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SetTimes Quick Start Guide

Get your first event live in 10 minutes!

What You'll Accomplish

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

  • ✅ Logged into the SetTimes admin panel
  • ✅ Created your first event
  • ✅ Added at least 2 venues
  • ✅ Scheduled at least 3 performers
  • ✅ Published your event to the public timeline

Time Required: 10 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

  • [ ] Your login credentials (email + password)
  • [ ] Event details (name, date)
  • [ ] List of venues with addresses
  • [ ] List of bands with performance times

Tip: Have this information ready in a text file or spreadsheet before you begin!

Step 1: Log In (30 seconds)

  1. Go to settimes.ca/admin
  2. Enter your email and password
  3. Click "Sign In"

Troubleshooting: If you don't have an account, contact your administrator for an invite code or credentials.

Step 2: Create Your Event (2 minutes)

  1. Click the orange "Create Event" button at the top
  2. Fill in the event details:
  3. Event Name: e.g., "Summer Music Fest 2026"
  4. Event Date: Select the date (use date picker)
  5. URL Slug: e.g., "summer-fest-2026" (lowercase, hyphens only)
  6. Description (optional): Brief overview

Example:

Event Name: Long Weekend Band Crawl Vol. 17
Date: August 2, 2026
Slug: lwbc17
Description: Annual music crawl featuring 22 bands across 6 venues in downtown Waterloo
  1. Click "Next" to continue

Step 3: Add Venues (2 minutes)

For each performance location:

  1. Enter the venue name
  2. Example: "Blue Room"
  3. Enter the address (optional but recommended)
  4. Example: "123 Main Street, City, Province"
  5. Click "Add Venue"
  6. Repeat for all venues
  7. Click "Next" when done

Quick Tip: You need at least 1 venue to proceed. You can add more venues later!

Example Venues:

  • Blue Room - 28 King St N, Waterloo
  • Princess Cafe - 46 King St N, Waterloo
  • Room 47 - 47 King St N, Waterloo

Step 4: Add Performers (4 minutes)

For each band:

  1. Enter the band name
  2. Example: "The Sunset Trio"
  3. Select a venue from the dropdown
  4. Set the start time
  5. Example: 8:00 PM
  6. Set the end time OR duration
  7. Example: 9:00 PM (or 60 minutes)
  8. Click "Add"

Repeat for all bands

Quick Tip: Add at least 3 bands to make your event interesting!

Example Performances:

Band: The Sunset Trio
Venue: Blue Room
Start: 7:00 PM
End: 8:00 PM

Band: Electric Dreams
Venue: Blue Room
Start: 8:30 PM
End: 9:30 PM

Band: Northern Lights
Venue: Princess Cafe
Start: 7:00 PM
End: 8:00 PM

Conflict Detection: If you see a red warning, two bands are scheduled at the same venue at overlapping times. Adjust the times to fix it.

  1. Click "Next" when all bands are added

Step 5: Review & Create (1 minute)

  1. Review the event summary:
  2. Event name and date
  3. Number of venues
  4. Number of performers
  5. Check for any errors or missing information
  6. Click "Create Event"

Success! Your event is now created as a draft.

Step 6: Publish Your Event (30 seconds)

Your event is currently a draft (not visible to the public). To make it live:

  1. Go to the 📅 Events tab
  2. Find your newly created event
  3. Look for the gray "Draft" badge
  4. Click "Edit"
  5. Check the "Published" checkbox
  6. Click "Save Changes"

Success! Your event is now live on the public timeline at settimes.ca!

Step 7: Test Your Event (30 seconds)

  1. Open a new private/incognito browser window
  2. Go to settimes.ca
  3. Find your event on the timeline
  4. Click on a band to see their profile page
  5. Verify all information is correct

Common Issues:

  • Event not showing? Make sure it's published (not draft)
  • Times wrong? Edit the event and update performer times
  • Missing band? Go to Performers tab and add them

Next Steps

Congratulations! Your first event is live. Here's what to do next:

Enhance Your Event (Optional)

  1. Add more details to band profiles:
  2. Go to 🎸 Performers tab
  3. Click "Edit" on a band
  4. Add description, website, and social media links

  5. Click "Save"

  6. Add venue details:

  7. Go to 📍 Venues tab
  8. Click "Edit" on a venue
  9. Add website, Instagram, and Facebook

  10. Click "Save"

  11. Share your event:

  12. Copy the URL: settimes.ca
  13. Share on social media
  14. Include band profile links for better engagement

Learn More

Quick Reference

Essential Actions

Create Event:

Events tab → Create Event → Fill form → Next → Add venues → Next → Add performers → Create

Publish Event:

Events tab → Find event → Edit → Check "Published" → Save

Add Band:

Performers tab → Add Performer → Fill form → Save

Edit Event:

Events tab → Find event → Edit → Make changes → Save

Unpublish Event:

Events tab → Find event → Edit → Uncheck "Published" → Save

Tips for Success

Before Creating Your Event:

  • [ ] Have all event details ready
  • [ ] Know your venue names and addresses
  • [ ] Know band names and performance times
  • [ ] Allow 15-30 minute buffers between bands

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  • ❌ Publishing before double-checking times
  • ❌ Overlapping band times at same venue
  • ❌ Inconsistent venue names (e.g., "The Analog" vs "Analog Cafe")
  • ❌ Forgetting to publish the event
  • ❌ Using spaces or special characters in event slug

Best Practices:

  • ✅ Add venues before performers
  • ✅ Use consistent naming (venues, bands)
  • ✅ Add buffer time between sets (15-30 min)
  • ✅ Test on mobile before announcing
  • ✅ Save often (don't rely on auto-save)

Keyboard Shortcuts (Desktop)

Speed up your workflow:

  • Tab - Navigate through form fields
  • Enter - Submit forms
  • Escape - Close dialogs
  • Ctrl/Cmd + S - Save (in forms)

Mobile Quick Start

Using SetTimes on your phone?

  1. Bottom Navigation:

  2. Tap 📅 Events, 📍 Venues, or 🎸 Performers at the bottom

  3. Touch-Friendly:

  4. All buttons are large (44px minimum)

  5. Easy to tap without mistakes

  6. Swipe Gestures:

  7. Swipe left on a band to reveal delete button

  8. Swipe right to hide

  9. Form Tips:

  10. Use your phone's time picker for times
  11. Keyboard auto-adjusts (email keyboard, number pad, etc.)

Troubleshooting

"I can't add performers - the venue dropdown is empty"

Solution: Add venues first! Go to the Venues tab and create at least one venue before adding performers.

"My event isn't showing on the public timeline"

Solution:

  1. Make sure the event is Published (not Draft)
  2. Wait 1-2 minutes for cache to update
  3. Refresh the page

"I see a scheduling conflict warning"

Solution: Two bands are scheduled at the same venue at overlapping times. Change the start/end times to fix it. Leave at least 15-30 minutes between bands.

"I made a mistake after publishing"

Solution:

  1. Go to Events tab
  2. Click "Edit" on your event
  3. Uncheck "Published" (makes it a draft)
  4. Make your changes
  5. Re-check "Published" when ready
  6. Click "Save"

"I can't log in"

Solution:

  1. Check your email and password (case-sensitive)
  2. Make sure you're at settimes.ca/admin
  3. Clear your browser cache
  4. Try a different browser
  5. Contact your administrator for help

Need Help?

In-App Help:

  • Hover over (?) icons for tooltips
  • Red error messages explain what's wrong

Documentation:

Contact Support:

Summary

What You Learned:

  1. ✅ How to log in to SetTimes
  2. ✅ How to create an event with the wizard
  3. ✅ How to add venues and performers
  4. ✅ How to publish your event
  5. ✅ How to verify your event is live

Time Taken: ~10 minutes

You're Ready! You now know the basics of SetTimes. Explore the full User Guide to learn advanced features.

Version: 1.0 Last Updated: 2026-07-04 For: SetTimes Platform (settimes.ca)

Ready to create your next event? Go to settimes.ca/admin and get started!