> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lerian.studio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating an Account

> Open a new Account in your Ledger to start receiving and sending Asset balances through Transactions.

<Warning>
  An Account **must** be linked to an existing Asset. Make sure to [create the Asset first](/en/lerian-console/midaz-console/creating-an-asset) before creating the Account.
</Warning>

## Before you start

***

You need an existing Organization, Ledger, and Asset. If **Validate Account Type** is enabled in Ledger settings, create the required Account Types before opening this form.

Decide what the account represents before choosing its type and alias. Common examples include customer, merchant, treasury, fee revenue, settlement, suspense, and expense accounts.

## Create the Account

***

To create an Account, follow these steps:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    From the **Accounts** page, click the **New Account** button.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    The **New Account** form will open on the right side of the screen with three tabs: **Account Details**, **Portfolio**, and **Metadata**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Fill in the required information in the **Account Details** tab:

    For more information about the fields in the form, refer to the [Field guide](#field-guide) section.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    *(Optional)* Switch to the **Portfolio** tab to link this account to a portfolio for reporting and management purposes.

    * Select a portfolio from the dropdown list
    * If no portfolios exist, you can [create one first](/en/lerian-console/midaz-console/managing-portfolios)
    * Accounts can be linked or unlinked from portfolios at any time
  </Step>

  <Step>
    *(Optional)* Switch to the **Metadata** tab to add custom key-value pairs for additional context or integration purposes.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click the **Save** button to create the Account.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Field guide

***

| Field          | What to enter                                                                                                    | Example                     |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Account Name   | Descriptive name for the account. Use 3-255 characters.                                                          | `John Doe Checking Account` |
| Account Alias  | Unique human-readable identifier that starts with `@`. This cannot be changed after creation.                    | `@customer_john_checking`   |
| Type           | Account classification. Required when Account Type validation is enabled. This cannot be changed after creation. | `customer`                  |
| Entity ID      | Optional external holder, customer, department, or partner identifier.                                           | `customer_123`              |
| Asset          | Asset this account will use. Select an existing Asset. This cannot be changed after creation.                    | `BRL`                       |
| Segment        | Optional grouping category, available when Segments exist.                                                       | `Retail`                    |
| Portfolio      | Optional reporting or management group for this Account.                                                         | `Customer Portfolio`        |
| Metadata Key   | Optional classification or integration field name.                                                               | `costCenter`                |
| Metadata Value | Value for the metadata key.                                                                                      | `BR_11101997`               |

## Quick examples

***

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Customer Checking Account">
    **Scenario**: Create a checking account for a customer.

    | Field           | Value                    |
    | --------------- | ------------------------ |
    | Account Name    | `John Doe Checking`      |
    | Account Alias   | `@customer_123_checking` |
    | Type            | `checking`               |
    | Entity ID       | `customer_123`           |
    | Asset           | `USD`                    |
    | Allow Sending   | `true`                   |
    | Allow Receiving | `true`                   |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Treasury Account">
    **Scenario**: Create a main treasury account for company operations.

    | Field           | Value               |
    | --------------- | ------------------- |
    | Account Name    | `Main Treasury`     |
    | Account Alias   | `@treasury_main`    |
    | Type            | `treasury`          |
    | Entity ID       | `org_treasury_dept` |
    | Asset           | `USD`               |
    | Segment         | `Finance`           |
    | Allow Sending   | `true`              |
    | Allow Receiving | `true`              |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Department Budget Account">
    **Scenario**: Create a budget account for the engineering department.

    | Field           | Value                     |
    | --------------- | ------------------------- |
    | Account Name    | `Engineering Budget 2024` |
    | Account Alias   | `@eng_budget_2024`        |
    | Type            | `expense`                 |
    | Entity ID       | `dept_engineering`        |
    | Asset           | `USD`                     |
    | Segment         | `Engineering`             |
    | Allow Sending   | `true`                    |
    | Allow Receiving | `true`                    |
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Important notes

***

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Fields that cannot be changed after creation">
    The following fields are **immutable** after account creation:

    * **Account Alias** - Choose carefully as it will be used in transactions
    * **Type** - Cannot be reclassified once set
    * **Asset Code** - The account's currency/commodity is fixed

    If you need to change any of these fields, you must create a new account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Account Type Validation">
    If Account Type validation is enabled for your ledger:

    * The **Type** field becomes **required**
    * You must select from predefined account types or create them first
    * This ensures consistency across your organization's chart of accounts

    See [Managing Accounts](/en/lerian-console/midaz-console/managing-accounts#account-type-validation) for more information.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Allow Sending and Allow Receiving">
    These flags control transaction permissions:

    * **Allow Sending = false**: Account cannot be used as a source (debit side) in transactions
    * **Allow Receiving = false**: Account cannot be used as a destination (credit side) in transactions

    Both flags are enabled by default and can only be modified after account creation. This is useful for:

    * Freezing accounts temporarily
    * Creating receive-only accounts (e.g., escrow)
    * Creating send-only accounts (rare use case)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>
  After creating an account, it will immediately be available for use in transactions. Make sure all the information is correct before saving, especially the immutable fields.
</Note>

## What to do next

***

After creating the required source and destination Accounts:

1. Create or review Accounting Routes in [Creating an Accounting Route](/en/lerian-console/midaz-console/creating-an-accounting-route).
2. Create a Transaction in [Creating a Transaction](/en/lerian-console/midaz-console/creating-a-transaction).

<Card title="API equivalent" type="tip" horizontal>
  [Create an Account endpoint](/en/reference/midaz/create-an-account)
</Card>