How to Create a Tumblr Account

Now that you know what you can do on Tumblr for free (i.e. almost everything!) and how to stay safe while using Tumblr, it's time to start using it!  This lesson will take you on the first step towards using Tumblr: creating an account.

You don't have to have a Tumblr account so search or browse for blog posts on Tumblr, or share posts to external social media websites (though you do need accounts for those websites).  You do, however, have to sign up for Tumblr if you want to create your own blog, follow the activity of other people's blogs, or like or re-blog someone else's blog post.  This lesson will show you how to create a Tumblr account.

To sign up for Tumblr:

1. Go to www.tumblr.com.

2. Type in your email address, a password, and a user name, and then click Sign Up.

3. Type in your age, agree to Tumblr's rules, and click Next.

4. Select at least five interests, and then click Next.

5. Click the link in the email that Tumblr sends you to verify your email address.

Are some of those instructions a little vague?  No problem!  We've explained the whole process below, complete with screen captures so you'll know what to look for.

Detailed instructions on how to create a Tumblr account

1. Open your web browser and go to www.tumblr.com.

2. In the top portion of the screen, you should see the three boxes highlighted here.  Click in each of them and type in your email address, a password to protect your Tumblr account with, and a user name that you wish to represent yourself with on Tumblr (respectively).  Then click Sign Up.

   

3. Click in the box labelled "How Old Are You?" and type in your age.  (You have to do this, because Tumblr is not legally allowed to let anyone under the age of 13 use it).  Then, click the check box here to state that you agree to play by Tumblr's rules (click Terms of Service if you feel like reading these rules; Tumblr has short-form versions of them to help you read them easier).  Then click Next.

   

4. You'll need to do one last verification test to prove that you're not an automated program trying to mass-produce Tumblr accounts.  Simply click the check box labelled "I'm Not a Robot" to pass it and go to the next step.

   

5. To get an idea of what kind of posts you might like to see and what blogs you might want to follow on Tumblr, Tumblr will ask you to pick at least five categories of interest.

   

   Simply click on a category in the main screen to select it.  When you select a category, it may break into sub-categories that you can select as well. 

   Selected categories will appear at the top of the screen, starting from the left.  Click a category that appears here if you change your mind and want to remove it. 

   When you have selected at least five categories of interest, click Next in the top-right corner.

6. You should be taken to your Tumblr "dashboard", the main control center for your Tumblr account.  Now, there's just one more thing that you need to do, and that's verify your email address.

   

   Go to your email client and log in.  Find the email from Tumblr Support labelled "Verify Your Email Address" and click it to open it.  Then, click the big blue This Is Me! button inside it.

7. Once your email address is verified, click Or Skip to Your Web Dashboard to go back to your main screen on Tumblr.

   

That's it!  You're all ready to use Tumblr!