Instructions for initialising the Trade Control business entity node.
Once installed, the app requires authentication to proceed beyond the home page. The first user to register by entering their email address and password is automatically assigned the Administrator role with full login rights.
After logging in, you’ll be taken to the Initialisation form, where you enter your business identity and bank details.
Tip: Each setting is remembered, so it’s worth entering correct values from the outset. All settings can be amended later-there’s no need to start from scratch if you make a mistake.
The template you select determines how the business is configured. For example:
User registrations are managed via the System > Registrations menu. When a new user registers, they cannot access the system until an administrator identifies them and assigns an appropriate role.
There are three types of role:
The Administrator menu includes additional options, but the authorisation system still prevents users from accessing restricted pages directly-even if they attempt to enter URLs manually.
There is no theoretical limit to the number of users who can register or use the site simultaneously.
The web app uses a mail host to send system-generated emails�such as password resets, invoice deliveries, and user notifications. This allows the app to communicate with users directly, without relying on external email clients.
To configure email delivery, you’ll need the SMTP server address and SSL port for your chosen email provider. Most email accounts are compatible, including Gmail, Outlook, and business domains.
For testing purposes, you can use a Gmail account:
smtp.gmail.com465Open System > Mail Settings to enter host details. The app supports multiple mail hosts in case one becomes unavailable, but only one can be active at a time.
Passwords are stored securely using per-installation symmetric encryption. During setup, a unique key is generated and stored in the database, allowing the app to decrypt credentials only when needed. This avoids hardcoded secrets and ensures each deployment remains isolated.
Tip: If you’re deploying to production, consider using a dedicated mail service like SendGrid or Mailjet for better reliability and delivery tracking.
Emails sent by the app rely on HTML templates (e.g. sales invoices), associated images (e.g. company logos), and PDF attachments (e.g. terms and conditions). By default, the system includes templates for income, expense, and support request emails.
To manage these assets, open System > File Transfer and sync the files on disk with the app. This interface allows you to download templates for modification and upload updated versions. Synchronisation is only required if you’re using external FTP access.
To personalise your templates, select Images and upload your company logo using the filename company_logo.png. This logo is used by the default templates, but you can upload alternative files and modify the templates to suit your branding.
A document template is an HTML file containing [Tags]. These tags are replaced with live data when constructing a document. Images referenced in the HTML must be embedded in the email, and they also use tags. It’s also common practice to attach PDF documents to invoices�such as policy statements�though this is optional.
Refer to the full Template Tag Listing for supported tags.
From Invoicing > Email Templates, you can assign a template to an invoice type. You may use a single template for both invoices and credit notes, or separate templates for each. Multiple templates can be associated with the same invoice type, allowing for different scenarios (e.g. with or without attachments).
To personalise your template, select it and assign a logo. Click the logo and change the default tag [TAG0] to [LOGO], which is used by the template.
Finally, add any PDF attachments you want to include with your invoices and credit notes.
Initialisation can be re-run by an Administrator anytime from the System menu, allowing you to reboot the business setup after exploring tutorials.
