How to Set Up a New Agency

The **Agency Setup** wizard walks you through nine steps, from picking a setup template to launching your configuration in one action. Nothing is created in your agency until you click **Launch Setup**, so you can work through it at your own pace.

### Overview

- **Agency Setup** is a nine step wizard: **Welcome**, **Data Sources**, **Settings**, **Locations**, **Users**, **Messaging**, **Automation**, **Analytics**, and **Review**
- A progress bar across the top shows how much you have completed, and you can click any step button to jump straight to it
- A **Setup Assistant** chat panel sits beside the wizard, offers **Quick questions** for the step you are on, and can fill in answers for you
- Your answers save automatically as you move between steps, and **Save Progress** saves them on demand
- The **Checklist** tab tracks 17 areas of your agency configuration and scores your progress as a percentage

### Prerequisites

- Access to an eCourtDate agency in staging or production
- Your agency name, phone, email, and time zone, which are required before you can launch
- A role that includes the **update_settings** permission if you want to change **General Settings** afterward

### How-To Steps

#### Choose a template

1. Scroll to the footer of any page and click **Agency Setup**.
2. Select a card under **Choose a setup template**: **Court / Justice**, **Government Agency**, or **Custom Setup**.
3. Click the client types that apply under **Who are your clients?**, or enter your own in **Add custom type...** and press Enter.
4. Click **Continue**.

#### Record your data sources

5. Answer **System of Record** by selecting either the primary system option or **No, we have an existing Case Management System (CMS)**.
6. Select your **Current Case Management System** if you chose the second option.
7. Select every data source that applies: **Manual Entry**, **Self-Service Portal**, **Bulk Upload**, **API Integration**, **SFTP Gateway**, or **Partner Integration**.
8. Enter the technical contact name and email that appear if you select **Self-Service Portal**, **API Integration**, or **SFTP Gateway**.
9. Click **Continue**.

#### Enter your agency settings

10. Enter **Agency Name**, **Agency Phone**, and **Agency Email**, which are all required.
11. Enter **Agency Website** if your agency has one.
12. Enter your address in **Search Address**, or type **Street Address**, **Address Line 2**, **City**, **State**, and **ZIP Code** yourself.
13. Select your **Timezone**.
14. Set **Business Hours From**, **Business Hours To**, and **Business Days**.
15. Click the languages your agency communicates in under **Enabled Languages**.
16. Click **Continue**.

#### Add locations

17. Enter a **Location Name** and, optionally, a **Reference Code**, **Address**, **City**, **State**, and **ZIP**.
18. Select **Set as default location** for your primary site.
19. Click **Add Location** to move it into **Added Locations**.
20. Click **Continue**.

#### Invite your team

21. Leave **Import default roles** on to create the Administrator, Manager, Staff, and Read Only roles.
22. Enter a **Full Name** and **Email Address** for each person who needs access.
23. Select a **Role** for that person.
24. Select **Send invitation email on setup** to email the invitation when the setup runs.
25. Click **Add User** to move them into **Users to Create**.
26. Click **Continue**.

#### Configure messaging

27. Select **Enable SMS and voice calls** under **Agency Phones**, then enter a **Preferred Area Code** and **Secondary Area Code**.
28. Select **Enable email messaging** under **Agency Emails**, then choose **Use agency subdomain (Recommended)** or **Use ecase.io domain**.
29. Select the packs you want under **Message Flows**: **Court Reminders**, **Confirmations**, **Cancellations**, **No-Show Follow-up**, **Welcome Series**, or **Payment Reminders**.
30. Select the templates you want under **Auto Messages**: **Opt-In Confirmation**, **Opt-Out Confirmation**, **Inbound Auto-Response**, or **After Hours Response**.
31. Click **Continue**.

#### Configure automation and analytics

32. Select **Enable Client Portal**, enter a **Portal Name**, and choose your **Portal Features**.
33. Select **Enable AI Chatbot**, enter a **Chatbot Name**, and choose the **Chatbot Channels** to answer on.
34. Select **Enable File Library** if you want a shared library of downloadable documents.
35. Click **Continue**.
36. Select **Create Default Dashboard** and enter a **Dashboard Name**.
37. Select **Weekly Summary Report** or **Monthly Summary Report**, then enter an address in **Send Reports To**.
38. Click **Continue**.

