Getting Started

After installation, open ArchiJAM in your browser. The setup wizard runs automatically on first boot and walks you through the initial configuration before you can access the app.

Setup wizard

The setup wizard appears once, on first access after a fresh install. It collects the minimum information needed to initialize your workspace.

Step 1 — Firm name Enter your firm's name. This is displayed in the sidebar, emails, and system settings.

Step 2 — Admin account Create the initial administrator account:

• First name and last name
• Email address (used to log in)
• Password (minimum 8 characters; a strength indicator guides you)

This account receives full admin privileges and is the only user until you add more.

Step 3 — Phase types Define the phases your firm uses (e.g. Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Construction Administration). Each phase gets a name, abbreviation, and color. These defaults can be edited later in System Settings.

After completing the wizard, you are taken directly to the Dashboard.

Logging in

All app routes require authentication. Unauthenticated visitors are redirected to /login.

The login page has:

• Email and password fields
• Demo credential buttons — one-click buttons that fill in demo account credentials for quick testing without typing

On successful login, a 14-day session is created and you are redirected to the Dashboard.

Demo data

The setup wizard does not seed demo data automatically. To explore the app with sample projects, contacts, and pipeline opportunities before adding your own data, a demo seed is available:

docker compose exec app npm run db:seed

This creates:

• 6 sample projects in various phases and statuses
• A pipeline with 5 opportunities at different stages
• A set of contacts and companies
• Demo user accounts at different permission levels

Demo user accounts (after seeding)

Remove demo data before using ArchiJAM in production. Drop and re-initialize the database, or delete demo records manually.

Adding your first users

After the setup wizard, add your team in System Settings → Users.

1. Click your username at the bottom of the sidebar to open your profile, or navigate to /settings (admin only).
2. Go to the Users tab.
3. Click Add User and fill in the form: email, name, password, job title, system role.

System roles

The Admin flag is separate from the system role. Admins can access System Settings and manage users regardless of their role tier.

Initial system settings

Before creating projects, review these settings in System Settings (/settings):

Company tab

• Set your firm name and office locations.

Phase Types tab

• Confirm the phase types from the setup wizard. You can add, rename, reorder, and recolor phases here at any time. Changes do not retroactively affect existing project phases.

Project Numbers tab

• Configure the project number pattern. Use token buttons to build a pattern like {YYYY}-{###} (e.g. 2026-001). Set the counter reset interval (annually, quarterly, monthly, or never).

Working Days & Holidays tab

• Set your working days (default Mon–Fri) and add any firm holidays. These settings affect how milestone dates are calculated from phase percentages.

App Roles tab

• The three default app roles (Full Access, Limited Access, Read Only) cover most use cases. Create custom roles if you need finer control over which modules each user can access.

Creating your first project

Once settings are configured, navigate to Projects in the sidebar and click New Project.

Fill in:

• Project name (required)
• Start date and End date (required)
• Project number (auto-generated from your pattern, editable)
• Status, client company, address, and other optional fields

After saving, you land on the project detail page. Add phases in the Overview tab, assign team members in the Team tab, and add tasks in the Task List tab.

See Projects for a full walkthrough.