Getting Started

This guide walks you through creating your Tapboard account and setting up your first digital menu display.

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Creating Your Account

1. Visit tapboard.app and click Register (or choose a plan from the pricing page).
2. Fill in the registration form:
   • Organization Name — Your business name (e.g., "Joe's Brewery").
   • Full Name — Your name.
   • Email Address — This will be your login email.
   • Password — Must be at least 8 characters.
3. Click Create Account.

If you selected a paid plan from the pricing page, the plan and billing interval (monthly or annual) carry through registration. Right after you create your account, you are routed automatically to the Stripe checkout page so you can complete your subscription in one continuous flow. After checkout, you land on the Tapboard dashboard with the paid plan already active.

If you did not pick a paid plan, your account starts with a 14-day free Pro trial. You get every Pro feature (POS integration, custom template branding, multiple menu boards, ad playlists, 10 GB of media storage) for 14 days—no credit card required. A banner across the top of the dashboard counts down the days remaining. Subscribe any time during the trial to keep Pro running. If you don't subscribe by day 14, your dashboard is locked to the Billing page until you pick a plan—menus, screens, and integrations become inaccessible, POS connections are disconnected, and Fire TV displays go dark. All your data is preserved. See the Billing docs for the full lockout matrix.

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First-Time Setup Checklist

After registering, follow these steps to get your first menu displaying on a TV:

Step 1: Create a Location

Your location represents a physical business site (restaurant, bar, cafe, etc.).

1. Go to Locations in the sidebar.
2. Click Add Location.
3. Enter your location details:
   • Name (required)
   • Address, city, state, postal code (optional but recommended)
   • Timezone (important for business hours and device scheduling)
   • Business hours for each day of the week
4. Save the location.

Step 2: Add Menu Categories

Categories organize your menu items (e.g., "Appetizers," "Draft Beer," "Entrees").

1. Go to Menu Categories in the sidebar.
2. Click Add Category.
3. Enter a category name and assign it to a location.
4. Repeat for each category you need.

Step 3: Add Menu Items

1. Go to Menu Items in the sidebar.
2. Click Add Item.
3. Fill in the item details:
   • Name and description
   • Price
   • Category
   • Optional: ABV, IBU, and Beer Style (for beverages), image, variations
4. Save the item.
5. Repeat for all your menu items.

Step 4: Create a Menu Board

A menu board defines how your menu looks on screen.

1. Go to Menu Boards in the sidebar.
2. Click Add Menu Board.
3. Choose a name and select a template (e.g., Tapboard Dark, Tapboard Light, Tapboard Lumen, Bistro, Industrial, or Field).
4. Add sections to map your categories to display layouts.
5. Set the board status to Active when ready.

Step 5: Create a Screen

A screen represents what a particular TV will display.

1. Go to Screens in the sidebar.
2. Click Add Screen.
3. Give it a name, choose the screen type, and assign a location.
4. Add pages and assign your menu board (and optional ad playlists) to each page.

Step 6: Pair Your Fire TV Device

1. Install the Tapboard app on your Fire TV device.
2. The device will display a 6-digit pairing code.
3. In Tapboard, go to Devices and click Pair Device.
4. Enter the 6-digit code and optionally assign it to a screen.
5. Click Pair.

Step 7: Publish

1. Go back to Screens and open your screen.
2. Click Publish.
3. Your Fire TV device will automatically sync and begin displaying your menu.

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Next Steps

• Connect your POS system — If you use Square, you can auto-sync your menu. See Integrations.
• Add advertisements — Display promotions alongside your menu. See Advertisements.
• Upgrade your plan — Need more screens or locations? See Billing & Subscriptions.