# Sign in to admin

Admin is the staff area at `/admin`. Customers use a different area, the portal. You sign in on the same page.

## Open the sign-in page

Go to `https://YOUR-DOMAIN/sign-in`.

![Sign-in page for Brightside Studio, with numbered markers on email, password, and Sign in](./assets/sign-in.webp)

Orange numbers on the screenshot:

1. Type your email
2. Type your password
3. Press **Sign in**

You can also press **Email me a sign-in code instead**, then enter the code from your inbox. If you forget your password, use **Forgot it?**

On a phone:

![Sign-in page on a phone, with the Sign in button marked](./assets/sign-in-mobile.webp)

## Who can get in

Staff are people on the staff list. The first owner is invited when the site is set up. After that, the owner invites others from admin → **Staff**.

Customers only reach `/portal` if the customer portal is on and someone invited them. See [Customer sign-in](./customer-portal.md).

After sign-in:

- Staff land in [admin](./admin.md)
- Customers land in the portal
- Someone who is both is treated as staff first

If you see “no access”, you are signed in but not on the staff list and not invited as a customer. Ask the owner to invite you.

## Change your password

In admin, open **My account**. Press **Change password**. Use at least 10 characters.

![My account in admin, with Change password marked](./assets/admin-account.webp)

## First things to check

1. Look at the left-hand menu. Items like Schedule, Memberships, and Payments only appear when that tool is on.
2. Open **Customers**. Add a person, or convert a won [lead](./leads.md).
3. Do not send real buyers to checkout until [Stripe setup](./stripe.md) is done on **your** Stripe account.

Until Stripe keys exist, local and preview deploys pretend to take payment. Nothing is charged. Production pay links say online payment is not set up. Staff can still [record cash and checks](./payments.md).