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Admin Getting Started

This guide walks you through setting up your shelter in Heelr after signing up. The onboarding flow takes about 5 minutes and covers everything you need to get your team started.

The Onboarding Flow​

When you first sign in as a shelter admin, you'll see a guided setup with four steps:

Step 1: Shelter Basics​

Confirm your shelter's name, timezone, and a couple of dashboard preferences:

  • Shelter name -- Displayed in the app and to your team
  • Timezone -- Used for activity timestamps and daily resets
  • Dashboard photos -- Show animal photos on the main board (optional)
  • QR kennel labels -- Enable printable QR codes for kennel labels (optional)

You can always change these later in Admin Settings.

Step 2: Add Your First Animal​

The dashboard needs at least one animal to be useful. You have two options:

  • Add manually -- Enter a single dog or cat with a name and kennel location
  • Import a roster -- Upload a CSV file from your shelter management system

Most admins start with one or two manual entries to see how the board works, then import the rest later.

See Managing Animals for the full guide on adding, editing, and managing animal records.

Step 3: Invite a Teammate​

Add a staff member or volunteer so they can start logging activities. You can also skip this step and come back to it later.

See Managing Users for the full guide on inviting users, assigning roles, and managing special handling certification.

Step 4: Log Your First Activity​

Use Quick Log to record a walk, enrichment, or other activity for one of your animals. This shows you the core workflow your team will use every day.

See Logging an Activity for the full guide.

After Onboarding​

Once all four steps are complete, you'll see a confirmation and land on your dashboard. The onboarding banner disappears and your shelter is ready for daily use.

From here, you can:

  • Configure alerts -- Set up operational alerts that appear at the top of the dashboard for all users
  • Set up TV mode -- Pair a shared display for the shelter lobby or office
  • Review permissions -- Understand what each role can do
  • Explore metrics -- See operational triage data once your team starts logging

Skipping and Returning​

You can skip any step during onboarding, and a progress banner will appear on your dashboard reminding you where you left off. Click "Continue" to pick up where you stopped.

If you skip the entire setup, the banner is dismissed. You can still complete all setup tasks manually from the dashboard and admin settings.

Next Steps​