> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure customer onboarding

> Set up your public registration form and the steps new customers complete after they sign in to the customer app.

**Customer onboarding** is the path a new customer follows when they join your facility online.

This guide covers two related settings on [Settings > Customer onboarding](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/customer-onboarding):

1. **Online registration form** — what strangers fill out on your public signup page **before** they have an account.
2. **Customer app onboarding** — what happens **after** they sign in for the first time (welcome screen, payment, contracts, document uploads, and more).

When onboarding is set up well, customers finish paperwork without repeated phone calls, and your team sees complete records from day one.

## What you will accomplish

* Turn your public registration form **Off** or **On**.
* Choose which **Form cards** to ask, and in what order.
* Turn customer app onboarding on or off and pick which steps run after sign-in.
* Test the full flow with a safe test email before sharing your public link.

## Before you start

* Complete [Set up your facility name, logo, and colors](/docs/settings/set-up-facility-branding) so signup pages show your logo and colors.
* Review [Connect payment processing](/docs/settings/connect-payment-processing) if customers must pay during signup or onboarding.
* Create contract templates in [Create a contract template](/docs/contracts/create-a-contract-template) if customers must sign during onboarding.
* Add document types in [Configure document requirements](/docs/contracts/configure-document-requirements) if customers must upload insurance, registration, or other files.
* Know your public registration link from [Settings > Website & customer app](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/website) (the **Registration** card under **Shareable links**).

<Note>
  **Registration vs in-app onboarding**

  **Online registration form** = one public web form for brand-new customers (name, vehicle, payment, and more).

  **Customer app onboarding** = guided steps inside the signed-in customer app (welcome, contracts, push notifications, and more).

  Many facilities use both. Some use only in-app onboarding for customers staff invite manually.
</Note>

## Open Customer onboarding settings

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings">
    From the [Dashboard](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard), click **Settings** in the main sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Customer onboarding">
    Click **Customer onboarding** in the settings list — or search **registration** in **Search settings…**.

    Direct link: [Settings > Customer onboarding](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/customer-onboarding).
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Expected result:** The page title is **Customer onboarding**. You see **Online registration form** at the top with **Off** and **On** cards.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/i8C8ltdi21A8xYJ0/images/settings/settings-customer-onboarding-form-sep22.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=i8C8ltdi21A8xYJ0&q=85&s=0c9532dc316c12a83555be9aed59a5ec" alt="Customer onboarding settings with Online registration form set to On, plus Form cards for Your Information and Vehicle Information" width="2880" height="1800" data-path="images/settings/settings-customer-onboarding-form-sep22.webp" />
</Frame>

*Pick **On** only when you are ready for strangers to register online. **Open public form** appears on the On card so you can preview the live page. **Form cards** sit under the Off / On choice.*

## Part 1: Set up the online registration form

Use this when new customers should sign up from a link on your website or facility page.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose Off or On">
    At the top of **Online registration form**, tap **Off** or **On**.

    * **Off** — Hide the public signup form.
    * **On** — Accept new registrations on your website.

    Leave it **Off** until your questions, payment rules, and approval process are ready.

    When **On** is selected, you may also see **Open public form**. Use that to preview the live page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review each form card">
    Under **Form cards**, each row is one section of the public form. Common cards include:

    * **Your Information** — name, email, phone, address. Use the **Address required** switch on
      the card to decide whether customers must enter a full address (on by default).
    * **Vehicle Information** — VIN, plate, or year / make / model
    * **Drop-off Details** — preferred date and notes
    * **Payment** — card on file or product checkout (requires billing setup)
    * **Documents** — insurance, registration, and other uploads
    * **Custom Questions** — your own text or choice questions

    Use the check mark on each card to include or hide it. Names save when you leave the field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Drag cards into a sensible order">
    Grab the handle on the left side of a row and drag it up or down.

    Put **Your Information** first. Put **Vehicle Information** before **Payment** if price depends on the car.

    **Why this matters:** Customers abandon long forms when questions feel random. A natural order feels like a conversation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open a card to set extra choices">
    Click a card to set details such as:

    * Which document types are required
    * Which product or plan appears on **Payment**
    * How customers enter vehicle details
    * Custom questions

    **Expected result:** Each card matches what your team actually needs before approving a new customer.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  **Common registration order**

  Many facilities use: **Your Information** → **Vehicle Information** → **Drop-off Details** → **Documents** → **Payment**. Put payment last when price depends on the vehicle or plan the customer chose.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  **Test before you advertise the link**

  Submit a test registration with an internal email address (not a real customer's email). Then review the request in [Review and approve registration requests](/docs/facility-web-pages/review-and-approve-registration-requests).
</Warning>

## Part 2: Set up customer app onboarding

Use this when customers who sign in to the portal should complete guided steps (contracts, uploads, payment, and more).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Scroll to Customer app onboarding">
    Find **Customer app onboarding** below the registration form.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn onboarding on or off">
    Use the main switch to enable or disable the in-app onboarding flow.

