Get started with schoolOS

Setting up schoolOS takes about 20 minutes. When you first sign in as an admin, a setup guide pops up and walks you through each step. It always knows what's done: as soon as your locations, people or assets are in, their step shows how many arrived and the newest few, so you can tell the import looks right before you move on.

The first time it opens, choose how to set up:

• Quick start shows only the steps your products require, so you're up and running fast. Everything else waits; the guide stops popping up once the required steps are done, and Finish setup takes you back to the rest whenever you like.
• Full guide walks through every step, with what each one is for.
• Product tour shows what each part of schoolOS is for, with real examples and a Show me that opens it. It picks up where you left off, and you can take it any time from Take the tour.

You can switch between Quick start and the full guide at any time. Each product's tile has Resume, which shows only that product's steps (and the shared ones, like Locations and People) and jumps to the next one not done.

Rather look around first? Choose Explore on my own. The guide comes back the next time you sign in, or after 24 hours, whichever comes first. Nothing you've done is lost.

Which steps are required depends on your products. schoolAssets, schoolHelpdesk and schoolAutomate are used by staff who sign in, so they need your domains, locations and people. schoolAgent answers questions on your website with no sign-in, so an account with only schoolAgent has no required steps.

For example:

• A district with schoolHelpdesk and schoolAssets, rolling out a Chromebook 1:1 program: domains, locations and people are required. Importing assets is optional, but worth doing before the first repair ticket, so tickets can link to the device.
• A district with only schoolAgent, putting an agent on its website: every step is optional, and there's no asset step. Branding the agent is the one most worth doing, so families know it's the district's.
• A district with schoolHelpdesk only, for a Facilities team handling HVAC work orders: domains, locations and people are required, so each work order lands at the right building. There's no asset step.

Each step is marked Required or Optional for your account. You can skip an optional step (and undo the skip later). Required steps can't be skipped, and Complete setup waits until they're all done.

The steps#

Each step shows what your account gets once it's done, and what happens until it is (or if you skip it). When you're signed in, you see only the steps for your account's products.

Across the top, each of your products shows its % complete and about how long is left. Every step shows how long it usually takes. Skipping an optional step doesn't hold a product back.

Steps that bring data in are done when the data is there, not when you click something:

• Account settings has Domains (done once your account has a domain, and lists them), Sign-in options and Logo and colors (done once you add a logo).
• Your team starts with Roles and permissions: what each role can do and how many people hold it, so you add people in the right role. Choose These roles work for us, or make your own role. Then Invite your team: add admins and agents right there, each in a role, and it's done once there's someone besides you.
• Tags, labels and fields (schoolAssets): your next asset tag and printed labels, the asset fields you track beyond the defaults, repair types and fines, and (with parts) your parts and the minimum to keep of each, done once a part has a minimum.
• Finance (schoolAssets): your fiscal year, funding sources (done once you add one) and depreciation schedules (done once you add one).
• Connect your MDMs (schoolAssets) lists the device managers you've connected (Google Admin, Intune, Jamf, Mosyle) and how many devices each brought in, and Apple School Manager when it's connected for AppleCare coverage.
• Locations, People and Assets show how many you have, how they split (schools and other locations; staff, students and guardians; assets from your device managers and the rest), and the five newest. People is done once there's anyone beyond the admin we set your account up for, or anyone came in from an import or sync. Your account's default District location doesn't count. Importing again updates what matches (locations by name or code, people by email, assets by asset tag or serial number), so it never makes duplicates.
• People also says which syncs bring people in (Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, your SIS).
• Departments (schoolHelpdesk and schoolAgent): see below.
• schoolHelpdesk asks Will any other departments use tickets as well? Yes turns on departments (a super admin's choice), which gives you IT and Facilities, and you can add more. No, just IT keeps one queue. Teams and coverage, Topics, Routing, Response targets, Request form and Canned replies follow; each starts with defaults that work, so you can confirm them or change them. Teams is also done once a team covers chosen schools, and Routing once you add a rule. Then Support page, with Send a test request, is done when the first request arrives, Help desk email is done when the first request arrives by email, and Status page is done once your status page is on. Canned replies is done once you save one.
• schoolAgent › Knowledge shows your agent's knowledge sources (website pages, files, written answers) and is done once it has one. When it can't help sets where unanswered questions go, and Suggested questions sets the starter questions families see. Put it on your website is done the first time your agent loads on your site.

The counts update while the guide is open. If you delete the last of something, its step opens again.

Departments#

The departments your district has, and where each one's requests go (see Departments). It lists the departments most districts have, each with where it would work:

• Technology and Facilities are your built-in IT and Facilities departments, so they show Added, with where they work now. Change them on their page in Admin › Account › Departments.
• Every other department starts as Elsewhere: people get its contact details, or their request is emailed to it. With schoolHelpdesk and departments turned on, you can pick In schoolOS instead, for a department that works its own tickets.
• With only schoolAgent, every department works Elsewhere. In schoolOS is locked, because tickets need schoolHelpdesk.
• On your website marks a department your district's website has a page for, from the website pages your schoolAgent learned. Those start ticked.

Select Add departments to add the ticked ones; the message has Undo. Upload a spreadsheet takes the same spreadsheet as the Departments page. The step is done once you add a department, or when you choose These are all our departments.

Without it, requests about buses, meals or enrollment have nowhere to go but your primary department, and your schoolAgent points people only to contact details it finds on your website. For example, a district whose website has Transportation and Food Services pages sees both ticked; it adds them, then opens each one to add its phone number.

Where to find the setup guide again#

The setup guide pops up for your account's admins until someone chooses Complete setup. To open it any time, select Finish setup at the top of the page. To open a step directly, use the links above, or go to Admin.

What's next#

• Import your people from a spreadsheet, SFTP, or your student information system.