Starting a new site, the Welcome screen and the Setup checklist
This page is for the person who is starting a church's website on Tentmaker, and for anyone who wants to know what the first screens mean. It takes about five minutes to read.
Starting a site Link to this section: Starting a site
You start at the address you were given, which ends with /start. Nothing is created by the form. It only asks for an email link, and your site is made when you open the link.
- Open the page called Start your church's website.
- Fill in your church's name, a free web address (the short name that comes before the Tentmaker address), your name and your email address. As you type the web address, the screen tells you at once whether it is free. If it is not, it says so, and says why when the name cannot be used at all.
- Optionally pick a look. Each look has a picture of a sample page. You can change your mind later, and your colors stay yours. Choose No preference to start plain.
- Choose the language of the site and your timezone.
- If you were sent an Invitation code, type it in. Sometimes Tentmaker is open to everyone and the box is not there.
- Tick the agreement to the Terms and the Privacy Policy, and press Email me the link.
You then see Check your email. The message has one button. The link works once and expires in 24 hours. Opening the page does nothing by itself: you press Create my site to finish. That makes your site, signs you in as its owner and takes you to the Welcome screen.
If you already have a Tentmaker account with that email address, the page says so. The new site is added to your account and you are signed in.
When something is in the way Link to this section: When something is in the way
- That link is no longer valid. The link expired or was already used. If your site was made, sign in to find it. Otherwise start again.
- Sign-ups are closed right now. Tentmaker is not starting new sites at the moment. Use the contact address on the page.
- That address is not available. Someone has it. Try another. If it was taken while you waited for the email, the link page asks for a new address and your link keeps working.
- One email address can look after at most three sites. A fourth is refused, and nothing is created.
- If you see a message about too many attempts, wait as it says. The limits stop automatic sign-ups and reset by themselves.
The Welcome screen Link to this section: The Welcome screen
After you create your site you land on Welcome to Tentmaker. It has three short steps. Each one is optional, and each saves exactly as the full screen it borrows from would.
- Check your church's name, address and service times. Fix the name, add an address and phone number, and put in your service times. Press Save these. The same boxes are on Settings.
- Pick a look. Choose one and press Use this look. If your site already has a look, this step says so. The full gallery is on Templates.
- Invite a teammate. Type their email address, choose a role and press Send the invitation. The same form is on Members. Only owners and managers see it.
After a step saves, you come back to the Welcome screen. Press I am done, take me to the Overview when you are finished, or Skip for now to leave without doing anything. Either way the screen does not come back by itself. Only owners and managers can use it.
The Setup checklist Link to this section: The Setup checklist
The Overview screen shows a card called Setup checklist until your site is set up. It lists six things, each with a link to the screen that does it, and a bar that shows how many are done:
| Item | It counts as done when |
|---|---|
| Add your service times | your service times are filled in |
| Choose a look | your site has a look from Templates |
| Upload your logo | you have uploaded a logo under Look and feel |
| Write your home page and publish it | your Home page is live (a first draft is made for you, with sample words to replace) |
| Invite a teammate | someone else is on the team, or an invitation has been sent |
| Add your phone or address | either one is filled in on Settings |
You do not tick anything. The card works out for itself what is done, so it is always true, even when you did something on another screen. When all six are done the card disappears. Owners and managers can press Dismiss the checklist to hide it for good before then.
Editors see only the item they can do, which is the home page, and no dismiss button. See Members and roles.
Next: Getting started for the left menu and publishing, and Editing pages for your home page.