Quick start

This page is a checklist. Work down it in order and you'll go from buying the kit to a working group website with enquiries arriving in the right inboxes. Each step links to the chapter that explains it in full.

Steps marked (Pro) need a Pro or Agency licence.

1. Buy and download

1. Buy the Group kit at thegradespace.com. You get a receipt email with your licence key.
2. Sign in at My licences and download the three files: Gradespace Core, the Gradespace Group plugin (a plugin is an add-on for WordPress) and the Gradespace Group theme. Leave them as .zip files.

More: Buying and your licence.

2. Check your hosting and take a backup

Make sure your web host runs WordPress 6.8 or later and PHP 8.0 or later. If the website already has content, take a backup first.

More: Before you install.

3. Install the three parts, in order

1. Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin: Gradespace Core, then Activate Plugin.
2. The same again for the Gradespace Group plugin.
3. Appearance → Themes → Add New Theme → Upload Theme: the Gradespace Group theme, then Activate.

More: Installing.

4. Run the setup wizard

The wizard opens by itself (if not, click Continue setup on the Dashboard). It asks for the parent company's details, each of your businesses (click Add another business for each one) and how they should look. It then adds the starter pages and menu, and, if you like, sample photos and the sample Northgate Group so you can see everything working.

More: The Group setup wizard.

5. Add your licence key

Go to Settings → Gradespace licence, paste the key from your receipt email and click Activate. This switches on updates and, with Pro, the Pro features.

6. Fill in the parent company's details

1. Go to Group → Settings → Business.
2. Check the Trading name, Registered company name, Company number, VAT number and Registered office. These appear in the footer of every page and on every invoice.
3. Add your logo under Logo.
4. Click Save changes.

More: Group settings.

7. Check each business's inbox and question

For every business:

1. Go to Group → Businesses and open the business.
2. In Contact and enquiries, check Send its enquiries to (the inbox its enquiries go to), Who answers, Usually replies, and the form's follow-up question.
3. Click Save.

Then set where "Not sure" enquiries go: Group → Settings → Email → Send notifications to.

More: Your businesses and Enquiries.

8. Choose a design and colours

Go to Site Settings → Design & colours, pick Mosaic, Charter or Parallel and a colour palette, click Preview on the site, then Save.

More: Designs, pages and menus and Your look.

9. Send yourself a test enquiry

1. Open your website's Contact page in a private browser window.
2. Pick a business, fill in the form and click Send.
3. Check the email arrives in that business's inbox.
4. In the admin, open Group → Enquiries: your test is at the top. Open it, click Send as a reply to answer, then set the Status to Closed.

More: Enquiries. If the email doesn't arrive, see Privacy and emails.

10. Add staff

Give everyone their own sign-in under Users → Add New User. With Pro, tick the businesses each person looks after under Group → Staff by business.

More: Staff and sign-in and Staff by business (Pro).

11. Add your first client and order (Pro)

1. Group → Clients → Add a client: the company name and the businesses that serve it.
2. On the client's page, add a site under Add a site.
3. Under Who signs in, enter the client contact's name and email and click Send the invitation.
4. Under Add an order, choose who it's Sold by, fill in the lines and click Save the order.

The client can now sign in at My account and see the order and its invoice.

More: Clients, Orders, invoices and plans and The client area.

12. Set up stock and machines (Pro, if you need them)

Switch on This business runs stock and equipment on the business, then add products, stock items and machines under Group → Stock & equipment.

More: Stock & equipment.

13. Make Group → Today your daily start

Each morning, open Group → Today to see new enquiries, low stock, restock tasks and renewals.

More: Running the website day to day.