AkarForge

Setup Guides

Step-by-step guides to set up and use your account. Pick a topic below or use the menu to jump to any section.

Guide 1

Setting Up a Calendar

From choosing the right type to going live with bookings.

Before you start

  • AkarForge account access (Admin or Location Manager role)
  • A Google or Outlook calendar ready, if you want two-way sync
  • Know which staff members will be assigned to this calendar

1   Choose your calendar type

Pick the right type before creating anything — it can't be changed after creation.

TypeUse when
SimpleOne staff member — clients book directly with them
Round RobinMultiple staff — bookings auto-distribute
CollectiveAll assigned staff must be free at the same time
ServiceProduct/service booking (e.g. a property tour)
Class BookingMultiple attendees in one slot (e.g. a group session)
Tip
Most teams start with Round Robin (team) or Simple (single agent).
Choosing a calendar type
Choosing a calendar type

2   Create a Calendar Group

WHERE  Calendars → Calendar Groups → + New Group

  1. Name the group clearly (e.g. Property Tours)
  2. Assign a slug — this appears in the booking URL
  3. Save
Heads up
The group slug can't be changed after creation. Keep it short and clean.

3   Create the Calendar

WHERE  Calendars → + New Calendar

  1. Select the Calendar Group from Step 2
  2. Choose the Calendar Type from Step 1
  3. Name it clearly (e.g. Property Tour – Bali South)
  4. Set the calendar slug (becomes the direct booking URL)
  5. Click Save & Continue

4   Connect Google / Outlook

WHERE  Calendar Settings → Connections

  1. Click Connect Google Calendar (or Outlook)
  2. Authenticate via the popup
  3. Select which calendar to check for conflicts (usually your primary)
  4. Enable Two-way sync so bookings appear in both places
Heads up
Calendar sync expires roughly every 6 months. If bookings stop syncing, reconnect here.

5   Set Availability

WHERE  Calendar Settings → Availability

SettingWhat it controlsRecommended
Working HoursDays + hours bookableMatch staff hours
Slot DurationLength of each appointment30 or 60 min
Buffer TimeGap between appointments15 min
Min Scheduling NoticeHow far ahead clients must book24h minimum
Date RangeHow far ahead clients can book30–60 days
Max Bookings/DayCap on daily appointmentsSet per capacity
Heads up
Min Scheduling Notice defaults to 0 — leave it and you'll get same-day bookings with no prep time. Always set this.
The Availability settings panel
Setting availability — hours, slot duration, buffer, and notice

6   Assign Staff & Round Robin

WHERE  Calendar Settings → Team Members

  1. Click + Add Team Member
  2. Select staff from the AkarForge user list
  3. For Round Robin: set priority weight per person (equal = even split)
  4. Enable Check Staff Calendar to respect each member's conflicts

7   Booking Form Fields

WHERE  Calendar Settings → Forms

  1. Default fields: Name, Email, Phone — always on
  2. Add custom fields as needed (e.g. property interest, budget)
  3. Mark each field Required or Optional
  4. Set Confirmation Behaviour: redirect to a thank-you page, or show an inline message

8   Notifications & Reminders

WHERE  Calendar Settings → Notifications & Reminders

NotificationRecipientTiming
Booking ConfirmationClientImmediate
Booking AlertStaffImmediate
ReminderClient24h + 1h before
Cancellation NoticeBothOn cancel

Channels: Email, SMS, or WhatsApp (WhatsApp requires a connected number).

Notifications and reminders setup
Configuring notifications and reminders

9   Get & Share the Booking Link

WHERE  Calendar Settings → Sharing

  • Direct link — share it directly or drop it into messages
  • Embed widget — copy the iframe code and paste it into any external website
Before you go live
☐  Book a test appointment as a client (incognito browser)
☐  It appears in the AkarForge Calendar view
☐  It syncs to Google/Outlook
☐  The confirmation email/SMS/WhatsApp fires
☐  The staff booking alert fires
☐  Round-robin assigns correctly (if used)
☐  Buffer time blocks back-to-back slots
☐  Min scheduling notice blocks same-day booking (if set)
Guide 2

Managing Contacts

Adding, importing, organizing, and working your database.

