Part 1 · Onboarding & Activation
Create Your 16-Character Gmail App Password & Free AI Key (Gemini or Groq)
What you see on screen: STPi sends applications from your own mailbox (so replies go straight to you and your candidate) and uses your own free-tier AI key (Google AI Studio Gemini or Groq) so you never pay per-draft markups.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Create your Gmail App Password (2 minutes): Open
https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords(ensure 2-Step Verification is switched ON first). TypeSTPias the app name, click Create, and copy the 16-character password (wxyz abcd efgh ijkl). Never paste your regular Google account password. - Create your Free AI Key (1 minute): Open
https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey(Google Gemini — recommended) orhttps://console.groq.com/keys(Groq). Click Create API key — no credit card required — and copy the key (AIza...orgsk_...). - Paid Plan Non-Gmail Mailboxes: On Solo, Studio, Sovereign, Done-For-You, and CV Setup, you can also use Outlook / Microsoft 365, Yahoo, Zoho, iCloud, or your own custom SMTP/IMAP server.
Real Example · What Valid Keys Look Like
placements@northstartalent.co.za (or simalidudu@gmail.com)• Gmail App Password:
wxyz abcd efgh ijkl (16 letters; spaces are stripped automatically)• Gemini API Key:
AIzaSyD9_example_free_gemini_flash_key_84920 (or Groq: gsk_8f92aB3c...)Part 2 · Candidate Profiles, CVs & Certificates (#settings)
Pick from All 12 ATS CV Designs, Custom Accents & Attach Certificates (Up to 3 per Batch)
What you see on screen: Every candidate card features one-click swatches for all 12 ATS-parseable CV designs (Classic, Indigo, Emerald, Sunset, Modern, Aurora, Mono, Apex Executive, Slate, Onyx, Coral, Vine), plus buttons for CV, Certificates, Photo, and Mailbox.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Pick a CV Design: Click any of the 12 design swatches on the candidate card (or inside Edit Profile) to switch their CV look immediately. Modern (
Modern,Aurora,Mono) and Executive (Apex,Slate,Onyx,Coral,Vine) designs also unlock Custom Accent Colours (#RRGGBB) and Dark / Light Header Themes. - Attach Qualification Certificates (Mandatory before sending): Click Certificates on the candidate card, select up to 3 files at a time (
.pdf,.jpg,.png, up to 8 MB each), and click Attach. Need more than 3 certificates? Simply click Certificates again — new files merge automatically by filename! - Optional Headshot Photo: Click Photo to attach a
.jpg/.png/.webpportrait for the photo-slot CV designs (Modern,Aurora,Mono,Apex,Slate,Onyx,Coral,Vine).
Real Example · Merging 5 Certificates in Two Batches
BSc_Hons_Degree.pdf, Project_Management_Cert.pdf, and Drivers_Licence.pdf → Click Attach.• Batch 2: Click Certificates again (leave 'Replace current set' unticked) → Select
SHEQ_Diploma.pdf and First_Aid.pdf → Click Attach. All 5 certificates now ride with every application!Inspect the Live Multi-Page A4 Preview (Cover Letter + Tailored CV + Certificates)
What you see on screen: Clicking Preview CV & pack opens the interactive full-screen Document Preview Modal (#pvwrap). It renders Page 1 (the business-plain Cover Letter), Page 2 (the styled A4 CV in your chosen theme, accent, and Dark/Light header mode), and Page 3+ (each attached qualification certificate on its own page).
Step-by-Step Instructions
- On any candidate card in Settings, click Preview CV & pack.
- Click through all 12 CV design pills across the top of the preview bar (
ClassicthroughVine), test Accent colour dots, and toggle Dark / Light header to compare styles live. - Click Use this design for <Candidate> to lock in your favourite look for all future applications.
- Press
Escapeor click Close to return to your workspace without losing your scroll position.
