Getting started

This chapter covers the first things every DockingWare user does: sign in, switch company, change a password, and read the sidebar for your role.

There is no self-registration. Your administrator creates your account and gives you your first password, which you must change on first sign in.

---

1. The short version

1. Sign in on the sign-in screen with your email and password, or with Continue with Google.
2. You land on your company’s dashboard. If your password must change, DockingWare takes you to the password screen first.
3. Switch company from the company selector in the top bar, if you belong to more than one company.
4. Change your password from the account menu, behind your initials in the top bar.
5. The sidebar shows only the sections your role can open. If you do not see a section, your role cannot open it.

---

2. Sign in

Open the sign-in screen. The screen is titled WMS Login, with the line “Sign in to continue” underneath.

• Email and Password are the two fields. The button reads Sign in.
• If the email is not valid, the screen says “Enter a valid email”. If the password is shorter than 6 characters, it says “Minimum 6 characters”.
• A wrong email or password shows “Invalid credentials”. A disabled account shows “Account is disabled”. In both cases, ask your administrator.
• Forgot password? under the button takes you to the forgot-password screen (section 5).

Continue with Google

Below the form, past the divider that reads “or”, the button Continue with Google signs you in with your Google account. It appears on the web. On the handheld app it is hidden; an older installed app may still show it.

• The first time you sign in with Google, DockingWare links that Google identity to your account, as long as the Google email matches an account.
• If no DockingWare account exists for the Google email, the screen says “No account for this email, ask your administrator”.
• If you cancel the Google flow, the screen says “Google sign-in was cancelled.”
• If the sign-in cannot be verified, the screen says “Google sign-in could not be verified. Start again.”

After sign in

• You land on your company’s dashboard.
• If your password must change, DockingWare takes you to the password screen instead. See section 4.
• If you belong to no company, DockingWare takes you to a “No workspace access” screen that asks you to contact your administrator, with a Log out button.
• If you followed a link into the app, DockingWare returns you to that screen after sign in, except for the sign-in screen itself and the no-workspace screen, which go to the dashboard.

---

3. Switch company

If you belong to more than one company, the top bar holds a company selector. On a desktop-size screen it shows the two-letter initials of the active company, the company name, and a chevron. Clicking it opens the menu.

• Under the heading Switch company, each row shows the company name, the company slug and your membership role (for example “/dkw, ADMIN”), and two marks: Active on the company you are in, Default on your default company.
• Manage company access opens the Companies page (Administration > Companies).
• Selecting another company takes you to that company’s dashboard. Your token, role, sidebar, and the company slug in the address change with it. The data you see becomes that company’s data.

The Companies page is headed Your Companies, with the line “Companies you can access in DockingWare. Switching company updates your workspace and data scope.” Its table has four columns: Company, Slug, Role, Action. Each row shows a Default badge where it applies, your role, and either Active or a Switch button. If you belong to no company, the table says “No company memberships found.”

Two kinds of links on that page are restricted:

• Manage members and Company Settings appear only to membership admins.
• Manage companies and Manage users appear only to platform admins.

With one company, the selector menu shows only the Manage company access link.

The role shown next to a company in the selector is your membership role (ADMIN or USER). It is not your enterprise role. Membership role decides who can manage members; enterprise role decides which screens you can open. See chapter 3.

---

4. Change your password

Open the account menu behind your initials in the top bar and choose Change password.

The screen shows “Signed in as” with your email. The three fields are Current password, New password, and Confirm new password. The button reads Save password.

A new password must be at least 8 characters long and include one uppercase letter and one number. The sign-in screen accepts existing passwords of 6 or more characters, but a new or changed password must meet the stronger rule.

• If a field is missing or the new password is too weak, the screen says “Complete all fields. Password must be at least 8 characters and include an uppercase letter and a number.”
• If the two new passwords differ, the screen says “Passwords do not match”.
• If the current password is wrong, the screen says “Current password is incorrect”.
• After 5 attempts in 15 minutes, DockingWare asks you to wait: “Too many password change attempts, please try again later.”

On success, DockingWare returns you to the dashboard.

When a password change is required

If your administrator reset your password, or you are signing in for the first time, the screen is titled Password change required, with the explainer “Your administrator reset your password. Use the temporary password as the current password, then choose a new one.”