1   The Contacts area at a glance

Open Contacts from the left sidebar. Along the top you'll find these sections:

SectionWhat it's for
ContactsThe full list of everyone in your database
Smart ListsSaved, filtered views (e.g. "Hot Leads")
Bulk ActionsTrack large jobs run on many contacts at once
RestoreRecover recently deleted contacts
TasksEvery task assigned across all contacts
CompaniesGroup contacts under a business/organization
Manage Smart ListsRename, reorder, or delete your saved lists

2   Adding contacts

There are four ways contacts get in:

  1. Manually — Contacts → + Add Contact
  2. Import a CSV — bulk-load an existing list (next section)
  3. Automatically from forms, surveys & calendars — anyone who submits becomes a contact
  4. Via automations / integrations — workflows and connected tools create contacts for you

3   Importing from a CSV

WHERE  Contacts → Import option

  1. Prepare a spreadsheet with a header row (First Name, Email, Phone…)
  2. Upload the .csv file
  3. Map each column to a contact field (create custom fields first for data that doesn't fit)
  4. Choose how to handle duplicates — update existing or skip
  5. Add a tag to the whole import (e.g. Import – June 2026)
  6. Run the import
Heads up
Phone numbers need a country code (e.g. +62…) or messaging won't deliver. Always tag an import batch — a tag lets you find and undo the whole set.

4   Anatomy of a contact record

Click any contact to open their record — it holds everything about that person:

ElementWhat it holds
Contact detailsName, phone, email, address, custom fields
TagsLabels for segmenting (e.g. "Buyer", "VIP")
Owner / FollowersAssigned staff member + anyone watching
ConversationsEvery SMS, email, WhatsApp & call in one thread
NotesFree-text notes from your team
TasksTo-dos with due dates and an assignee
AppointmentsEvery booking linked to this contact
OpportunitiesDeals this contact is in, and their stage
Activity timelineA full audit trail of everything that happened
DND settingsDo-Not-Disturb toggles per channel
A contact record showing details, conversations, and related panels
A contact record — everything about one person in one place

5   Tags

Tags are simple labels that power your segmenting and automations.

  • Add a tag on a record, or in bulk to many contacts at once
  • Use a naming convention — Status: Hot, Source: Facebook, Type: Buyer
Tip
Keep tags consistent — "hot", "Hot", and "HOT-lead" are three different tags. Pick a format and stick to it.

6   Custom fields

WHERE  Settings → Custom Fields

When built-in fields aren't enough, create your own (Budget, Preferred Area, Move-in Date…).

  1. Choose a type: text, number, dropdown, date, checkbox, file upload, etc.
  2. Group related fields into a folder for a clean record layout
  3. The field appears on every contact and works in forms, imports & automations

7   Smart Lists & filters

A Smart List is a saved filter you return to in one click.

  1. In Contacts, click More Filters
  2. Filter by tag, custom field, date added, source, assigned user & more
  3. Click Save as Smart List and name it (e.g. "Buyers – Canggu")
  4. It now lives as a tab for instant access

8   Bulk actions

Tick multiple contacts (or a whole Smart List) and act on all of them at once:

ActionUse it to…
Add / Remove TagRe-segment a group in one move
Add to CampaignEnrol a group into a marketing campaign
Send Email / SMSMessage the whole selection at once
Assign to a userHand a batch of leads to a staff member
ExportDownload the selection as a CSV
MergeCombine duplicate records into one
DeleteRemove a batch (recoverable via Restore)
Heads up
Bulk actions apply to every contact matching the current filter — not just those visible on screen. Double-check your filter before sending or deleting.

9   Notes, tasks & conversations

  • Notes — log context ("Prefers WhatsApp, budget flexible")
  • Tasks — a to-do with a due date and assignee; shows in the Tasks section
  • Conversations — send SMS, email, or WhatsApp from the record; replies thread here
  • Appointments — book directly onto the contact; it links to their record

The Tasks tab (Contacts → Tasks) lists every task across all contacts. Filter by assignee, status, or due date; switch between All / Due today / Overdue / Upcoming; and click + Add Task to create one with a title, description, associated contact, assignee, and due date.

