Setting up a new installation
The four things to do before anybody else signs in.
Written for admins. Back to your own guides.
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Reviewed 24 September 2026
Step by step
- Change the installation password The account that shipped with the release must not still be using the password it shipped with.
- Check the master lists Case stages, consultation modes, cities, courts. These are what every advocate’s forms offer; the shipped set is a starting point, not a policy.
- Configure email Nothing leaves the platform until SMTP is set. Send the test message before you believe it — a queue with nowhere to go looks exactly like a quiet day.
- Set up court data The provider’s base address and key, the free allowance, the per-plan allowances and the cache window all live under Court data and usage.
Worth knowing
- Every address the platform calls out to is a setting with a documented default, including the court data vendor’s own. Nothing is compiled in.
Questions
Can I run it without court data?
Yes. The tracker falls back to manual entry, which is free and unlimited.
Where do I see what version is running?
The foot of every page, and /version as JSON.
Next
Master lists
The lists every form on the platform offers, and how to change one safely.
Court data, allowances and usage
Connecting a provider, setting what each plan may spend, and reading what it cost.
Email
SMTP, the queue, and why a test message matters more than a saved form.
Keeping this help centre current
How the review dates work, what goes stale, and what fails the build.
All guides
Reviewed 24 September 2026