> **Source:** https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/getting-started/initial-setup > **Site:** Leegality Knowledge Base — https://knowledge.leegality.com > **About:** Leegality is a document execution platform covering eSigning, stamps, NeSL, workflows, and REST API integration. > **Navigation:** Every article on this site has a plain-text version at `.txt` (this format). To get an index of all articles with their `.txt` links, read: https://knowledge.leegality.com/llms.txt > **AI Guide:** For instructions on how to navigate this knowledge base as an AI agent, read: https://knowledge.leegality.com/ai-readable.txt --- # Initial Setup Guide This guide outlines the essential steps to set up SignStation for the first time. Follow these steps in order to ensure your organization is ready to start signing documents. > **Tip — Before You Start** > > Make sure you have received your license file from Leegality and gathered all necessary information about your organization's structure, users, and digital certificates. ## Step 1: Upload Your License Your SignStation instance requires a valid license file to activate and operate. This license file is provided by Leegality and should be uploaded first before any other configuration. **What You Need:** - License file from Leegality (`.lic` or similar format) Without an active license, you cannot access SignStation features. Once uploaded, verify that the license status shows as **ACTIVE**. 📖 **Learn More:** [Create a License](https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/license-manager/create-license) ## Step 2: Create Departments Departments represent organizational units within SignStation and help organize users and control access to certificates. Think of them as divisions in your company structure like Legal, Finance, HR, or Operations. **What You Need:** - List of department names based on your organizational structure Start with at least one department. You can always add more later as your needs grow. Use clear, descriptive names that align with your document signing workflows. 📖 **Learn More:** [Department Management](https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/user-management/department-management) ## Step 3: Create Roles Roles define permission levels and control what users can do within SignStation. Each role contains a set of entitlements (permissions) such as signing documents, managing certificates, creating users, or modifying system settings. **What You Need:** - Understanding of user responsibilities in your organization - Permission structure based on job functions Common roles include Super Admin (full access), Document Signer (basic signing permissions), Certificate Manager (certificate handling), and Department Admin (departmental oversight). Design roles based on job functions rather than individual users for easier management. 📖 **Learn More:** [Role Management](https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/user-management/role-management) ## Step 4: Add Users Once departments and roles are configured, create user accounts for everyone who will access SignStation. Each user is assigned to one or more departments and given a specific role. **What You Need:** - User's full name and email address - Department assignment(s) for each user - Role assignment for each user - Initial passwords (can be set manually or auto-generated) Users must be marked as "Active" to log in. You can choose to set passwords manually or have the system generate secure passwords and email them automatically. 📖 **Learn More:** [User Management](https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/user-management/user-management) ## Step 5: Add Digital Certificates Digital certificates are required to electronically sign documents. Each certificate is linked to a specific department, and users can only access certificates from their assigned departments. **What You Need:** - PFX/P12 certificate files in PKCS12 format - Certificate passwords (passkeys) - Department assignment for each certificate Certificates must be in .pfx or .p12 format, under 5MB, and not expired. Store certificate files and passwords securely, and never share passwords through unencrypted channels. 📖 **Learn More:** [Adding Certificates](https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/certificate-management/adding-certificates) ## Step 6: Configure Settings (Optional) Customize SignStation with additional settings for notifications, security policies, and data retention. **Email Notifications:** Set up SMTP configuration to send notifications for events like user creation, document signing, and certificate expiry warnings. Learn more in [Notification Settings](https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/notifications). **Security Policies:** Configure password requirements including minimum length, complexity rules, and special character requirements. Learn more in [System Settings](https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/system-settings). **Data Retention:** Define how long signed documents, audit trails, and system logs are retained before automatic deletion. ## Verification Checklist Before starting production use, ensure: - [ ] License is uploaded and shows **ACTIVE** status - [ ] At least one department is created - [ ] At least one role is created with appropriate permissions - [ ] Admin user account is created and active - [ ] At least one digital certificate is uploaded and linked to a department - [ ] You can log in successfully with a user account - [ ] You can select a department from the header dropdown - [ ] Email notifications are configured (if required) ## Next Steps Once initial setup is complete, test the signing workflow by signing a test document to ensure everything works correctly. Train your users on how to log in and sign documents, and monitor certificate expiry dates to set up renewal reminders. **Ready to sign your first document?** Head to [Uploading Documents](https://knowledge.leegality.com/sign-station/signing-journey/signing-a-document/uploading-documents) to get started. ## Need Help? If you encounter issues during setup such as license validation errors, certificate upload problems, or user creation failures, contact Leegality support for assistance.