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

# Connecting a portfolio

> Plaid connect, manual import, and what we can and can't see.

The [Portfolio](https://auramarkets.io/portfolio) section needs holdings to do anything useful. Two ways to get them in:

## Before you connect: the demo portfolio

A fresh account opens with a **sample portfolio** so every analytics panel has something to show — and a banner saying exactly that ("Demo Portfolio — you're viewing a sample portfolio to showcase the analytics"). Add your first real holding and the demo (and its banner) is replaced.

## Option 1: Plaid (recommended)

Plaid is the standard bank/broker connect layer used across most US fintech (Robinhood, Coinbase, Wealthfront, etc.).

### Steps

1. Go to [Portfolio](https://auramarkets.io/portfolio)
2. Click **Connect via Plaid**
3. Search for your broker (Schwab, Fidelity, IBKR, Robinhood, Coinbase, etc.)
4. Sign in with your broker credentials in Plaid's modal
5. Pick which accounts to share
6. Done — holdings auto-import

### What we see

* **Account names and types** (e.g., "Brokerage – \*\*\*\*1234")
* **Holdings** — tickers, quantities, cost basis when available
* **Account values** — for benchmarking and weighting

### What we don't see

* **No passwords or login credentials.** Plaid handles auth; we never receive them.
* **No transfers, no trading.** Read-only access. We can't move money or place trades even if we wanted to.
* **No transaction history beyond what we need for cost basis.**

### Refresh cadence

Holdings auto-refresh on a daily cadence. You can force a refresh with the refresh button in the top controls.

## Option 2: Manual / file import

If you'd rather not connect a broker, you can add holdings manually. Click **+ Add Holding** (next to Link Brokerage) — a tabbed modal opens with two paths:

### Tab 1: Single

One position at a time:

* **Ticker** (e.g., `AAPL`)
* **Shares** (e.g., `100`)
* **Cost basis per share** (e.g., `150.00`)

Save adds it to the active account.

### Tab 2: Bulk (CSV)

For larger imports — three ways to populate the list:

1. **Drag and drop** a `.csv` or `.xlsx` file onto the drop zone at the top
2. **Click the drop zone** to open a file picker
3. **Paste rows directly** into the textarea as `ticker, shares, cost_basis` per line

For CSV/XLSX files:

* The first row is auto-detected as a header if it contains the word "ticker" and gets stripped
* Only the first sheet of an XLSX is read
* The parser fills the textarea so you can preview/edit before clicking Import
* A status line shows how many rows loaded

Manual portfolios won't auto-update — you'll need to edit when holdings change.

## Multiple accounts

You can connect multiple Plaid accounts, mix Plaid + manual, and the views will treat them as one consolidated portfolio. Account-level filtering is available where it matters (e.g., "show me only my IRA's risk profile").

## Privacy notes

* Holdings live in our database, scoped to your account
* Nothing is shared with other users or third parties
* You can disconnect Plaid at any time from the controls (revokes the access token)
* Deleting your account wipes everything

## Next steps

Once connected, the Performance and Risk Analysis tabs come alive:

* [Performance & attribution](/portfolio/performance-attribution) — total return, factor decomposition, contribution per holding
* [Risk: CVaR, IVaR, stress](/portfolio/risk) — what your portfolio loses in bad scenarios
* [Factor exposure](/portfolio/factor-exposure) — your tilts vs the benchmark
* [Earnings calendar](/portfolio/earnings-calendar) — what's reporting in your book this week