Quickstart

Build your first USSD flow in under 5 minutes.

Step 1: Create an Account

1. Go to StarHash Studio
2. Sign up with Google, GitHub, or email
3. You'll be taken to your dashboard

Step 2: Create a New Flow

1. Click New Flow in the dashboard
2. Enter a name: "My First Flow"
3. Click Create

You'll see the visual flow builder with a blank canvas.

Step 3: Add a Menu Node

1. Click Add Node in the toolbar
2. Select Menu from the node types
3. Configure the menu:

Title: Welcome to My App
Option 1: Check Balance → (leave empty for now)
Option 2: Buy Airtime → (leave empty for now)
Option 3: Exit → (leave empty for now)

4. Click Save

Step 4: Add Response Nodes

Add nodes for each menu option:

Balance Node

1. Click Add Node → Display
2. Set message: Your balance is $50.00
3. Connect Menu Option 1 to this node

Airtime Node

1. Click Add Node → Input
2. Set prompt: Enter phone number:
3. Set variable: phone_number
4. Connect Menu Option 2 to this node

Exit Node

1. Click Add Node → End
2. Set message: Thank you for using our service. Goodbye!
3. Connect Menu Option 3 to this node

Step 5: Set the Start Node

1. Click on the Menu node
2. Click Set as Start in the node options
3. The node will show a green indicator

Your flow should look like this:

        ┌─────────────┐
        │ Menu        │ ← Start
        │ Welcome...  │
        └──────┬──────┘
               │
    ┌──────────┼──────────┐
    ▼          ▼          ▼
┌───────┐  ┌───────┐  ┌───────┐
│Balance│  │Airtime│  │ Exit  │
│$50.00 │  │Input  │  │Goodbye│
└───────┘  └───────┘  └───────┘

Step 6: Test Your Flow

1. Click Test in the toolbar
2. The simulator panel opens on the right
3. You'll see the welcome menu
4. Select an option to navigate through your flow

Step 7: Deploy (Optional)

When you're ready to go live:

1. Click Deploy in the toolbar
2. Select your provider (Africa's Talking, Hubtel, etc.)
3. Enter your shortcode details
4. Click Publish

What's Next?

Example Flows

Check out these templates to get inspired: