Getting Started

Overview

This guide walks you through the initial setup of your Cadenora workspace. By the end, you will have a fully configured workspace with your industry-appropriate branding, your first project, uploaded documents, organized categories, and your first client invitation sent.

Estimated time: 15--20 minutes for the core setup (Steps 1 through 7). You can complete the remaining steps at your own pace.

Before you begin: You should have received a welcome email from your Cadenora platform administrator with a link to set your password. Complete that step first -- you will need to log in to begin the onboarding process.

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Step 1: Choose Your Industry Template

When you first log into your workspace, you will be presented with the Industry Selection screen. This is the most important decision in the setup process because it configures your entire workspace experience: the terminology used throughout the platform, the default document categories for each project, and the visual theme.

This choice is permanent. Once you select an industry template, it cannot be changed. You can customize the terminology and visual theme later (see Step 2), but the underlying template -- and the default category structure it provides -- is locked in. Choose the template that best matches your firm's primary business.

The Five Templates

Template	Best For	What It Configures
Financial Services	Wealth managers, fund administrators, financial advisors	Projects are called "Projects", clients are "Investors", portal is "Investor Portal"
Real Estate Development	Land developers, construction firms, syndicated investment projects	Projects are called "Developments", clients are "Investors", portal is "Investor Portal"
Property Management	Residential and commercial property managers	Projects are called "Properties", clients are "Residents", portal is "Resident Portal"
Legal Services	Law firms, legal departments, compliance teams	Projects are called "Matters", clients are "Clients", portal is "Client Portal"
General / Other	Consulting, accounting, and other professional services	Projects are called "Projects", clients are "Clients", portal is "Client Portal"

What Each Template Includes

Terminology -- every label in the platform adapts to your industry:

Term	Financial Services	Real Estate Dev	Property Management	Legal Services	General
Project container	Project	Development	Property	Matter	Project
External user	Investor	Investor	Resident	Client	Client
Portal name	Investor Portal	Investor Portal	Resident Portal	Client Portal	Client Portal
Team member role	Project Manager	Development Manager	Property Manager	Associate	Team Member

Default categories -- each project you create is pre-populated with industry-relevant document categories:

Financial Services	Real Estate Dev	Property Management	Legal Services	General
Account Opening	Offering Documents	Lease Documents	Engagement Letters	General
Statements & Reports	Land & Permits	Building Rules & Policies	Pleadings & Filings	Contracts & Agreements
Tax Documents	Construction & Progress	Maintenance Records	Discovery	Reports
Legal & Compliance	Financial Reports	Financial Statements	Correspondence	Financial
Research & Analysis	Legal & Compliance	Move-In / Move-Out	Billing & Invoices	Correspondence
Correspondence	Correspondence	Correspondence	Research & Memos

Every project also receives an Uncategorized system category that cannot be deleted, providing a safe catch-all for documents that have not been sorted yet.

Visual theme -- a professional color scheme matched to your industry (you can change this later):

Template	Default Theme	Primary Color	Feel
Financial Services	Executive	Deep green with gold accents	Trust, wealth, established
Real Estate Development	Ember	Terracotta with orange accents	Earth, building, substantial
Property Management	Horizon	Ocean blue with warm sand accents	Openness, living spaces
Legal Services	Corporate	Navy with cool gray accents	Authority, precision
General	Minimal	Neutral grays	Clean, universal

How to Choose

1. Review the five template cards on the Industry Selection screen.
2. Read the description on each card to confirm it matches your firm's industry.
3. Click the template that best represents your firm.
4. Confirm your selection when prompted.

The system will immediately configure your workspace -- creating your tenant configuration, applying the terminology, setting the theme, and preparing the category templates. This takes just a few seconds.

After selection, you will be redirected to your workspace dashboard. Your workspace is now live and ready for further setup.

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Step 2: Set Up Your Branding

After choosing your industry template, navigate to Settings > Branding in the sidebar (at /t/{your-firm}/settings/branding). This is where you customize your workspace's visual identity.

Logo Upload

Upload your firm's logo to personalize the workspace. Your logo appears in the sidebar, on the login page for your workspace, and in the client portal header.

• Supported formats: PNG, JPG, SVG
• Recommended size: at least 200px wide for clear display

Theme Selection

Your industry template came with a default theme, but you can switch to any of the five available themes:

Theme	Look and Feel	Works Well For
Executive	Deep green (#2F5233) with gold (#E1A948)	Firms wanting a traditional, trust-oriented feel
Ember	Terracotta (#9A3412) with orange (#EA580C)	Firms wanting a warm, earthy, construction-oriented feel
Horizon	Ocean blue (#1E6091) with warm sand (#F4A261)	Firms wanting an open, modern, approachable feel
Corporate	Navy (#334155) with cool gray (#64748B)	Firms wanting a precise, authoritative feel
Minimal	Neutral (#525252) with light gray (#737373)	Firms wanting a clean, unobtrusive design

Click a theme to preview it, then save to apply it. The theme change takes effect immediately across your entire workspace and client portal.