    When **off**, customers go straight to the customer app home screen after sign-in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review each onboarding step">
    Each row is one screen customers may see. Examples include:

    * **Welcome** — greeting with your branding
    * **Profile** — confirm contact details
    * **Cars** — add vehicles to the account
    * **Contract Signing** — sign required agreements
    * **Document Upload** — upload insurance or registration
    * **Payment** — add a card or buy a plan
    * **Push Notifications** — optional alerts on their phone
    * **Mobile App Install** — help them save the portal to their home screen

    Turn off any step your team handles manually or does not need yet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Drag steps into the right order">
    Drag rows by the handle on the left.

    Put **Cars** before **Contract Signing** when your agreement uses vehicle fields (year, make, model, VIN).

    **Expected result:** The step list matches the order you would explain to a customer on the phone.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Configure contract, payment, and document steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Turn on Contract Signing">
    In **Customer app onboarding**, find the **Contract Signing** row and turn it **on**.

    Click **Configure** and turn on each agreement customers must sign (for example, **Car Storage Agreement**).

    Only **active** templates from [Settings > Contracts & Documents](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/contracts-and-documents) appear here.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn on Document Upload (if needed)">
    Enable **Document Upload** and click **Configure**.

    Choose which document types customers must upload (for example, **Insurance** and **Vehicle Registration**).

    Document types must exist and have **Customer Access** turned on in [Configure document requirements](/docs/contracts/configure-document-requirements).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn on Payment (if needed)">
    Enable **Payment** only after [Connect payment processing](/docs/settings/connect-payment-processing) is complete.

    Click **Configure** to choose whether customers add a card on file or purchase a specific product or plan.

    **Why this matters:** Turning payment on before payments are connected causes failed signups and support calls.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  **Need more detail on contracts?**

  For a contract-focused walkthrough, read [Attach contracts to customer workflows](/docs/contracts/attach-contracts-to-workflows).
</Tip>

## Test the full customer journey

<Steps>
  <Step title="Use a test email address">
    Pick an email your team controls (not a real customer's inbox).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the public registration test (if On)">
    Open your **Registration** link from [Settings > Website & customer app](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/website) and submit the form.

    Approve or review the request following [Review and approve registration requests](/docs/facility-web-pages/review-and-approve-registration-requests).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in as the test customer">
    Open the **Customer login** link and sign in with your test email.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Walk through every enabled onboarding step">
    Complete each screen the way a real customer would.

    **Expected result:** After onboarding, the customer lands on the customer app home screen with cars, documents, or billing visible as configured.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the customer record on your dashboard">
    Open [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts), find the test customer, and confirm signed contracts and uploads appear under **Documents & Contracts**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What success looks like

* Public registration (if **On**) asks only the questions your team needs.
* New portal customers complete contracts and uploads without staff re-sending links.
* Step order matches real-world work (vehicles before vehicle contracts, payment after billing is ready).
* Your team tested the flow with an internal email before sharing public links.

## Troubleshooting

<Warning>
  **Contract Signing does not appear in the step list**

  Create at least one **active** contract template in [Settings > Contracts & Documents](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/contracts-and-documents). Inactive or incomplete templates may not be available to select.
</Warning>

<Warning>
  **Payment step is grayed out or fails**

  Finish [Connect payment processing](/docs/settings/connect-payment-processing) first. Payments must show as connected before customers can pay during onboarding.
</Warning>

<Tip>
  **Customers signed but car fields are blank on the contract**

  Move the **Cars** step **above** **Contract Signing** in **Customer app onboarding**. Customers need a vehicle on their account before vehicle fields can fill in.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Document types do not appear in Configure**

  Open [Configure document requirements](/docs/contracts/configure-document-requirements) and confirm each type is **Active** with **Customer Access** enabled.
</Tip>

## What to do next

* Copy and test public links in [Configure portal and website](/docs/settings/configure-portal-and-website).
* Invite real customers with [Invite a customer to the portal](/docs/contacts/invite-a-customer-to-the-portal).
* Return to [Settings overview](/docs/settings/overview) for the full first-week setup path.


## Related topics

- [Configure document requirements](/docs/contracts/configure-document-requirements.md)
- [Configure portal and website](/docs/settings/configure-portal-and-website.md)
- [Attach contracts to customer workflows](/docs/contracts/attach-contracts-to-workflows.md)
- [Settings overview](/docs/settings/overview.md)
- [Configure the customer shop](/docs/facility-web-pages/configure-the-customer-shop.md)


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