> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.smaq.io/documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.smaq.io/documentation/get-started/quick-start/pre-signup-audit.md).
# Pre-signup audit
Get a free competitive audit of your Google Ads, Meta Ads, or GA4 account without creating a SMAQ account first. The findings stay attached to your email, ready to claim when you sign up.
The pre-signup audit at [smaq.io/audit](https://smaq.io/audit) gives you a 5–10 minute look at what SMAQ surfaces in your ad accounts — wasted search-term spend, fatigued creatives, broken tracking, audience saturation — **before you create an account**.
When you sign up later (using the same email you provided), the audit is automatically claimed and waiting for you in your first project.
### Who should use it
* **Marketers evaluating SMAQ** — see real findings on your own data without committing.
* **Anyone unsure where to start** — the audit picks the highest-leverage problem in your account first.
### The flow
#### 1. Pick a platform
On the landing page, choose what you want audited:
* **Google Ads** — wasted search-term spend, fatigued ads, spend anomalies (last 30 days).
* **Meta Ads** — creatives bleeding budget, audience saturation, overlap across top spenders.
* **Google Analytics 4** — broken tracking, revenue leaks from mobile gaps, unattributed traffic.
For GA4, you'll also pick the **branch** that matches you: E-commerce, Lead-gen / B2B / services, or "I'm not sure."
#### 2. Authorize the platform
Click the audit button (e.g. "Audit my Google Ads →") to start the OAuth flow. SMAQ only requests the minimum read scopes needed to run the audit — no spending authority, no changes to your account.
If you have multiple accounts visible to the OAuth session (multiple ad accounts, multiple GA4 properties), you'll see a picker.
#### 3. Watch the audit run
The audit page streams live progress: "Checking account", "Pulling campaign data", "Analyzing keywords", "Completed." Each step takes seconds — the whole run is usually under 90 seconds.
Click **Show steps** to see the detailed step list, or just wait for the results.
> **\[Screen video needed]** Audit results page during a live run — showing the step list animating and the first finding revealing. \~30 seconds.
#### 4. Top finding teaser
When the audit completes, you see the headline finding immediately — e.g. "Found 24 wasted search terms costing $1,840/month" — plus a preview of the first detailed insight.
If you've run the audit before with the same email, you'll see a banner: "You also have a prior unclaimed audit from \[date]."
#### 5. Email gate + full reveal
Enter your email and click **Unlock findings**. SMAQ stores the audit against that email and reveals all the findings in full.
#### 6. Claim into a SMAQ account
Click **Claim your report** to start the signup flow. Your audit findings, the connected platform, and the first dashboard built from them are automatically attached to your new account.
If you already have a SMAQ account using that email, the audit attaches to your existing organization instead.
***
### Privacy & data
* SMAQ pulls read-only data from the platform you authorize. Nothing is written back.
* Your email isn't added to a marketing list unless you opt in during signup.
* You can revoke SMAQ's access at any time from the platform's app settings (e.g. Google Account → Security → Third-party apps).
### After claiming
Your new project will have:
* The connection you authorized for the audit
* A pre-built dashboard summarizing the audit findings
* The Daily Brief automation already configured (if applicable to the platform)
From here, follow [Step 4 of the Quick start](/documentation/get-started/quick-start.md) — explore the project, add more connections, or chat with the AI.
