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Welcome to Luminate - Your First Steps

10-15 minutes

Tutorial 1.1: Welcome to Luminate - Your First Steps

Introduction

New to Luminate? Welcome! This guide walks you through your first login, understanding the dashboard, and navigating the system. You'll learn how the main menu works, how to switch between different areas, and where to find help.

Who this is for: Salon owners and managers who've just signed up for Luminate.

What you'll learn:

  • How to log in for the first time
  • Understanding the main dashboard
  • Navigating the sidebar menu
  • Finding help when you need it

Time to complete: 10-15 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • Your Luminate account email and password (from your welcome email)
  • A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
  • An internet connection

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Log In to Your Account

  1. Open your web browser and go to your Luminate URL
  2. Enter the email address you used to sign up
  3. Enter your password
  4. Click Log in

If this is your first time logging in, you may be asked to verify your email address. Check your inbox for a verification email and click the link inside.

Step 2: Understanding the Dashboard

Once logged in, you'll see the Dashboard - your command centre for the salon. The dashboard is organised into two main sections.

Right Now Section

This section shows what's happening today:

  • Next Appointment - Your upcoming appointment with customer details and service info
  • Today's Revenue - Revenue earned today with comparison to your daily average
  • Alerts Panel - Important items requiring attention:
    • Skin Tests Due
    • Low Stock items
    • High Priority Waitlist entries
    • Pending Deposits
  • Quick Stats Bar - Key metrics at a glance:
    • Today's Appts - Appointments scheduled for today
    • Low Stock - Products running low
    • Birthdays - Customers with upcoming birthdays
    • Waitlist - Active waitlist entries
    • SMS Credits - Your remaining SMS balance
  • Today's Appointments - List of all today's appointments with status

Analytics Section (Owner/Admin/Manager)

This section provides business insights with a time period selector:

Time Period Selector:

  • Today
  • This Week
  • This Month
  • Custom date range picker

Analytics Cards:

  • Sales - Revenue breakdown by services, products, tips, discounts, and tax
  • Re-Booking - Percentage of customers who rebooked after their appointment
  • Operators - Staff performance ranking with sales, clients, and rebook rates
  • Revenue Trend - Chart showing revenue over the selected period

Step 3: Navigating the Sidebar Menu

The sidebar on the left is your main navigation. Here's what each section does:

Menu Item What It Does
Dashboard Return to your overview page
Appointments View and manage the appointment calendar
Waitlist Track customers waiting for appointments
POS Process transactions and view sales history
Cash Drawers Manage cash drawer sessions and movements
Customers Access your customer database
Skin Tests Track and manage customer skin tests
Messages View and respond to customer messages
Roster Create and manage staff schedules
Leave Manage staff leave requests and allowances
Staff Manage your team members
Services Set up your service menu
Products Manage retail inventory
Reports Run business reports
Notifications Configure notification templates and reminders

Note: Some menu items may not appear depending on your role and permissions. Menu items may also display badge counts (e.g., unread messages or pending leave requests) to highlight items needing attention.

Step 4: Switching Between Salons (Multi-Salon Owners)

If you manage multiple salon locations:

  1. Look for your salon name in the header bar (top of the page, next to your user profile)
  2. Click on it to open a dropdown menu
  3. Under Switch Salon, select a different salon to switch to it

The dropdown also provides quick access to:

  • Salon Settings - Configure the current salon's details
  • Manage Salons - View and manage all your salons (owners only)

All data, appointments, and settings are specific to the currently selected salon.

Step 5: Finding Help

Need assistance? Here's where to find it:

Sidebar Links (bottom left):

  • Click Help to access the documentation website
  • Click Contact to reach the support team

In-App Help:

  • Look for info tooltips (ℹ️) next to complex features
  • Descriptive labels and placeholders guide you through forms

Email Support:

Step 6: Your User Profile

To access your personal settings:

  1. Click your name and avatar in the top-right corner of the header
  2. Select Profile to open the Settings page
  3. In Settings, use the tabs to switch between:
    • Profile - Update your name and email address
    • Password - Change your password
    • Two-Factor Auth - Enable two-factor authentication for added security

Additional menu options (owners only):

  • Billing - Manage your subscription and payment details
  • Setup Guide - Re-open the onboarding checklist if you've dismissed it

Common Pitfalls

"I can't see any data on my dashboard"

This is normal for new accounts. The dashboard shows real data from your salon operations. Once you add staff, services, and start booking appointments, you'll see metrics appear.

"I forgot my password"

Click Forgot password? on the login page. Enter your email address and we'll send you a reset link. Check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within a few minutes.

"The page looks different from the screenshots"

Luminate receives regular updates. While the core functionality stays the same, button positions or colours may vary slightly. The overall workflow remains consistent.

Tips and Best Practices

  1. Bookmark your login page for quick access
  2. Enable two-factor authentication for added security - click your name in the header, select Profile, then choose the Two-Factor Auth tab
  3. Check the dashboard daily to stay on top of appointments and salon performance
  4. Set your timezone correctly before adding any appointments - go to your salon's edit page via the salon switcher or Salons list
  5. Learn the keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation:
    • Press d to go to Dashboard
    • Press a to go to Appointments
    • Press w to go to Appointments (Week view)
    • Press t to open QuickPOS

Related Tutorials

  • Tutorial 1.2: Setting Up Your Salon Profile - Configure your business details
  • Tutorial 1.3: Understanding Roles and Permissions - Learn about user access levels
  • Tutorial 1.4: The Onboarding Checklist - Complete your salon setup
  • Tutorial 2.1: Managing Your Appointment Calendar - Master the calendar view

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I access Luminate on my phone?

Yes! Luminate is fully responsive and works on mobile browsers. Simply navigate to your Luminate URL on your phone's browser.

How many people can use my Luminate account?

This depends on your subscription plan. You can add staff members with their own login accounts - see Tutorial 4.2 for details.

Is my data backed up?

Yes, Luminate automatically backs up your data. You don't need to do anything manually.

Can I customise the dashboard?

The dashboard shows the most important metrics for salon management. While the layout is fixed, you can use the time period selector to focus on the data that matters to you.

What browsers work with Luminate?

Luminate works best with:

  • Google Chrome (recommended)
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Apple Safari
  • Microsoft Edge

We recommend keeping your browser updated to the latest version.

Are there keyboard shortcuts?

Yes! Luminate includes keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation:

  • d - Dashboard
  • a - Appointments
  • w - Appointments (Week view)
  • t - QuickPOS

These only work when you're not typing in a form field.

Last Updated: January 2026