Getting started with CertClass

The first time you log in, CertClass walks you through a short wizard. It is seven steps and takes a few minutes. Your progress is saved in your browser, so you can close the tab and pick up where you left off.

1. Welcome. A summary of what comes next. Click Continue.
2. Quick Setup. Enter your business phone number and website. The phone number is shown on your booking page so students can reach you. Address and other details can be added later under Settings.
3. Add Payment Method. Add a card for your CertClass bill. This step is required before you can finish the wizard, and instructor invitations and other sending actions need a card on file. What you are charged is explained in how you are billed.
4. Invite Instructors. Add up to three instructors by name and email. Each one gets an email with login details. You can also click Skip for now and add them later from Instructors. If you teach classes yourself, do not invite yourself here: after the wizard, turn on I also teach classes on your My Profile page instead, which puts you on the instructor list with the login you already have. See if you teach too.
5. Create Your First Class. The same class form you will use every day, without the template and category pickers. Fill it in or click Skip for now.
6. Accept Student Payments. Click Connect with Stripe to set up online card payments that go straight to your bank account, or Skip for now. You can connect Stripe any time from Settings.
7. You're Ready. The last step shows the link to your hosted registration page with buttons to copy it or open it. Click Go to Dashboard to finish.

After the wizard, a Get Started with CertClass checklist sits in the bottom-right corner of your dashboard on a desktop browser. It has eight steps and checks them off on its own as you complete them, for example when you upload a logo or create your first class.

• Complete Company Information (address and phone under Settings)
• Customize Your Branding (logo and colors)
• Create Course Categories
• Create Your First Class
• Add an Instructor (or add yourself, if you teach)
• Connect Stripe Payments
• Embed Registration Widget
• Configure Automated Communication

Each open step has a link that takes you to the right page. You can also click the circle next to a step to mark it done yourself, which is useful if a step does not apply to you. The X in the corner hides the checklist; bring it back from Settings with Reopen Onboarding Checklist. Once every step is complete, the checklist goes away on its own.

The View setup guide link at the bottom of the checklist opens the in-app Getting Started with CertClass page, which walks through six of the same setup steps with links. You can also reach it from Settings under Help & Documentation.

Dashboard is the first item in the left-hand menu and the page you land on after logging in. It shows four numbers and two lists.

• Upcoming Classes: how many scheduled classes are still ahead.
• Total Students: all-time registrations, with the change compared to last month.
• Revenue Collected: net payments received, including deposits and partial payments, with the change compared to last month.
• Balance Outstanding: money students still owe, and how many students owe it.

Below the tiles, Upcoming Classes lists your next five classes with the date, time, instructor, and how many seats are filled. Recent Registrations shows the latest five sign-ups with their payment status. Both have a View all link. The Create Class and Add Instructor buttons at the top are the two things you will do most often.

The left-hand menu is where everything else lives: Classes, Students, Payments, Instructors, Templates, Widget, Communication, Billing, and Settings. On a phone the same pages are behind the menu button at the top of the screen.

Your company details appear on your booking page and in the emails CertClass sends for you. Your logo and colors appear in your admin menu and on your booking page. Course categories let students filter your booking page and help you organize classes. All of these live under Settings.

Company information. The Company Information card at the top of Settings holds your Company Name, Business Address, Primary Email, and Phone Number. The email and phone are shown on your booking page, and the email is where student replies land unless you set a Reply-To address. Your Company URL Slug is the last part of your booking page address and cannot be changed here.

Logo and brand colors. Open Settings and click Access Advanced Branding.

1. Under Custom Logo, drop a file on the upload box or click it to browse. PNG, JPG, or SVG up to 1 MB. A square logo around 256 or 512 pixels with a transparent background looks best.
2. Under Brand Colors, pick a Primary Color (buttons, links, and active menu items), a Secondary Color (gradients), and an Accent Color (highlights). The Live Preview on the right updates as you pick.
3. Click Update Brand Colors. The page reloads with your colors applied. Reset to Default Blue puts everything back.

Course categories. Back on the main Settings page, scroll to Course Categories and click Add Category. Give it a name (for example American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or Lifeguarding), an optional description, and a color. You pick the category on the class form. Once four or more classes are listed across at least two categories, students can filter your booking page by category.

Click your name at the bottom of the left-hand menu to open My Profile. From there you can:

• Upload a Profile Photo and crop it. It appears next to your name in the menu.
• Click Edit Profile to change your first name, last name, or login email.
• Click Change Password under Security to set a new password.
• Turn on I also teach classes under Teaching if you run classes yourself. See if you teach too.

The Account Information card on the same page shows your organization, account status, and when you last logged in.

Once branding is in place, work through these in order. Each one has its own guide.

1. Set up a class: create your first public class, or a private one you share by link.
2. Connect Stripe and record payments: take card payments online, and record cash and checks by hand.
3. Invite instructors: give your team access to rosters and attendance without giving them everything, and add yourself if you teach.
4. Share your booking page or embed the widget: put registration on your own website.
5. Set up email and SMS: confirmations, reminders, and messages to a whole roster.