While a password change is required, DockingWare blocks the rest of the app. Any screen you open returns you to the password screen, and the app answers “Change your password to continue.” The screen also offers “Sign out and use another account”.

New accounts start the same way: your administrator creates you with a temporary password, and your first sign in takes you to the forced password screen.

---

5. Forgot password

Open Forgot password? from the sign-in screen. The screen is titled Forgot password, with the line “Enter your email and we will send a reset link if an account exists.”

• Enter the email on your account. The button reads Send reset link. Back to login returns to the sign-in screen.
• The answer is always the same: “If an account exists for that email, a reset link has been sent.” DockingWare does not say whether the email has an account, so nobody can probe for accounts.
• The email is titled “Reset your DockingWare password”. It says “We received a request to reset your DockingWare password”, gives a link to choose a new password, and says “This link expires in 1 hour.”
• After 5 requests in 15 minutes, DockingWare asks you to wait: “Too many password reset requests, please try again later.”

Use the reset link

The link opens the reset screen, titled Reset password, with the line “Choose a new password for your account.”

• The fields are New password and Confirm new password, with the same rule as a changed password: at least 8 characters, one uppercase letter, one number. The button reads Save new password.
• A missing link shows “Reset link is missing or invalid.” A used or expired link shows “Invalid or expired reset link”. A disabled account shows “Account is disabled”.
• After 10 attempts in 15 minutes, DockingWare asks you to wait: “Too many password reset attempts, please try again later.”
• On success the screen says “Password updated. You can sign in with your new password.” with a Back to login link.

---

6. Sessions ending

A sign-in ends when something moves your account forward. These four events end your outstanding sessions:

1. You change your own password.
2. You complete a password reset.
3. Your administrator resets your password.
4. Your administrator disables your account.

When another session ends, that screen shows “This session was ended. Sign in again.” and returns to the sign-in screen. The device that changed its own password keeps its fresh sign-in and stays in.

A sign-in also expires on its own after 7 days. Any other expired session shows “Your session has expired. Please log in again.” and returns to the sign-in screen.

Log out in the account menu signs you out of this browser and returns you to the sign-in screen.

---

7. What the sidebar shows by role

The sidebar shows the company name and logo, collapsible sections with their links, and the app version at the bottom. Only one section stays open at a time. On a desktop screen the sidebar collapses to an icon rail with a flyout. On a phone it is a drawer with an overlay.

A section shows when your role can view its area. The Home section is filtered link by link: Dashboard and Analytics are checked separately, so a role with Dashboard but no Analytics sees Dashboard only.

Sections in order: Home, Catalog, Inventory, Warehouse Operations, Procurement, Inbound Logistics, Sales, Marketplaces, Accounting, Fulfillment Intelligence, Administration.

Some links inside Administration are restricted further:

• Members, Company Settings, Opening Inventory, Audit Logs, Notifications, and Observability appear only to membership admins: an active membership role of ADMIN, or an enterprise role of Admin or Owner.
• Users, What’s New, and Design System appear only to platform admins.

In QuickBooks accounting mode, the Accounting section keeps only Customer Invoices, AR Aging, QuickBooks, and 3PL Billing. Opening a hidden accounting screen shows “Accounting is managed in QuickBooks for this company” and goes to Customer Invoices.

If a link takes you back to the dashboard, your role can see the section but cannot open that screen. Tell your administrator.

---

8. Quick answers

I cannot sign in. Check the email and password. “Invalid credentials” means the pair did not match. “Account is disabled” means your administrator must re-enable the account.

I do not see a section. Your role cannot open it. Ask your administrator for the role you need. Members, Company Settings, and the other restricted Administration links need membership admin.

I changed my password and my other device signed out. Expected. A password change ends outstanding sessions. The device that made the change stays signed in.

I belong to two companies and see the wrong one. Open the company selector in the top bar and pick the other company. You land on its dashboard.

I asked for a reset and nothing arrived. The answer is the same whether the account exists, so check the inbox and spam folder for “Reset your DockingWare password”. The link expires in 1 hour. Ask your administrator if it still does not arrive.

The sign-in screen says my password must change. Use the temporary password your administrator gave you as the current password, then choose a new one that meets the rule: at least 8 characters, one uppercase letter, one number.

I see USER next to my company. That is your membership role, not your enterprise role. Membership role decides who manages members. Enterprise role decides which screens you can open.