Quick start

At a small agency, one person often installs CapacityLens, owns the company and sets the work. This page is that whole route, from download to a booking on screen. Each step links to the guide with the detail.

Install it

You need a server with Node 24 and a hostname pointing at it. On a managed host such as Forge you never open a terminal.

1. Download the release archive from the latest release and unpack it.

2. Pick a folder for the data. The database file is created there on first start.

3. Configure with one command. It prints your settings, with the secrets and a one-time setup token generated for you:

   node server/dist/index.mjs init --public-url https://capacity.example.com --db /var/lib/capacitylens/capacitylens.db

4. Start it as a background process, with HTTPS in front.

5. Open the address.

Install CapacityLens has the exact commands for a managed host and for your own Linux server.

Create your company

1. 

   Sign in. Enter your name, email and a password, and paste the setup token from step 3. Select Create my sign-in.

2. 

   Create the company. Name it and choose the day your week starts and your time zone. These two cannot be changed later. Clear Start with example data if you'd rather start empty. Select Create company.

Set up your company covers company login and what stays with the Owner.

Make the schedule yours

1. 

   Add a person. First set how work is entered and which days your company works under Settings → Company setup (Choose company settings). Then open Resources, select Add resource, enter their name and working days, and select Save.

2. 

   Add a client and a project. Open Clients and select Add client. Then open Projects, select Add project and choose that client.

3. 

   Add an activity, the kind of work being booked. Open Activities, select Add activity, choose Project-specific and pick the project.

4. 

   Book the work. Open Schedule and drag across some days in the person's row. Choose the project and activity, then select Save.

5. 

   Move it. Drag the bar to another day or another person. Undo puts it back.

That's a working schedule.

Follow the Getting started checklist

Getting started on Schedule ticks off these five steps as you go, in any order, and stays until an Owner or Admin dismisses it. Show me around starts a short tour.

Steps complete from the company's records, including imported ones. Internal work doesn't count towards the client or project steps. Editors can open and close the checklist; Viewers don't see it. An Owner or Admin can dismiss it for everyone, and is asked to confirm if steps remain.

Bring in the team

Open Team & access, select Invite someone, choose a role and enter their email. Most people need Viewer; give Editor to anyone who books work. Get the schedule ready covers roles, settings and linking each invitation to the right row on the schedule.

Before you rely on it, check your backups.