# Use the setup checklist

Open setup tasks, understand shared progress and find help for the forms.

Canonical: https://demo.qixcount.com/help/getting-started/use-the-setup-checklist

Who can do this: Owners, or people with *Manage business settings, roles & permissions* on the dashboard; viewers cannot change the checklist

Where: Dashboard

## Follow a task in General

1. Open **Dashboard**.
2. Find **Get started in 10 minutes**.
3. Select **Start** beside a pending task.
4. Complete the task on its destination page.
5. Return to **Dashboard** to review the checklist.

## Who can do this and what you need

The setup checklist is shared across the business. Its tasks depend on your edition and enabled features. Hiding a checklist keeps your records and saved progress.

You need access to the business. On the General dashboard, the checklist requires settings management access. Each destination keeps its own permissions, so a task may require help from the owner. General and Nonprofit use different task lists; see [Your first week](https://demo.qixcount.com/help/getting-started/your-first-week) or [Your first week with Nonprofit](https://demo.qixcount.com/help/getting-started/your-first-week-nonprofit).

Free viewers can open destinations they are allowed to view, but cannot complete, skip, hide or restore the shared checklist.

Owners can open **Settings** and select **Setup guide** to reach the full setup page. It shows **Your Progress** and **Setup Steps**. From that page, **Back to Dashboard** returns to the General dashboard or Nonprofit Overview.

![Setup tasks with required badges and progress](https://demo.qixcount.com/images/help/getting-started-checklist.webp)

## Follow a task in Nonprofit

1. Select **Overview**.
2. Find **Finish setup** before mapping approval, or select **Finish** on the unfinished setup row under **Needs you** afterward.
3. Select **Open** beside a pending task.
4. Complete its form.
5. Return to **Overview**.

Use **Open** to follow tasks; the Nonprofit checklist has no manual completion or hiding controls. **Open** appears only for tasks your access allows. Mapping approval is still required for posting.

## Understand progress

| State | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Pending | The task has not been marked complete or skipped. |
| Completed | The completion condition was detected, or someone marked the task complete. |
| Skipped | An optional task was skipped. |

**Skip** is available only for optional tasks. **Complete** on the General dashboard, or **Complete Now** on the full setup page, marks a skipped task complete immediately. It does not open the task or check that its work was done. Open the relevant page directly when you want to do that work.

For example, an existing invoice completes the first-invoice task even if it is still a draft. Progress is a guide, not a check that your books are finished.

## Hide the checklist

In General, select the X icon on the dashboard, which is labeled Dismiss when you hover over it, or **Hide from Dashboard** on the full setup page. Completing required tasks also hides the General checklist and the unfinished setup reminder. Nonprofit still shows **Finish setup** whenever mappings need approval. On a dismissed full setup page, **Show on Dashboard** requests that it be shown again; completed required tasks can cause it to hide again.

Next, [find your way around](https://demo.qixcount.com/help/getting-started/find-your-way-around).