Help centre
Short guides to everything in GarageActive. Pick a topic, or search for what you're trying to do.
Getting started
- Create your account
Sign up with your name, email and a password.
- Create your garage
Set up your garage's name, address, work hours, team and services.
- Your garage's web address
The address your team uses to sign in.
- Sign in
Sign in with your email and password.
- Reset a forgotten password
Get a link by email to set a new password.
- Accept an invite to a garage
Join your garage's team from the invite email.
- Switch between garages
Open a different garage if you belong to more than one.
- Find your way around
The menu, the top bar, and how the lists work.
- Managers and mechanics
The two roles, and what each one can do.
- Contact support
Email the GarageActive support team.
Dashboard
- Your day on the dashboard
See the jobs assigned to you today.
Schedule
- Understanding the schedule
What the schedule shows and how to read it.
- Day, week and month views
Switch views and move between dates.
- View by bay or by team member
Change what the columns in the day view stand for.
- Open a job from the schedule
Click once for the job page, twice for a quick edit.
- Add a job from the schedule
Use the Add job button, or double-click an empty slot.
- Move a job
Drag a job to a new time, bay or team member.
- Change how long a job takes
Drag the top or bottom edge of a job.
- Two jobs in the same bay
Jobs can share a bay at the same time, up to three.
- Double-booked team members
What the warning triangle on a job means.
- Job colours and cancelled jobs
What each colour means, and how to show cancelled jobs.
- Work hours on the schedule
The shaded areas that show when you're closed.
Jobs
- Add a job
Book a vehicle in for a customer.
- Find a job
Search by reg, filter the list, or show only your jobs.
- The job page
Everything about one job, in one place.
- Edit a job
Change the date, time, services, customer or vehicle.
- Change a job's status
Move a job from booked in through to complete.
- Record a vehicle's mileage
Note the mileage on a job and on its invoice.
- Assign a job to a team member
Choose who is doing the work.
- Cancel a job
Jobs can't be deleted. Cancel them instead.
- Add a note to a job
Leave a note for the rest of the team.
- See a job's history
Who changed what on a job, and when.
Inspections
- Add photos to a job
Upload photos, or take them on your phone.
- Add a video to a job
Upload a video of the fault.
- Captions and what the customer can see
Add a caption and choose Visible or Private.
- Remove a photo or video
Take an item off a job.
- Send an inspection to a customer
Email the customer a private link to the photos and video.
- What your customer sees
The page the inspection link opens.
- Your monthly photo and video allowance
How many you can upload, and when it resets.
Customers
- Add a customer
Save a customer's name and contact details.
- Edit a customer
Update a customer's details or address.
- Remove a customer
Take one or several customers off your list.
- The customer page
A customer's details, vehicles, jobs and invoices.
- Book a job for a customer
Start a job straight from the customer's page.
- Record if a customer wants MOT reminders
Agreed, Declined or Not Asked, and what each means.
Vehicles
- Look up a vehicle by its reg
Type the plate and the make, model and MOT fill in.
- How vehicles are added
There's no Add vehicle button. Booking a job adds it.
- The vehicle page
A vehicle's details, MOT and job history.
- MOT dates
Where MOT dates come from and what the colours mean.
- When a number plate moves to another car
What to do when a job says the reg has moved.
Invoicing
- Create an invoice
Turn a completed job into an invoice.
- Add or change invoice lines
Services, parts and labour on a draft invoice.
- VAT on invoices
How VAT is worked out, and how to switch it on.
- Issue an invoice
Give a draft its invoice number and lock it.
- Replace an issued invoice
Issued invoices can't be changed. Replace them instead.
- Mark an invoice as paid
Record that the customer has paid.
- Email an invoice to a customer
Send the invoice as a PDF attachment.
- Print or save an invoice
Open the invoice as a PDF.
- Delete a draft invoice
Remove a draft you no longer need.
Services and parts
- Add a service
Add something your garage offers, like an MOT.
- Edit a service
Change a service's name, duration, price or VAT rate.
- Remove a service
Take a service off your list.
- Add a part
Add a part with its price and VAT rate.
- Edit a part
Change a part's name, price or VAT rate.
- Archive or restore a part
Hide a part you no longer sell, or bring it back.
Team
- Add a team member
Invite someone to your garage by email.
- Resend or cancel an invite
For someone who hasn't joined yet.
- Edit a team member or change their role
Update a name, photo or role.
- Remove a team member
Deactivate someone who has left, or bring them back.
- Team seats
How many people your plan allows.
Customer messages
- Booking confirmation emails
Email customers automatically when a job is booked.
- MOT reminder emails
Email customers automatically before their MOT runs out.
- MOT reminder texts
Text customers automatically before their MOT runs out.
- Your monthly SMS allowance
What counts as an SMS, when it resets, and what happens when it runs out.
- When a customer unsubscribes
What happens, and how to switch reminders back on.
Garage settings
- Garage name, logo, phone and labour rate
Your garage's basic details.
- Set your number of bays
How many vehicles you can work on at once.
- Add your VAT number
Adding it switches VAT on for your invoices.
- Set your garage's address
The address shown on your invoices.
- Set your work hours
The days and times your garage is open.
- Export your data
Download a copy of your invoices, customers and jobs.
- Close your garage
Close your garage for good, and what is kept afterwards.
- Reopen a closed garage
The owner has 30 days to change their mind.
Your account
- Update your name and photo
Change how you appear to the rest of your team.
- Change your password
Set a new password while signed in.
- Two-factor authentication
Add a code from an authenticator app to your sign-in.
- Light mode, dark mode and colour themes
Change how the app looks on your device.
- Notifications
The bell, and marking notifications as read.
- Log out
Sign out of GarageActive.
- Delete your account
Delete your account for good, and what happens to your work.
Plans and billing
- Plans explained
What Free, Premium and Enterprise include.
- Upgrade to Premium
Choose monthly or annual, then pay securely online.
- See your plan, usage and payments
The Billing page in Settings.
- Cancel or resume your membership
Stop a paid plan, or change your mind before it ends.