Terminology Customization

While the industry template sets sensible defaults, you can fine-tune the terminology to match your firm's exact language. For example:

• A financial services firm might change "Project" to "Portfolio" or "Fund"
• A real estate firm might change "Investor" to "Limited Partner"
• A legal firm might change "Associate" to "Attorney" or "Paralegal"

Editable terminology fields include:

Field	Example Customization
Container (singular/plural)	"Fund" / "Funds" instead of "Project" / "Projects"
Container article	"a" or "an" (the article before the container name, e.g., "a Fund" or "an Account")
Client (singular/plural)	"Limited Partner" / "Limited Partners" instead of "Investor" / "Investors"
Portal name	"LP Portal" instead of "Investor Portal"
Portal welcome message	Your own custom greeting text
Team member (singular/plural)	"Analyst" / "Analysts" instead of "Project Manager" / "Project Managers"

There are 9 raw terminology fields that you edit directly. The system also derives 5 computed fields automatically from your inputs (such as capitalized variants and article-prefixed labels), so you do not need to configure those separately.

After saving terminology changes, the updated labels appear across the entire platform -- in navigation, buttons, headings, emails, and the client portal.

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Step 3: Create Your First Project

Now it is time to create your first project (or "Development", "Property", "Matter" -- the label matches your industry template).

1. Navigate to Projects in the sidebar.
2. Click the Create button (it will say "Create a Project", "Create a Development", etc. depending on your template).
3. Enter a name for your project. Choose something clear and identifiable -- your clients will see this name in their portal.
4. Add an optional description to help your team understand the project's purpose.
5. Click Save to create the project.

When the project is created, the system automatically:

• Generates the project record in your workspace
• Seeds the project with all default categories from your industry template
• Adds the Uncategorized system category
• Makes the project ready for document uploads

You can create as many projects as you need. There is no limit.

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Step 4: Upload Your First Documents

With your project created, you can start uploading documents. Navigate into your project and click Upload Document, or go to the Documents section and click the upload button.

The Upload Wizard

Cadenora uses a two-step upload wizard:

Step 1: Select and Configure

1. Select your project -- if you started from within a project, it is already selected. Otherwise, use the project selector at the top.
2. Add files -- drag and drop files into the dropzone, or click to browse. You can upload multiple files at once. Supported formats are PDF, DOCX, and XLSX.
3. Set bulk defaults -- choose a default category and visibility scope. These apply to all files unless you override them individually.
4. Configure individual files -- each file appears as a card. You can adjust the category and visibility for each one independently.
5. For Principal Only visibility -- if you select this option, an additional picker appears where you choose which specific clients or organizations can see the document.

Step 2: Review and Confirm

1. Review the complete list of files with their assigned categories and visibility settings.
2. Check for any warnings (oversized files, missing categories, etc.).
3. Click Upload to start the process.

Files are uploaded directly to secure, encrypted storage. After upload, background processing extracts text content and indexes the documents for search.

Visibility Recommendations for Your First Upload

For your initial setup, we recommend:

• Upload a few internal documents with Internal Only visibility to test the system before sharing anything with clients.
• Once you are comfortable, change visibility to Project Clients for documents you want all project clients to see.
• Use Principal Only for sensitive, personalized documents.

AI-Powered Document Classification

After uploading, you may notice that the system suggests or automatically assigns categories to your documents. This is the AI-powered document classification feature, which analyzes filenames and document content to determine the best category match.

What you will see:

Confidence Level	What Happens	Your Action
High (>= 85%)	Category is automatically assigned	Review if needed; change it if the AI chose incorrectly
Medium (50-84%)	Category is suggested but not assigned	Review the suggestion and accept or change it
Low (< 50%)	No suggestion; document stays in Uncategorized	Assign a category manually

This feature is enabled by default using the Platform Default AI provider -- no configuration is needed on your part. You can always accept or change any AI suggestion, and your corrections help improve future accuracy.

If you want to customize the AI provider, adjust confidence thresholds, or disable classification entirely, navigate to Settings > AI Configuration (Firm Admin only). For full details on AI configuration options, see Section 9 of the Firm Admin Guide.

Note: Scanned PDFs (image-based files) cannot be classified by content because OCR is not yet supported. The AI uses only the filename for these documents.

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Step 5: Set Up Categories

Your project already has default categories from your industry template (see the table in Step 1). Take a moment to review them and decide if you need any adjustments.