Real Example · Choosing Between Emerald, Modern & Apex Executive
Maya Ndlovu): Emerald or Vine with Light header.• Corporate Finance / Executive Roles (
Lerato Mokoena): Apex Executive with #C9A227 gold accent & Dark band.• Engineering / Tech Roles (
Noah Moyo): Modern or Slate with #2E9BFF cobalt accent.Part 3 · Daily Operation: Reviewing, Approving & Tracking
Rounds View (#rounds) — Batch-Review Daily Hunt Matches
What you see on screen: Clicking Rounds in the sidebar groups all researched job matches by hunt batch (R-1018-AM · Morning matches, R-1018-PM · Afternoon matches). Each card displays the candidate name, job title, employer, relevance score (89%), application route (✉️ emailed application vs 📦 portal apply pack), and closing date countdown.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Click Rounds in the navigation bar to see every open and recent hunt batch.
- Notice the two application routes:
1. ✉️ Emailed application: The job advert includes a recruitment email address. Tapping Approve & send emails the tailored cover letter, CV PDF, and attached certificates directly from your mailbox.
2. 📦 Portal apply pack: The employer requires an online web form (e.g. Workday/SuccessFactors). STPi prepares the tailored PDF pack and cover letter so you can upload it in 30 seconds and click Mark applied. - Want to approve or skip an entire batch at once? Use Approve all & send (n) or Pass all on the round header.
Real Example · Morning Hunt Round R-1018-AM
Maya Ndlovu → Monitoring & Evaluation Officer @ Example Foundation · 89% match · ✉️ emailed application · Closes in 6 days.• Match 2:
Noah Moyo → Environmental Compliance Officer @ Example Services · 84% match · 📦 portal apply pack.Inspect the Application Drawer, Download Apply Packs & Tap Approve & Send
What you see on screen: Clicking any match card in Overview or Rounds slides open the detailed Application Inspection Drawer (#slide). It shows the full tailored cover letter, recipient address, downloadable PDF apply pack, original job posting link, candidate profile summary, and the primary action buttons.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Click any match card to open the right-hand Application Drawer.
- Read the tailored cover letter and verify the role details (
Open the job ad ↗opens the live vacancy source). - Choose your action:
• Approve & send: Immediately queues the email send (dispatchesdecide.ymland delivers via your SMTP mailbox within ~60 seconds).
• Pass: Permanently skips this vacancy and deletes its temporary draft PDFs.
• Copy letter / Download PDFs + Mark applied (Portal route): For portal vacancies, download the tailored CV PDF, click Copy letter, submit on the employer's portal, and click Mark applied.
Real Example · The Golden Rule of STPi
Part 4 · Self-Hosted Editions (Free Forever Demo & Sovereign Docker)
Free Forever Downloadable Demo (stpi-demo-1.0.2.zip) — Local CLI & Dashboard
What you see on screen: The downloadable demo (stpi-demo-1.0.2.zip + stpi-demo-kit.zip) runs the genuine STPi Python wheel (stpi-1.0.2-py3-none-any.whl) on your laptop. It includes 1 active candidate, 5 real sends per UTC month forever, unlimited --dry hunts, all 12 CV designs, and the local web UI on http://localhost:8080.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Verify & Unpack: Download
stpi-demo-1.0.2.zipandstpi-demo-1.0.2.zip.sha256fromhttps://getstpi.pages.dev/demo. Verify the checksum (sha256sum -c stpi-demo-1.0.2.zip.sha256), unzip, create a Python 3.11+ virtualenv, and runpip install stpi-1.0.2-py3-none-any.whl. - Encrypt Your Free Keys: Run
stpi keygen >> .envto create your local Fernet master key. Then runstpi encrypt "gsk_..."for your free Groq/Gemini key and paste the encrypted output intoconfig/tenants/demo/tenant.yamlunderllm_api_key:(and do the same for your Gmail App Password undermailbox.app_password:). - Configure Your Candidate: Edit
config/tenants/demo/candidates/demo01.yamlwith your candidate's real name, email, country (ZA,ZW,ZM, etc.), skills, experience, andcv_design:(classic,indigo,emerald,sunset,apex, etc.). - Check Health, Hunt & Serve: Run
stpi doctorto verify all checks are green,stpi hunt --dryto preview real scored job matches without sending,stpi huntto generate real PDF packs, andstpi serveto open your local dashboard athttp://localhost:8080.
Real Example · Complete 6-Command Local Demo Loop
python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install stpi-1.0.2-py3-none-any.whl
stpi keygen >> .env && stpi encrypt "gsk_your_free_key"
stpi doctor && stpi hunt --dry
stpi serve # Open http://localhost:8080 in any browser