# First Login and Setup This guide covers everything from receiving your invitation to being ready to work in PAI. If you're an organization admin setting up a new workspace, there's a section for you at the end. ## Step 1: Accept Your Invitation Access to PAI starts with an email invitation sent by your organization's administrator. It comes from **[email protected]** and contains a secure link unique to your account. The link expires after **7 days**. > [!tip] > If you don't see the invitation, check your spam folder. Add [email protected] to your safe senders list so you also receive PAI's system notifications. ## Step 2: Accept and Sign In Clicking the invitation link opens **Accept Your Invitation** with your email already filled in. Click **Sign in** and PAI emails you a sign-in link. Open it and you're in the workspace. You don't need a password; you can add one, or a passkey, later. ## Step 3: Sign In Go to [app.paihq.com](https://app.paihq.com) and enter your email. PAI emails you a sign-in link; open it to finish signing in. The link works once and expires after **5 minutes**, so open it straight away. If it has expired, go back and request a new one. Prefer another way? **Sign in another way** offers a **passkey** or a **password**, and **Continue with Google** signs you in with a Google account you've linked to PAI. Set these up under **Settings → Security** (see [Securing Your Account](#securing-your-account)). You stay signed in for two weeks on each device. > [!important] > **Used a password before October 2026?** Passwords set before PAI's sign-in update no longer work. The first time you enter your old password, PAI shows **Your Password Needs Resetting**. Choose **Email me a sign-in link** to get straight in, or **Email me a link to set a new password**. The set-password link lasts 24 hours. Once you've set a new password, sign in with it from **Sign in another way → Sign in with password**. ## Step 4: Complete Your Profile Your administrator may have entered your details when inviting you. Check them once you're in: 1. Click your name in the bottom-left corner of the screen and choose **Profile**. This opens **Settings → My Account**. 2. Your **Email** is shown but can't be changed here. Review and update: - **First Name** and **Last Name** - **Title** — appears on call sheets and other logistical documents - **Phone** — appears on logistical documents 3. Click **Save**. > [!important] > Your name, title, and phone number appear in documents PAI generates. Enter them exactly as you want them to appear. ## Securing Your Account **Settings → Security** holds your sign-in options: - **Password**: set one if you'd like to sign in with a password (10 characters or more). Changing it needs your current password and signs you out on every other device. - **Two-Step Verification**: adds a code from an authenticator app each time you sign in. Set a password first. Turning it on disables sign-in links for your account, so from then on you sign in with your password and the code. - **Passkeys**: sign in with your fingerprint, face or device PIN. - **Linked Accounts**: connect **Google** to use **Continue with Google**. - **Active Sessions**: every browser where you're signed in, with the device, IP address and when it signed in. **Revoke** one, or use **Revoke All Other Sessions**. A revoked device is signed out on its next action. > [!tip] > If you lose a device or think someone else has access to your account, revoke its session here, then change your password if you use one. ## Devices and Browser Support PAI is a web application designed for desktop use. Use Chrome for the best experience. On tablets and mobile devices, only the Vendor Portal is optimized for smaller screens. --- ## Admin Setup If you're the administrator setting up a new PAI workspace, complete the following before other users start working. Getting this right first means every project your team creates inherits the correct defaults. ### Configure Company Settings Go to **Settings → Company Settings**. This is your organization's identity and the defaults that apply everywhere: - **Name**, **Logo**, **Address**, and **Unit** — appear on estimate and invoice documents - **EIN** — optional - **Estimate Number Prefix** and **Project Number Prefix** — the letters in front of estimate and project numbers - **Base Currency** — your organization's default currency The page also controls custom job codes, a mailbox that receives a PDF of every approved invoice and timecard, the "Made with PAI" branding on documents, and calendar feed subscriptions. For everything on it, see [Organization Settings](../01-Organization-Setup/Organization-Settings.md). > [!important] > Company settings affect all users and every document generated in your workspace. Only administrators should change them. ### Set Project Defaults Go to **Settings → Project Defaults** to set what every new project starts with: - **Minimum Hours** — the default minimum hours for day-based line items - **Project Scope** and **Billing Notes** — boilerplate text each new estimate starts with - **Internal Overview** — standing internal guidance, shown in **Internal Notes** on each new project's Dashboard ### Set Up Your Rate Card Rate cards are managed by Workspace Owners. PAI ships with a **Default** rate card of roughly 300 common line items, so you're not starting from scratch. You can begin using it immediately and expand it over time. The most natural way to build it out is from your estimates: right-click a line and choose **Save Rate** to write its rates back to the rate card. If you'd rather configure it before your first project, see [Rate Cards](../01-Organization-Setup/Rate-Cards.md). ### Add Users 1. Go to **Settings → Users** and click **Add User**. 2. Choose the account type: - **Workspace User** — someone who logs in to manage projects. Enter their email, name, and role; PAI creates the account and sends the invitation in one step. - **Staff Resource** — someone you assign to projects, expenses, and call sheets. By default they don't get a login; you can invite them to log in just to log hours. 3. Pick the role carefully. See [Users and Permissions](../01-Organization-Setup/Users-and-Permissions.md) for what each role can access. --- ## Troubleshooting **Invitation link expired** — Links expire after 7 days. Ask your organization's PAI administrator to resend the invitation. **"Link Expired" when you open a sign-in link** — Sign-in links last 5 minutes and work once. Go back to the sign-in page and request a new one. **Not receiving the sign-in email** — Check your spam folder. If it still doesn't arrive, your email provider may be blocking PAI's emails. Add [email protected] to your allow list. **Your old password doesn't work** — Passwords set before the October 2026 sign-in update need resetting. See the note under [Step 3](#step-3-sign-in). **Forgot your password** — On the sign-in page choose **Sign in another way**, then **Forgot or set password**. PAI emails you a link to set a new one. **Wrong email address** — You must use the exact email address the invitation was sent to. If it needs to change, contact your administrator. **Browser issues** — Switch to Chrome, or clear your browser cache. --- Once you're logged in and set up, see [Navigating PAI](./Navigating-PAI.md) for an orientation to the main sections of the application.