Reviewing Default Categories

Navigate to your project and look at the category list. You will see the industry-default categories plus the system Uncategorized category. Consider:

• Do the default categories cover your firm's document types?
• Are there categories you will not use? You can delete them (documents will move to Uncategorized).
• Are there categories you need that are missing? You can add custom ones.

Adding Custom Categories

If the defaults do not fully cover your needs, create custom categories:

1. Navigate to the project's category settings.
2. Click Add Category.
3. Enter a name for the new category (for example, "Due Diligence Materials" or "Environmental Studies").
4. The new category is added to the end of the list. You can reorder categories to put the most-used ones at the top.

Category Tips

• Keep it consistent. Use the same category names across similar projects so your team and clients can navigate predictably.
• Do not over-categorize. Five to ten categories per project is usually enough. Too many categories make it harder to find things, not easier.
• The Uncategorized category is your safety net. If you delete a category that contains documents, those documents automatically move to Uncategorized -- they are never lost.

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Step 6: Invite Your Team

Before inviting external clients, bring your internal team onto the platform.

Adding Firm Admins

If other members of your leadership team need full workspace access:

1. Navigate to Users in the sidebar.
2. Click Invite User.
3. Enter their email address and select the Firm Admin role.
4. Click Send Invitation.

They will receive an email with a secure, one-time link to set their password. Once they log in, they have full administrative access to the workspace.

Adding Project Managers

For team members who should manage specific projects (but not the full workspace):

1. Navigate to Users in the sidebar.
2. Click Invite User.
3. Enter their email address and select the Project Manager role (or the equivalent label for your industry -- "Development Manager", "Property Manager", "Associate", or "Team Member").
4. Click Send Invitation.

After they create their account, you will need to assign them to specific projects:

1. Open the project you want to assign them to.
2. Go to the project's settings or team management section.
3. Add the new team member.

Project Managers can only see and work within the projects they are assigned to. They cannot access workspace settings, create projects, or manage other users.

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Step 7: Invite Your First Client

Now it is time to bring an external client onto the platform. This involves two steps: creating a client organization and sending an invitation.

Creating a Client Organization

Client organizations represent the legal entities your firm works with (for example, "Acme Capital LLC", "Smith Family Trust", or "Johnson Residence").

1. Navigate to Client Library in the sidebar.
2. Click New Organization (or the equivalent for your industry).
3. Enter the organization's name and any relevant details.
4. Save the organization.

Sending a Client Invitation

1. Navigate to the project you want to grant the client access to.
2. Go to the Clients tab.
3. Click Invite Client (or "Invite Investor", "Invite Resident" -- depending on your industry template).
4. Enter the client's email address.
5. Select the access level and the organization they belong to.
6. Click Send Invitation.

What Happens Next

The client receives an email invitation with a secure link. Here is the flow they experience:

1. Email received -- the client gets an invitation email with your firm's branding.
2. Link clicked -- they click the link, which takes them to a setup page.
3. Account created -- they set their password and create their account.
4. Access granted -- they are automatically connected to the project and can view documents based on the visibility rules you have configured.

Automated follow-ups:

• If the client has not responded after 24 hours, the system sends them a reminder email.
• After 72 hours, you (the inviter) receive a notification that the invitation is still pending.
• Invitations expire after 14 days. If an invitation expires, you can send a new one.

You can track invitation status from the project's Clients tab:

Status	What It Means
Pending	Invitation sent, waiting for response
Delivered	Email confirmed delivered to recipient
Opened	Recipient clicked the invitation link
Accepted	Recipient created their account
Activated	Full access granted, membership active
Expired	14-day window elapsed without acceptance
Bounced	Email could not be delivered (check the address)

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Step 8: Configure Document Access

With your first client invited, take a moment to configure document visibility so your client sees the right documents when they log into their portal.

Understanding Visibility Scopes

Scope	Who Can See It	Best For
Internal Only	Your firm's staff only	Drafts, internal notes, work in progress
Project Clients	All clients with access to the project	Standard shared documents (statements, reports, updates)
All Clients (Tenant-wide)	Every client across all projects	Firm-wide policies, general reference documents, compliance materials
Principal Only	A specific individual or organization	Personalized documents, sensitive materials, tiered access

Setting Visibility on Existing Documents

If you uploaded documents in Step 4 with Internal Only visibility (recommended for initial testing), you can now update them:

1. Open the document you want to share.
2. Edit the document's metadata.
3. Change the visibility scope to the appropriate level.
4. If selecting Principal Only, choose the specific client or organization.
5. Save your changes.

The visibility change takes effect immediately. The next time your client logs into their portal, they will see the newly shared documents.

