![How to Use Manus AI: Step-by-Step Setup in 15 Minutes [2026] - Featured Image](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Fhow-to-use-manus-ai.png&w=3840&q=75)
Quick start: Go to manus.im → Sign up (or join waitlist) → Choose Chat Mode for quick answers or Agent Mode for autonomous tasks → Write detailed prompts → Watch Manus work in the right panel → Download your results. Free tier gets 300 daily credits. Simple tasks take ~5 mins, complex ones up to 80 mins.
So you've heard about Manus AI and want to try it yourself. This guide will take you from zero to running your first autonomous AI task. No technical background required.
Fair warning: Manus is different from ChatGPT or Claude. You don't chat back and forth - you give it a task and watch it work. Think of it like hiring a freelancer who happens to work in 15 minutes instead of 15 days.
Step 1: Getting Access to Manus AI
Signup process and what to expect.
Important: Use the Official Site
The official Manus AI website is manus.im. Avoid third-party sites like manusai.io or manus-ai.com - these are NOT official.
Current access status: There's conflicting information about whether Manus is fully open or still using a waitlist system. This may vary by region or change over time.
If open registration is available:
- Go to manus.im
- Click "Try Manus" or "Sign Up"
- Create an account using email, Google, Apple, or Microsoft
- Confirm your email if prompted
- You're in - start using the app
If waitlist/invite system is active:
- Go to manus.im
- Click "Try Manus" → "Apply for Access"
- Enter your email address
- Fill out the questionnaire
- Submit and wait for approval email (typically a few days to 3 weeks)
- Use your invitation code to complete signup
New User Credits
New users receive 1,000-1,500 free starter credits. You also get 300 credits that refresh daily on the free tier. This is enough to run several tasks and evaluate whether Manus works for you.
Step 2: Understanding the Interface
What you'll see when you log in.
Manus uses a split-screen design with three main areas:
Left Panel (Sidebar):
- Past sessions and task history
- New Task button
- Attach Files option
- Knowledge Bases
- Settings and credit balance
Center Area:
- Main prompt input box (similar to ChatGPT)
- Task counter showing remaining sessions
- Mode selector (Chat vs Agent)
Right Panel - "Manus's Computer":
- Real-time view of what Manus is doing
- Switches between Browser, Terminal, and VS Code views
- Shows pages opening, code running, searches executing
- This transparency is key - you can watch the agent work
Why the Right Panel Matters
Unlike chatbots where you just see text responses, Manus shows you exactly what it's doing. You'll see it open websites, scroll through pages, copy snippets, and execute code in real-time. This helps you understand and verify its work.
Step 3: Chat Mode vs Agent Mode
Know when to use which.
| Feature | Chat Mode | Agent Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Quick answers, brainstorming | Autonomous task execution |
| Credits | FREE - no credits used | Consumes credits |
| Capabilities | Images, PDFs, web search | Websites, apps, data analysis, reports |
| Speed | Instant responses | 4-80 minutes depending on task |
| Best for | Casual questions, discussions | Complex multi-step projects |
Use Chat Mode when:
- You have a quick question
- You want to brainstorm ideas
- You need to discuss something before committing to a task
- You're conserving credits
Use Agent Mode when:
- You need a deliverable (report, website, analysis)
- The task requires multiple steps
- You want autonomous execution without hand-holding
- You'd rather wait 15 minutes than spend 3 hours doing it yourself
Step 4: Running Your First Task
A step-by-step walkthrough.
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Let's walk through a real example: analyzing sales data for a coffee shop.
Step 1: Prepare your input
Have your file ready (CSV, Excel, PDF, etc.) or be ready to describe what you need if no file is required.
Step 2: Start a new task
- Click "New Task" or go to manus.im/app
- Select Agent Mode (not Chat Mode)
- Upload your file using "Attach Files" if needed
Step 3: Write a detailed prompt
Example Prompt: Sales Analysis
"Analyze the sales data from the provided CSV file containing all transactions from the coffee shop. The key columns include orderItems (listing products sold in each transaction) and timestamp (the date and time of the sale). Generate a detailed sales report with the following: Identify the best-selling products based on frequency and total revenue. Evaluate the impact of changing opening hours. The current hours are 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM."
