> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.decodahealth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# First-Time Setup Checklist

> A step-by-step walkthrough for setting up your Decoda account from scratch.

Just getting started? Follow these steps in order to get your clinic up and running. Each step links to the full guide if you need more detail.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set Up General Preferences">
    Start here to add your clinic name, logo, contact info, and branding. This is what patients see on receipts, emails, and booking pages, so getting it right from the beginning saves you from fixing things later.

    [General Preferences](/modules/settings/general)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Your Locations">
    Create each physical clinic or facility your practice operates out of. Everything in Decoda — appointments, payments, schedules — is tied to a location, so you need at least one before doing anything else.

    [Locations](/modules/settings/locations)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Invite Your Team">
    Add your staff members and assign them roles. Roles control what each person can see and do, whether they are front desk, provider, billing, or admin. You can always adjust permissions later.

    [Users & Roles](/modules/settings/users)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Your Services">
    Define the treatments and procedures your clinic offers. Each service has its own pricing, duration, provider assignments, and patient notifications, so take the time to set these up completely.

    [Services](/modules/settings/services)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Up Payment Processing">
    Connect your merchant account, register POS devices, configure tax rates, and set up the payment methods your clinic accepts. This step is required before you can collect any payments through Decoda.

    [Payment Management](/modules/settings/payment-management)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Billing Rules">
    Create rule sets that automatically follow up on unpaid invoices. For example, you might send a text on day 3, an email on day 7, and charge the card on file on day 14. Automating this saves your staff significant time.

    [Billing Rules](/modules/settings/rules)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Up Notifications">
    Choose which events trigger alerts and how you receive them — in-app, email, or SMS. Each staff member configures their own preferences, so encourage your team to do this once their accounts are created.

    [Notifications](/modules/settings/notifications)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build Your Intake Forms">
    Create the forms patients fill out before appointments — demographics, insurance, medical history, consent. You can link forms to specific services so they are sent automatically when an appointment is booked.

    [Forms & Intake](/modules/forms)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Scheduling">
    Set up self-scheduling rules, bookable resources like rooms and equipment, calendar appearance, and provider capacity. This is the last core step before your clinic is ready to start seeing patients through Decoda.

    [Scheduling Configuration](/modules/settings/scheduling)
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's Next?

Once you have the basics in place, explore these additional features as your clinic needs them:

* **Products & Medications** — If you sell retail items or dispense medications, set those up under Settings. [Products](/modules/settings/products) · [Medications](/modules/settings/medications)
* **Memberships & Packages** — Create recurring plans or one-time bundles for your patients. [Memberships](/modules/settings/memberships) · [Packages](/modules/settings/packages)
* **AI Assistants** — Automate phone calls, note-taking, and text responses. [AI Assistants](/modules/settings/assistants)
* **Note Templates** — Set up structured templates for clinical documentation. [Note Templates](/modules/settings/note-templates)
* **Developer Integrations** — Connect Decoda to other tools via webhooks and API. [Developer Settings](/modules/settings/developers)