Shared Library

Documents set to All Clients (Tenant-wide) appear in the Shared Library -- a special section of the client portal that is visible to every client across all projects. This is ideal for:

• General firm policies
• Compliance disclosures
• Welcome packets
• Reference materials that apply to all clients

Publishing to the Shared Library is a Firm Admin action. Navigate to the Client Library section in the sidebar to manage shared documents.

A Recommended Access Workflow

1. Upload documents as Internal Only first.
2. Review the documents to confirm they are correct and complete.
3. Update visibility to Project Clients for standard shared documents.
4. Use Principal Only for anything that should be restricted to specific clients.
5. Test the client experience by checking what your client can see in their portal.

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Next Steps

Congratulations -- your workspace is set up and ready for day-to-day operations. Here are some recommended next steps:

Explore the Full Firm Admin Guide

The Firm Admin Guide covers ongoing workspace management in depth, including:

• Advanced user management and role assignments
• Audit log monitoring for compliance
• Retention policy configuration
• Workspace settings and governance features
• Support session management

Set Up Additional Projects

Create projects for each of your active engagements. Each project gets its own set of categories (seeded from your template), its own document library, and its own client access list.

Establish Your Document Workflow

Develop a consistent workflow for your team:

1. Upload documents as Internal Only.
2. Categorize them into the appropriate category.
3. Review for accuracy and completeness.
4. Set visibility to share with the right clients.
5. Notify clients of important new documents (the system can send automated notifications).

Invite More Clients

Repeat Step 7 for each of your client relationships. Remember:

• Create the client organization first.
• Then invite individual members to specific projects.
• Track invitation statuses and follow up on any that bounce.

Explore AI Features

Your workspace comes with four AI-powered features that work out of the box with the Platform Default provider:

• Document Classification -- AI suggests or auto-assigns categories when you upload documents (you experienced this in Step 4 if it was enabled).
• Natural Language Search -- Type questions like "show me tax documents from Q4 2025" instead of constructing keyword searches.
• Workspace Assistant -- An AI chat interface that can answer questions about your documents, scoped to a project or your entire workspace.
• Project Summaries -- AI-generated overviews on project pages that summarize the document collection.

All four features are enabled by default and require no configuration. For custom provider setup, confidence threshold tuning, rate limits, and budget controls, navigate to Settings > AI Configuration. For full details, see Section 9 of the Firm Admin Guide.

Use Search to Find Documents

Once your documents have been processed (typically within seconds of upload), you can use the Search page in the sidebar to find documents across all your projects. Search works on full document content -- not just file names. If AI features are enabled, you can also use natural language queries for more intuitive searching.

Train Your Team

Share the Project Manager Guide with your team members who have the Project Manager role. It covers their day-to-day tasks and explains what falls within and outside their permissions.

Share the Right Client Portal Guide

When your clients are ready to use the portal, share the guide that matches your firm's industry template:

Your Industry Template	Guide to Share
Financial Services	Client Portal Guide (Investor)
Real Estate Development	Client Portal Guide (Investor)
Property Management	Resident Portal Guide
Legal Services	Client Portal Guide
General / Other	Client Portal Guide

Each guide uses the terminology your clients will see in their portal, so they can follow along without confusion.

Tips for Getting the Most from Cadenora

• Use categories consistently across projects for predictable navigation.
• Name documents clearly -- your clients see the original file names in their portal.
• Review client access regularly -- check that the right clients have access to the right projects and documents.
• Take advantage of search -- once documents are processed, full-text search makes finding anything fast.
• Check the audit log periodically to stay on top of who is accessing what (navigate to Audit Logs in the sidebar).

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Troubleshooting

I selected the wrong industry template

The industry template is permanent and cannot be changed after selection. This is by design -- changing the template after projects and documents have been created would cause data integrity issues. If you selected the wrong template, contact your Cadenora platform administrator to discuss options (typically this requires creating a new workspace).

AI is not suggesting categories for my uploads

AI document classification may not be enabled or configured for your workspace. Navigate to Settings > AI Configuration to check whether the feature is enabled and whether a provider is configured. If you are using the Platform Default provider, the feature should work without any setup. If it still does not work, contact your platform administrator.

Invitation email was not received

If a team member or client did not receive their invitation email:

1. Ask them to check their spam or junk folder.
2. Ask them to whitelist @cadenora.com in their email settings.
3. Verify the email address was entered correctly when you sent the invitation.
4. You can resend the invitation from the relevant Users or Clients page.

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Questions? If you run into anything during setup, contact your Cadenora platform administrator for support. For day-to-day workspace questions, refer to the Firm Admin Guide for comprehensive coverage of all administrative features.