi-step workflows.

Design-to-Build workflow

Turn a Design mode artboard into a working app with a single click.

Brainstorming mode

Learn about the infinite canvas, inspiration view, ambient sounds, and more.