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

# Quickstart overview

Build your first usage-based pricing model in Orb. This quickstart walks through event ingestion, metric definition, pricing configuration, and invoice generation—showing how Orb's query-based architecture supports flexible, auditable billing.

## What you'll build

A complete usage-based billing workflow:

* Ingest raw usage events (API calls, compute hours, or any measurable activity from your product)
* Define a billable metric as a query over your events
* Configure pricing using the metric (per-unit, tiered, or volume-based)
* Create a customer subscription linking them to your pricing
* Generate an invoice calculated from actual usage

## Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

* **Orb account** — Test mode recommended for this quickstart. [Sign up](https://www.withorb.com/contact-us) if you don't have an account.
* **API token** — Generate from [Connections → API tokens](https://app.withorb.com/settings?tab=developer). Required for API requests.
* **Your usage data schema** — Understand what events you'll send and what properties they'll include.
* **30 minutes** — Estimated time to complete all steps.

## The implementation path

This quickstart follows the natural data flow in Orb's query-based architecture:

### 1. [Ingest events](/quickstart/ingest)

Send raw usage data to Orb. Events are stored immutably as the foundation for all billing calculations.

### 2. [Create metrics](/quickstart/metrics)

Define billable metrics as queries over your events. See how metrics can be changed without re-ingesting data.

### 3. [Configure pricing](/quickstart/pricing)

Build your pricing model using metrics—per-unit rates, volume tiers, or custom structures.

### 4. [Create subscriptions](/quickstart/subscriptions)

Link a customer to your pricing. Orb begins tracking usage and calculating charges in real-time.

### 5. [Set up invoicing](/quickstart/invoicing)

Generate your first invoice from actual usage. Understand how invoices are deterministic queries, not side effects.

### 6. [(Optional) Explore simulations](/simulations/introduction)

Run "what-if" scenarios to test pricing changes against historical usage before deploying them.

## What you'll learn

* Why sending raw events once lets you change billing metrics anytime without re-instrumentation
* How to test pricing changes against real usage data before deploying them to customers
* Why late-arriving data and backfills work without manual reconciliation or invoice corrections
* How to trace every invoice charge back to its source events for complete audit trails
* The foundation for Revenue Design workflows that eliminate cross-functional coordination

## Success criteria

By the end of this quickstart, you'll have:

* Events flowing into Orb via API
* A billable metric calculating in real-time
* A pricing plan using your metric
* A customer subscription tracking usage
* An invoice generated from actual usage data
* Understanding of how query-based architecture supports this workflow

## Ready to start?

Begin with event ingestion: [Ingest events →](/quickstart/ingest)

<Tip>
  Use test mode for this quickstart. Test mode is completely isolated from production and safe for experimentation. You can always promote configurations to live mode later.
</Tip>