The Tasks view listing tasks with status, associated contacts, assignee, and due dates
The Tasks view — filter, sort, and manage every task in one place

10   Do-Not-Disturb (DND)

Each contact has DND toggles to stop outbound messaging per channel (SMS, Email, Calls, WhatsApp) — set on unsubscribe, or manually.

Heads up
A contact with DND on silently won't receive automated messages. If a client says "I never got the reminder", check DND first.

11   Keeping the database clean

  • Merge duplicates — select two records → Merge → pick which values to keep
  • Restore deleted contacts from the Restore tab within the recovery window
  • Export regularly as a backup, or to work data elsewhere
Good habits
☐  Tag every contact by source and status
☐  Store country codes on all phone numbers
☐  Use a consistent tag naming format
☐  Save common filters as Smart Lists
☐  Check your filter before any bulk send or delete
☐  Merge duplicates as you spot them
Guide 3

Pipelines & Opportunities

Track every deal from new lead to won, and automate the busywork.

1   The basics

Two terms that work together:

TermWhat it is
OpportunityA single deal tied to a contact (e.g. "Villa purchase – John")
PipelineThe set of stages a deal moves through (e.g. New → Contacted → Viewing → Offer → Won)
StageOne column in the pipeline — where the deal is right now
Tip
Think of the pipeline as a board: each opportunity is a card that moves left-to-right as the deal progresses.

2   Create a Pipeline

WHERE  Opportunities → Pipelines (gear icon) → + Create Pipeline

  1. Name it after the process, not a person (e.g. "Buyer Pipeline")
  2. You can run several pipelines (Buyers, Rentals, Sellers) — one per sales process
  3. Save

3   Set up Stages

Add the steps a deal passes through, in order. A typical buyer flow:

StageMeans
New LeadJust came in, not yet contacted
ContactedFirst outreach made
Viewing BookedTour/appointment scheduled
OfferNegotiating / offer submitted
Won / LostClosed either way
Heads up
Keep it to ~5–7 stages. Too many stages makes the board noisy and deals stall in limbo.
Setting up pipeline stages, step 1
Step 1 — open the pipeline settings
Setting up pipeline stages, step 2
Step 2 — add, name, and reorder your stages

4   Add an Opportunity

WHERE  Opportunities → + Add Opportunity

  1. Link the contact (or create one)
  2. Pick the pipeline and starting stage
  3. Set the opportunity value (the deal's monetary worth)
  4. Assign an owner (the staff member responsible)
  5. Save

5   Move deals through stages

  • Board view: drag a card from one column to the next
  • From the record: open the opportunity and change its stage
  • Every move is logged on the contact's activity timeline
The pipeline board in Kanban view with stage columns and deal cards
The pipeline board — drag deals between stages

6   Value & status

Each opportunity carries a value and a status:

StatusMeaning
OpenStill in play, moving through stages
WonClosed successfully — counts toward revenue
LostDidn't close — record a reason
AbandonedWent cold / no response
Tip
Always set a value and mark Won/Lost honestly — that's what makes your reporting and forecasting accurate.

7   Filters & views

  • Switch between Board (Kanban) and List view
  • Filter by owner, stage, value, date, or source
  • Use it as a daily worklist — sort by "last activity" to spot stalled deals

8   Automate stage changes

WHERE  Automation → Workflows

  • Trigger on stage change — "Opportunity Status Changed" / "Pipeline Stage Changed" → send a message, create a task, notify staff
  • Auto-advance from a booking — a calendar's "Appointment Booked" trigger can move the opportunity to "Viewing Booked" (ties into the Calendar guide, Step 10)
  • Auto-create — a new form submission can create an opportunity in "New Lead" automatically
Good habits
☐  One pipeline per distinct sales process
☐  Keep stages to 5–7
☐  Always set an opportunity value
☐  Mark Lost with a reason, don't just delete
☐  Review the board weekly and chase stalled deals
☐  Assign every opportunity an owner
Something not matching your screen? Your interface version may differ slightly. Contact the AkarForge team and we'll help.