Getting Started
Get WorkRate running for your agency in 30 minutes
This guide walks you through everything you need to do to go from a new account to sending your first invoice. Follow these steps in order and you'll be fully set up by the end.
Step 1 — Set up your agency profile
- 1Open Agency Settings from the main navigation.
- 2Enter your agency name. This appears throughout the app until you configure white label branding.
- 3Add your contact email. This is the address we use to send you account notifications.
- 4Save. Your agency profile is done.
Time: ~2 minutes.
Step 2 — Add your first client
- 1Click New Client from the dashboard or client list.
- 2Enter the client's company name and primary contact email.
- 3Save. A workspace is created for this client with all modules ready.
Do this for every active client. You can add as many clients as your plan allows.
Time: 1 minute per client.
Step 3 — Set services and rates
Services are the types of work you do — Design, Development, Strategy, etc. The rates you set here determine invoice totals.
- 1Open the client workspace → Settings → Services.
- 2Click Add Service and add each service type you provide for this client.
- 3Set the hourly rate for each.
- 4Set the tax rate in Settings → Billing if applicable.
Time: ~5 minutes per client.
Step 4 — Log your first hours
- 1Open Time Tracking inside the client workspace.
- 2Start a live timer when you begin work, or use Add Hours to log time manually.
- 3Select a service, billing type (Billable or Included), and add a note describing the work.
- 4Stop the timer and click Log to save it to the session log.
Time: 2 minutes to start tracking.
Step 5 — Generate your first invoice
- 1Open Invoicing inside the client workspace.
- 2Click Generate from Log.
- 3Select the entries to invoice from the session log.
- 4Review the total, tax, and line items.
- 5Save the invoice and click Print PDF to export.
- 6Email the PDF to your client with your payment instructions.
Time: ~5 minutes.
Step 6 — Connect Stripe (optional but recommended)
Stripe Connect lets you generate exact-amount payment links for invoices. Clients pay by card in seconds.
- 1Open Agency Settings → Payments.
- 2Click Connect Stripe and complete Stripe's onboarding. Takes 10–15 minutes.
- 3Once connected, every invoice has a Generate Payment Link button. Include that link in client emails.
See the Stripe Payments guide for the full setup walkthrough.
Step 7 — Invite your team
- 1Open Agency Settings → Team.
- 2Click Invite Team Member for each person on your team.
- 3Set their role and assign them to the relevant client workspaces.
- 4Send them the app URL and their temporary password.
See the Team Members guide for role details.
Step 8 — Set up white label (optional)
Replace WorkRate branding with your own logo, platform name, and colors. Your clients see your brand everywhere.
- 1Open Agency Settings → White Label.
- 2Upload your logo, set your platform name and brand color, and add a custom domain if you have one.
- 3Save. Changes apply immediately.
See the White Label guide for the full setup including custom domain DNS.
What's next
Once you've completed the setup, here's what to explore:
- Send a proposal — build a professional scope-of-work document and send a trackable link. Know when the client views and accepts it.
- Set up the client portal — give clients a branded login to see tasks, send tickets, and message you directly.
- Track deals in Pipeline — manage new business from first contact to closed won.
- Set up recurring invoices — automate retainer billing so you never forget to invoice a retainer client.
- Run a revenue report — see where your agency's time and money actually go.