Step 4: Watch Manus work
- Manus creates a plan (you'll see this in the interface)
- It reads your CSV file
- Writes and executes Python code (Pandas, Matplotlib)
- Generates visualizations
- Compiles everything into a report
Step 5: Review and download results
- Results appear in the right panel
- Click the download icon to save PDFs/files
- Click the file list icon to see all generated files
- Use "Replay" to review Manus's reasoning process
Always Verify Results
According to DataCamp testing, Manus occasionally makes data processing errors. The outputs look professional but may contain inaccuracies. Always double-check important analyses before making business decisions.
Example Prompts That Work
Copy-paste these and modify for your needs.
Financial Analysis:
Prompt Template
"Analyze the current downturn in the S&P 500, considering recent global tariffs. Using historical data on similar economic events, identify potential scenarios for how low the S&P 500 could go, and estimate a timeline for recovery. Include historical comparisons, relevant economic indicators, and confidence ranges."
Trip Planning:
Prompt Template
"Plan a 15-day trip from Italy to Japan with a budget of $10,000. Include routes, hotels, activities, and transportation details. Present it as a downloadable travel handbook with maps and booking links."
Web Development:
Prompt Template
"Build me a modern landing page for a new SaaS product. It should have a hero section with a signup button, a features section with 6 feature cards, a pricing table with 3 tiers, testimonials section, and a footer with social links."
Typical task durations and credit usage:
| Task Type | Duration | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Market trends research | ~50 seconds | ~59 credits |
| 3-day trip planning | ~4.5 minutes | ~152 credits |
| Data analysis with charts | ~15 minutes | ~290 credits |
| Wedding invitation webpage | ~25 minutes | ~360 credits |
| Complex web app | ~50-80 minutes | ~900 credits |
Tips for Better Results
What the documentation and power users recommend.
Prompt structure that works:
- Use numbered lists or bullet points for multi-part requests
- Separate instructions from context using clear headers
- Define objectives, boundaries, and success criteria upfront
- Provide examples of the output format you want
Provide context like you would to a freelancer:
- What's the background?
- What are the constraints?
- What does success look like?
- Include relevant files and links upfront
Use the Knowledge feature:
- Click your profile → Knowledge tab
- Add up to 20 pieces of custom information
- Manus will automatically recall relevant info when needed
- Great for storing preferences and recurring requirements
Want to understand the full pricing breakdown? Check out our complete Manus AI pricing guide.
What Manus Cannot Do
Know the boundaries before you start.
Functional limitations:
- Cannot create accounts on your behalf
- Cannot bypass security measures
- Cannot post to social media (despite theoretical support)
- Cannot access paywalled articles or academic papers
- Cannot do pixel-perfect GUI interactions
Technical limitations:
- Context window constraints - very long tasks may hit limits
- Can freeze during heavy web searches
- Server load issues during peak times
- May struggle with very large text chunks
Credit Warning
Manus cannot estimate how many credits a task will cost before you start. Tasks that run out of credits mid-execution will stop, leaving you with incomplete results. Start with smaller tasks until you understand credit consumption patterns.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
When things go wrong.
Manus freezes or becomes unresponsive:
- Force close and restart the app
- On Windows, close completely (it's WebKit-based)
- Try during off-peak hours if you get "high load" errors
Task gets stuck in a loop:
- Manus has built-in error handling but can occasionally loop
- If you see the same action repeated 3+ times, intervene with a new instruction
- Add guidance to break the loop
Results seem inaccurate:
- Use the Replay feature to review Manus's process
- Cross-check data against your original sources
- Add verification steps to your prompt
The bottom line: Manus is a powerful tool but not magic. Treat it like a capable but fallible assistant. Give clear instructions, verify important outputs, and you'll get results that would otherwise take hours of manual work.
Want to understand what Manus AI is and how it compares to chatbots? Read our complete guide to Manus AI.
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