#### Review and launch

39. Review each card on **Review & Launch**.
40. Fix anything listed under **Please resolve the following before launching:**.
41. Click **Launch Setup**.

#### Work through the checklist

42. Click the **Checklist** tab.
43. Click a section to expand what is already configured and what is missing.
44. Click through to each area to finish the items you still need.
45. Click **PDF** to print or save the checklist.

### What to Expect

Nothing changes in your agency until you click **Launch Setup**. When you do, eCourtDate confirms that your agency is being configured, and the **Review & Launch** step notes that setup typically takes 5 to 10 minutes.

The **Checklist** tab then scores 17 sections in four groups:

| Group | Sections |
|-------|----------|
| Foundation | General Settings, Users, Roles, Locations |
| Communication | Agency Phones, Agency Emails, Web Domains, Email Domains |
| Automation | Statuses, Flows, Auto Messages |
| Content | Portals, Forms, Upload Templates, Data Dashboards, Reports, Files |

Every section carries a point value, and the header shows how many tasks are complete along with an overall percentage. You can change any setting afterward from **Admin** > **Settings**.

### Best Practices

- Pick your template first, because the client type suggestions on **Welcome** and the recommended settings both follow from that choice
- Click **Save Progress** before you leave the page so a long working session is not lost
- Add your main site on **Locations** and select **Set as default location**, since locations link to events, payments, and messages
- Leave **Import default roles** on so Administrator, Manager, Staff, and Read Only exist before you invite anyone
- Run through the wizard in staging first, where every outbound message is simulated

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Do I have to finish the wizard in one sitting?**

A: No. The wizard saves each time you click **Continue** or **Back**, and **Save Progress** saves on demand. Reopen **Agency Setup** and it returns you to the step you left.

**Q: What has to be filled in before I can launch?**

A: You need a setup template plus **Agency Name**, **Agency Phone**, **Agency Email**, and **Timezone**. **Review & Launch** lists whatever is missing and keeps **Launch Setup** disabled until you supply it.

**Q: Can I change these settings after setup?**

A: Yes. Go to **Admin** > **Settings** to edit **General Settings**, or use the **Checklist** tab to open each area directly.

**Q: Why are my outbound messages simulated?**

A: Staging is always in simulate mode. In other regions, the **Send Mode** setting under **Sending** on **General Settings** controls whether messages go out live.

**Q: How do I get help while I am in the wizard?**

A: Use the **Setup Assistant** panel beside the wizard, or click **Get Help** or **Schedule Meeting** in the card below it.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The **Launch Setup** button is disabled.

**Symptoms:** **Review & Launch** shows a red alert listing items such as "Agency name is required (Step 3)" and the button does not respond.

**Solution:**

1. Click the step named in each message in the progress bar
2. Fill in the missing field
3. Return to **Review** and click **Launch Setup**

**Issue:** The progress bar stays below 100 percent.

**Symptoms:** You have visited every step, but some step buttons stay gray instead of turning green.

**Solution:**

1. Add at least one location on **Locations**
2. Add at least one user on **Users & Roles**
3. Turn on a phone or email option on **Messaging Configuration**
4. Turn on **Enable Client Portal** on **Automation & Self-Service**

**Issue:** Your progress does not save.

**Symptoms:** Clicking **Save Progress** shows "Failed to save progress. Please try again."

**Solution:**

1. Check your network connection
2. Click **Save Progress** again
3. Move between steps with **Continue** and **Back**, which also saves your answers

### Related Articles

- [How to Create a New Agency](/how-to-create-a-new-agency)
- [How to complete your agency setup checklist](/how-to-complete-your-agency-setup-checklist)
- [How to Switch Agencies](/how-to-switch-agencies)
- [How to Create Locations](/how-to-create-locations)
- [How to Manage Users](/how-to-manage-users)
- [Roles and Permissions](/roles-and-permissions)
- [How to Complete Carrier Registration](/how-to-complete-carrier-registration)
- [How to Copy Settings From One Agency to Another](/how-to-copy-settings-from-one-agency-to-another)