Quick setup checklist

The following is a checklist of steps you should consider performing to properly set up your Wild Apricot account. In each case, the step links to a help topic that provides detailed instructions.

Before you begin

1. Check your browser compatibility
   Make sure your browser is supported for administrative functions.
2. Check your account limits
   Some Wild Apricot functionality is only available for certain billing plans.
3. Log into your account
   You have to log into your Wild Apricot site if you want to perform administration functions, access member only pages, or perform member self-service functions.

Account administration

1. Set your organization details
   Change your organization's name, time zone, and email address. Your time zone is used to schedule the sending of emails and the timing of events.
2. Designate your site administrators
   Decide which users can perform administrative functions such as modifying site pages, adding events, and customizing the contact database.
3. Set up system email routing
   Control which administrators or other recipients are automatically sent copies of system emails.

Membership

See the full membership setup checklist.

1. Modify the default membership email templates
   You can modify the default renewal reminders and membership confirmations for all membership levels.
2. Set up membership levels
   You can set up multiple membership levels, each with different membership fees, subscription periods, renewals policies, and benefits.
3. Customize membership emails for individual membership levels
   You can customize the renewal reminders and membership confirmations for individual membership levels.
4. Customize your contact database fields
   You can customize your contact database – and thereby your membership application form – by adding, modifying, reordering, and deleting database fields.
5. Add/import members/contacts
   You can add members and other contacts to your database manually one at a time or import them in bulk from a spreadsheet.
6. Set your member privacy options
   Control what membership information will appear to the public and other members on member directories, forum posts, and blog entries, and whether member photo albums are visible to other members and non-members.
7. Set up a membership application form
   Setting up a membership application form allows visitors to your site to add themselves to your contact database as members.

Finances

1. Choose how you want to accept payments
   You can integrate an online payment system into your Wild Apricot site so you can accept online payments for membership dues, event registrations, donations, and other invoice payments, or just accept manual payments such as check, cash, or wire transfer.
2. Set up sales taxes or VAT
   You can set up sales taxes or VAT and automatically apply them to transactions.
3. Customize your invoices and receipts
   You can customize the invoices and receipts that are generated automatically by Wild Apricot or issued manually by administrators.
4. Set up your payment tenders
   Payment tenders indicates the method by which a payment was received, allowing you to classify payments by type.

Website

1. Decide on your domain name
   Change your free Wild Apricot domain name or use a custom domain name instead.
2. Select your website theme
   Choose the theme that determines the look and layout of your Wild Apricot site.
3. Create and design your site pages
   Add, manage, and modify the pages that appear on your Wild Apricot site.
4. Review your page settings
   From the page settings, you can control page order, access, visibility, name, URL, and meta-tags.
5. Customize the appearance of your website
   Use the interactive tools or advanced customization methods to control the look and feel of your site.
6. Decide on your traffic encryption options
   Provide secure access to your website using traffic encryption.

Events

1. Customize your event email templates
   Customize the templates used as the basis for event announcements and reminders.
2. Set up your events
   Specify event details, event categories, and registration types, customize the registration form and event emails.
3. Set up your event calendar(s)
   Add one or more event calendar pages to your Wild Apricot site so visitors can register for events.

Once you're ready to launch

1. Enable emailing for your account.