Practical onboarding • No platform mysticism • Save your keys
This page is a living guide for joining | base | and operating safely on a Matrix-based network using Element clients (Element X on mobile, Element Web on desktop).
Matrix works a bit like email for chat. You choose a homeserver (like choosing an email provider), then use a client app to connect to it. Your account lives on the homeserver. The app is just how you access it.
For RG Herd, | base | runs on the homeserver rgherd.com. When you create an account there, you’re joining the network directly — not a corporate platform layered in between.
Registration is intentionally structured. Instead of open sign-ups, new accounts are created using registration tokens. This keeps spam down, protects encrypted rooms, and preserves signal quality.
A registration token is a one-time or limited-use key that authorizes account creation. It does not give anyone access to your messages. It simply allows the server to accept your account request.
Recommended: store your Recovery Key in a password manager or secure offline location.
If something fails, it’s usually one of these. Ops can reissue tokens or walk you through it.
Public registration may be closed or wave-based. Most new users will join via a token from a trusted member or direct Ops onboarding.
Note: the exact screens vary by client/version. The homeserver step is the one people commonly miss.
If registration fails, you’re probably hitting one of these:
You can access the same Matrix account from multiple clients. Most people use Element X on mobile and Element Web on desktop.
Best for day-to-day messaging and field use. Expect the app to strongly push device verification and recovery setup.
Tip: if you have a Recovery Key from an existing session, keep it ready when adding a new device.
Best for admin tasks, longer writing, and multi-room workflows. If you’ve used Slack/Discord on desktop, this will feel familiar — except encryption makes it more serious.
Element Web is also where many encryption/backup settings are easiest to find.
Matrix supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE). In encrypted rooms, the server can’t read your message contents. That’s the point — but it means you must take key backup seriously.
The single most important onboarding action: set up Secure Backup and save your Recovery Key. Without it, adding a new device can be painful, and you may lose access to older encrypted history on that new device.
Official User Guide:
Recovery Key = access to your encrypted key backup. Treat it like “the keys to the keys.”
Verification links your sessions/devices together so encryption works cleanly across them. In practice, this reduces impersonation risk and prevents weird “I can’t decrypt” moments on new devices.
When you sign in on a new device, Element will typically prompt you to verify it using one of:
The wording varies by client version. The underlying idea is always the same: prove this new session is really you.
The Matrix/Element ecosystem is trending toward verified-only participation for end-to-end encrypted rooms. If you don’t verify, you can end up unable to send/receive E2EE messages properly.
Official reference: Verifying your devices is becoming mandatory (Element blog)
Device verification proves a new login is you. User verification is different: it proves you’re talking to the real encryption identity for that account (not a hijacked session or an impersonator on a lookalike account).
Plain English: you’re confirming “this is the correct encrypted identity for @thatperson,” not “I like/trust everything they say.”
In Element clients, user verification usually happens like this:
Best practice: do the match out-of-band (voice call / in person), not by pasting the emojis back into the same chat you’re trying to secure.
This section is intentionally short right now. It’ll grow as we see real-world user issues.
Need onboarding help, a token, or a deployment consult? Email Ops.
Include: which client you’re using (Element X / Element Web), what step failed, and any on-screen error text.
This help center is actively being built. The goal is to keep it short, clear, and field-usable — not a wiki nobody reads. Expect updates as onboarding expands.
Last note: if you’re new to Matrix, you’re not “behind.” This stuff is powerful because it’s not a single platform. That power comes with a couple responsibilities: save your Recovery Key and verify your devices.