Setting up a workspace

The new-workspace wizard walks you through naming your workspace, connecting your WMS, adding your first brand, and inviting your team. After it finishes, a Get started checklist tracks any setup you still have left.

Admin only

Creating a workspace and running through the setup wizard is an admin task. The person who creates a workspace becomes its admin (3PL admin) automatically.

Overview

A workspace is the top-level container for your 3PL: your brands, orders, inventory, team, and settings all live inside it. Setting one up is admin-only — the creator is made the workspace admin. The wizard has four steps (name -> connect your WMS -> add a brand -> invite your team) and ends on a confirmation screen. A trial is started for you automatically when the workspace is created, so you can use Packr right away. You can skip the WMS and invite steps and finish them later from the checklist.

Screenshot: The setup wizard, step 1 of 4. (pending capture)

Name your workspace

This is the first step of the wizard, shown as Step 1 of 4. Connecting a WMS, adding brands, and inviting teammates all happen inside the workspace you name here.

  1. Sign in, then start the setup wizard at /start/wizard/workspace. (See Signing in if you need an account first.)
  2. On the What's your 3PL called? screen, enter a Workspace name — this is the name your brands and teammates will see.
  3. Optionally, under Want help getting set up?, add a Mobile number (optional) so Packr can text or call you about your setup.
  4. Select Continue.

The workspace is created, you become its admin, and a trial is started automatically — no card or extra setup is needed to begin. The wizard moves on to the WMS step.

Adding your mobile number (optional)

The mobile number is entirely optional — leave it blank and select Continue to move straight on.

If you do enter a number, a consent checkbox appears and you'll need to tick it before you can continue. It confirms you agree to receive texts and calls from Packr about your workspace setup and product updates at that number, that message and data rates may apply, and that you can opt out at any time. Consent is not required to create a workspace — clear the number and the checkbox disappears.

Changing the number after ticking the box clears the checkbox, so you always consent for the number you actually submit.

You can add, change, or remove your number later from your profile. Clearing it is how you opt out of texts and calls. See Your profile.

Connect your WMS

Step 2 (Step 2 of 4) connects your warehouse system (your WMS) so Packr can see your orders, inventory, and brands. Today the wizard connects ShipHero. Connecting a WMS is an admin task.

  1. On the Connect your WMS screen, enter your ShipHero email and ShipHero password.
  2. Select Connect ShipHero, then confirm in the Connect your 3PL dialog.
  3. To skip for now, select I'll do this later — you can connect from Settings afterward.

Use a warehouse-level login

These credentials connect your entire ShipHero 3PL account — every brand in the warehouse, not just one. Use a warehouse-level login. You can disconnect anytime from Settings.

When the connection succeeds, Packr imports the brands from your ShipHero account. For full details, see Connecting your WMS.

Your data import starts automatically

Connecting also kicks off your first data import — the last 90 days of orders plus your catalog and configuration — in the background. It usually takes a few hours, and you can finish the wizard and start working right away while it runs. Admins can watch progress in the "Setting up your workspace" notice on the Brand Work Desk. See What happens after you connect.

Add your first brand

Step 3 (Step 3 of 4) sets up at least one brand. Brands are how Packr separates your clients, and you can add more later.

  1. If you connected ShipHero, the screen shows You're set up with N brands and lists the brands it imported. Select Continue to keep them, or Add another brand manually to add one by hand.
  2. If you skipped the WMS step (or want to add one), use the Add your first brand form: enter a Brand name and select Continue.

Note

On some screens (the Directory), a brand is labeled a Group — for example Create Group and Group Admins. A Group is the same thing as a brand. See Managing brands.

Screenshot: Step 3 of 4, adding your first brand. (pending capture)

Invite your team

Step 4 (Step 4 of 4) invites the people you work with. Inviting teammates is an admin task. You can also skip this and invite later.

  1. On the Invite your team screen, fill in Teammate rows: enter an Email and pick a Role (Team member or 3PL admin).
  2. If you have more than one brand, set each teammate's Brand access with the checkboxes. To give that teammate every brand in one go, select Select all beside Brand access; it then reads Clear all so you can untick the whole row just as quickly.
  3. Select + Add another teammate to add more rows, then Send invites. Each invitee gets an email with a join link.
  4. To finish setup now and invite later, select Skip for now.

Lots of brands?

Select all applies only to the teammate row you use it on, so everyone else keeps their own brand set. If your workspace has more brands than fit on screen, the checkbox list scrolls on its own and Send invites stays where you can reach it.

For more on invites and roles, see Members and invites.

Finish and enter your workspace

The final screen, You're ready to go, confirms what was set up (workspace created, ShipHero connected if you connected it, first brand ready).

  1. Review the summary on the You're ready to go screen.
  2. Select Take me in to enter your new workspace and land on the Brand Work Desk (its nav label is Home).

Finish setup from the checklist

After the wizard, a floating Get started checklist appears across the app until setup is complete or you dismiss it. It tracks the activation steps you have left and shows progress as N of 4 done.

The checklist items are:

  • Connect your WMS — opens Settings -> Integrations so you can connect ShipHero if you skipped it.
  • Add your first brand — takes you to the Brand Work Desk to add a brand.
  • Invite your team — opens the users directory to send invites.
  • A teammate signed in — checks off on its own once an invited teammate signs in (informational).

Select an unfinished item to jump to where you complete it. To hide the checklist, select the X to dismiss it. The checklist disappears automatically once all four items are done.

Screenshot: The Get started setup checklist. (pending capture)

Tips

  • You can leave the WMS and invite steps for later — both have a skip option, and the Get started checklist will nudge you to finish them.
  • If you reload the page mid-wizard, the workspace itself is already created; you can reach it from the Brand Work Desk and the workspace switcher in the bottom-left.

Common questions

How do I create a new workspace? Sign in and start the setup wizard, enter a Workspace name on the What's your 3PL called? screen, and select Continue. The workspace is created and you become its admin.

What setup steps are required? The wizard has four steps: name your workspace, connect your WMS (ShipHero), add your first brand, and invite your team. Naming the workspace and having at least one brand are part of the core flow; connecting your WMS and inviting teammates can be skipped and finished later from the Get started checklist.

Do I have to give Packr my phone number? No. The Mobile number on the first wizard step is optional and consent is never required to create a workspace. If you do enter a number, you'll be asked to tick a consent box before continuing. You can remove the number later from your profile, which also opts you out of texts and calls.

Do I get a trial? Yes. A trial is started automatically when you create the workspace, so you can start using Packr right away. See Billing for plan details.

Who can set up a workspace? Setting up a workspace is admin-only. The person who creates the workspace becomes its admin (3PL admin) automatically and can then invite teammates as Team member or 3PL admin.

Can I add more brands or teammates after onboarding? Yes. Add brands from the Brand Work Desk (see Managing brands) and invite people from the users directory (see Members and invites).