[@layout]: ../docs.layout.md

# Accounts and attachments

Let readers sign in, participate as themselves, and attach files to their work.

For a shared site, start with Authentication on a live server with persistent
storage. Public static pages alone do not provide shared accounts or uploads.

- [Authentication](./auth.reference.md) — set up local sign-in or production magic links and check the configuration.
- [Attachments](./attachments.reference.md) — add an uploader, choose file limits, and retrieve saved attachments.

[Personal state](../extend/state.reference.md) explains Actor Home and browser-local
storage. A browser-hosted app can keep its own attachment files locally; that does
not upload them to a shared server. Use [How PathMX runs](../start/runs.guide.md)
to choose the hosting and storage your readers need.