First-Run Setup

Your DetailByte instance arrives already running, with a sensible set of example services, add-ons, message templates and automations loaded so nothing is a blank page. This checklist walks through turning that starting point into your business.

Everything here is found under Settings (âš™ď¸Ź) unless noted.

The instance itself, on your web address, with HTTPS.
Your owner account: full access to everything.
The default service examples, add-ons, message templates and automations.
The scheduled background task that sends queued messages and runs reminders.

Everything below is yours to fill in, and we will happily do the first pass with you.

1. Identity & brand

Settings → Identity & brand

Start with How you operate, at the top of this tab. It is the one answer everything else follows from: whether you are drop-off only, mainly drop-off, both equally, mainly mobile, or mobile only. It decides what your booking page asks customers for, which settings tabs you see at all, and which wording your emails use. Getting it right first saves you configuring screens you will never use.

Upload your logo (shown in the admin panel, the booking form and every email).
Set your brand colours: these recolour the whole interface and your emails.
Confirm your company name, slogan and business phone.
Enter your business address. If customers come to you, this also creates your first drop-off location, so step 4 may already be done.
Review the email header and footer used on all outgoing emails.

2. Services & pricing

Services (in the sidebar)

Create your services and set a price for each vehicle size: Small, Medium, SUV and XL come pre-loaded as a starting point, but you can rename, reorder or add your own (estate, van, motorhome) from Settings.
Mark whether each service is mobile, drop-off, or both. If you chose drop-off only or mobile only in step 1, that choice wins and you can leave this alone.
Optionally create bundles and add-ons.

See Services, Pricing & Add-ons.

3. Mobile service area (if you travel)

Settings → Mobile & Travel

Set your shop origin postcode: all distances and drive times are measured from here.
Add your travel-fee tiers (e.g. up to 5 miles = £0, up to 10 miles = £10).
Choose whether to enable automatic drive-time ETAs and set an optional prep buffer.

See Mobile & Travel.

4. Drop-off locations (if customers come to you)

Settings → Drop-Off

Add each location customers can bring vehicles to, with address and any instructions.
Your business address from step 1 is already here. Correct it or add more.
With more than one active, the booking page asks the customer which they are coming to.

5. Email & SMS

Settings → Email and Settings → SMS

Email needs nothing from you: every plan sends managed email for free by default. If you'd rather send from your own domain instead, connect your own provider here and send yourself a test to confirm delivery.
Text messages default to your own SMS provider: enter its details here and send yourself a test. If you'd rather not open one, switch to managed SMS and we send on your behalf instead, billed per message.

Using your own domain for email is what keeps your messages out of spam folders, if you go that route. See Communications & Broadcasts.

6. Messages & automations

Settings → Notifications & Automations (and the Templates/Automations screens)

Review the default templates (confirmation, reminders, thank-you, etc.) and adjust the wording to your voice.
Check the automations (when each message is sent) and enable/disable as you wish.

See Templates & Automations.

7. Availability & calendar

Settings → Availability and Settings → Calendar

Set your working hours and how bookings appear on the calendar.

8. Booking statuses

Settings → Statuses

Review the labels used through the job lifecycle if you want to tailor them.

9. Customer programmes (optional)

Settings → Customer Programs (VIP, Loyalty, Coupons, Job Packages)

Turn on and configure your loyalty programme, VIP rules, coupon codes, and job-package delivery settings.

See Loyalty, VIP & Coupons and Job Packages.

10. Staff accounts (optional)

Settings → Users

Add anyone else who needs to sign in, as an administrator (day-to-day operations, no Settings or Licence access) or a worker.
Workers see only My jobs: the bookings assigned to them, without pricing or customer records. Assign work using the assigned to field on a booking.

11. Put the booking form on your website

Your public booking form has its own address and is designed to be embedded in your existing site as an iframe, so customers stay inside your brand. It picks up your logo and colours automatically. Ask us if you would like a hand dropping it in.

You're ready

Create a test booking from the admin panel (or your public booking form) and walk it through the whole lifecycle (confirm it, mark yourself on the way, start and finish the job) to see the messages and automations in action before going live.