When you first sign up, a quick setup wizard gives you a short tour of what Seedling does, asks which features you'll use (like billing and health records), and walks you through classrooms, staff, and check-in. Until you finish it, a setup checklist on your dashboard tracks what's left; it disappears for good once the wizard is done. You can rerun the wizard anytime from Settings, or do each step manually below. It takes about ten minutes.
1. Add your center profile
- Go to Settings → Center.
- Enter your center's name, address, and phone — these appear on parent emails and statements, then click Save.
- Set your time zone on the same screen. This matters: it defines what "today" means for attendance and the daily summary, so check-in times and email send times are correct.
2. Create your classrooms
- Open the Classrooms area.
- Add a room for each group (e.g., Infants, Toddlers, Preschool).
- For each room, set:
- Capacity — the most children the room holds.
- Staff Ratio (children per staff) — how many children one staff member can supervise. This powers the live ratio tracking on your dashboard.
3. Add your families
You have two options:
- One at a time — add a child and their guardian from the Families area.
- We import for you — email your roster export (or any spreadsheet) to support@goseedling.com and we'll bring your whole roster over, free. → Import & export your data
4. Tell families how to reach you
Nothing to configure — families can reply to any email your center sends (daily recaps,
messages) and it lands in your Messaging inbox. Your center also has its own email address,
shown at the top of the Messaging page (like your-center@app.goseedling.com) — share it in your
welcome packet so families can write to you directly. When a family sends a message, your admins
get an email notification and can reply right from their inbox.
→ Messaging families
5. Finishing touches (optional, recommended)
- Add your EIN in Settings so parents' year-end tax statements are complete.
- Add your reviews link (Google or Winnie) so happy families get a gentle prompt to review you.
- Publish your center's free website under Settings → Website — programs, hours, photos, and a request-a-spot form for new families.
Once your classrooms and families are in, head to Invite your team.