Don't type personal details, such as a client's name.
Agency Quickstart
Sign up your agency, add a payment method, and submit your first DS-160 in under fifteen minutes — your first form is on us.
Welcome to DS160.io for agencies. This guide walks you through signing up, claiming your free first form, and processing your first client submission.
1. Start signup
Click Get started on the Agencies page, or visit /signup/agency directly. Fill in:
- Agency name — shown to your clients as the brand behind their intake form
- Workspace name — the workspace label you’ll see inside the dashboard (defaults to your agency name)
- Expected DS-160s per month — helps us tailor onboarding and the right billing plan
- Email and password for the workspace owner account
2. Verify your email
Your agency workspace is created the moment you submit the signup form, but you still need to confirm your email before you can use it. We send a 6-digit activation code to the address you signed up with — enter it on the activation screen that loads immediately after signup.
If you don’t see the email, check spam first, then your workspace email filters. The code is good for a single use.
3. Add a credit card — first form free
Right after activation you land on the billing-setup screen. Add a credit card to claim your first DS-160 form free. We won’t charge you until you submit your second.
If you exit before adding a card you can resume on your next login — until a card is on file your workspace is in pending state and certain features are gated. See Payment Method and Your Free First Form.
4. Create a form and send the client their link
On the Forms screen, click New DS-160 form. Start from a blank form, enter the client’s name and email, and choose Email the client a link now: the client gets a secure link to fill in the form themselves, in their own language. See Creating a Form for the other ways to start a form.
The link opens in your workspace’s default language, which you can set, along with how long links last, under Workspace Settings → Client intake (see client link defaults). The client can still switch languages from inside the form.
5. Review and file
When the client has finished, every Owner and Admin gets a Ready for review email. Open the form, check the answers and correct anything (see Reviewing a Client’s Answers), then click View Submissions, pick the embassy or consulate and click New Submission. We fill in the official DS-160 for you and email you when a security code needs typing; see E-Filing the DS-160.
Next steps
- Set up your branding under Workspace Settings → Branding.
- Connect a custom domain so clients see your brand, not ours.
- Choose how your forms answer the DS-160’s security question — a random answer per form, or one your firm shares.
- Add your team members so they can review submissions alongside you.