Getting started with UpKeep? This guide walks you through setting up your account so your team can begin managing work orders efficiently and confidently.
By the end of this setup, you’ll have your locations, assets, users and teams, and workflows ready to go. If you need extra support, check out our on-demand courses here to help you get started on your own time!
✅ Quick Start Setup Checklist
Use this checklist to track your progress:
Add Locations
Add Assets
Invite Users
Create Work Orders
📌 Before You Begin
To make setup easier, gather the following:
List of locations: sites, buildings, areas
Asset list: equipment, machines
Team members who need access
🧭 Recommended Setup Order
While you can complete steps in any order, we recommend the following to avoid rework:
Locations
Assets
Users
Work Orders
1. Add Locations and Sub-Locations
Why this matters:
Locations are the foundation of your account. Assets, work orders, and reporting all depend on them. Locations dictate where assets live and where work takes place.
What to do:
Create locations manually, OR
Import locations via a spreadsheet
💡 Best Practices:
Use clear, unique names
Keep naming consistent
Reflect your real-world structure (Site → Building → Area)
Learn more below:
2. Add Assets
Why this matters:
Assets are the equipment you maintain. Assets could include factory equipment, machinery, vehicles, or apartments. Adding them allows you to track maintenance history and performance.
What to do:
Add assets manually, OR
Import assets via spreadsheet
💡 Best Practices:
Assign each asset to a location
Use consistent naming (e.g., “Boiler #1”)
Include important details like serial numbersAssets are going to be any form of equipment or items that you have that will require work to be done on them.
Learn more below:
📚 Download our Quickstart Guide for location and asset set up!
3. Invite Users
Why this matters:
Your team needs access to start using UpKeep and completing work.
What to do:
Invite users via email or import sheet
Assign roles and permissions
⚠️ Important: Before You Invite Your Team
Before adding users, make sure your team knows to:
Wait for their invitation email from your company
Do not try to create an account on their own
📩 What Your Team Needs to Do
Once you send the invite, your users must:
Open the invitation email
Click the link in the email
Set up their own password to access the account
💡 Best Practices:
Assign roles based on responsibilities
Let users know the invite is coming before you send it
Ask them to complete setup right away to avoid delays
Roll out invites in small groups if needed
Learn more below:
📚 Download our Quickstart Guide for Administrators
📚 Download our Quickstart Guide for Technicians
4. Start Creating Work Orders
Why this matters:
Work orders are the core of your maintenance operations.
What to do:
Create your first work order
Assign it to a technician
Track status and completion
💡 Best Practices:
Use clear titles and descriptions
Attach assets and locations
Set priority levels
Learn more below:
Now you are set up and ready to get your team to work! Check out the article below to dive into the advanced account set up including parts and inventory, preventive maintenance, vendors and customers, and more.