GuideGetting StartedGetting Started
Getting Started

Getting Started

This is the page to bookmark before you touch anything else. It covers creating your account, choosing how you sign in, picking the account type that matches how you work, and logging your very first entry.

From sign-up to visible work

The path every new workspace follows in its first day.

Create account

Sign up, verify your email, pick Freelancer or Agency.

Choose sign-in

Password, Google, or email code — your call.

Log your first entry

One sentence, 30 seconds.

Invite your team

Bring in teammates once you have something to show them.

Create Your Account

One sign-up creates your account and your first workspace together.

Why it exists

Every log, project, and client in Shipmark belongs to a workspace. Signing up creates your user account and a starter workspace in the same step, so there's no separate 'create an org' flow to get through first.

When to use it

Before anything else — this is always step one.

  1. 1

    Go to the registration page

    Enter your name, email address, and a password.

  2. 2

    Verify your email

    Enter the 6-digit code we send you to confirm the address is yours.

  3. 3

    Choose your account type

    Freelancer or Agency — see the next section for what changes.

  4. 4

    You're in

    You land straight in your new workspace, ready to log your first entry.

Pro Tip

No credit card is required to sign up — the Free plan is free indefinitely, not a trial.

Pro Tip

Didn't get the verification email? Check spam, then use Resend — the previous code stops working the moment a new one is sent.

Choose How You Sign In

Password, Google, or a one-time email code — pick whichever fits.

Why it exists

Not everyone wants to manage another password, and not everyone has (or wants) a Google account tied to their work. Shipmark treats all three sign-in methods as equally secure and interchangeable.

When to use it

At sign-up, and again any time you log in afterward.

  1. 1

    Password

    The classic option — set one during registration, change it anytime from your profile.

  2. 2

    Google

    One click, no password to remember. Using it on a new email creates your account automatically.

  3. 3

    Email one-time code

    Enter your email, get a 6-digit code, sign in without a password at all.

Pro Tip

All three methods land you in the exact same account — mix and match freely, there is no "Google-only" second-class account.

Pro Tip

Forgot your password? Use the one-time email code instead of going through a reset flow.

Freelancer vs. Agency

One setting that shapes which settings you see — not a pricing tier.

Why it exists

Agency unlocks workspace-wide settings a solo Freelancer doesn't need — like shared billing branding. It has nothing to do with the Free/Pro plan, which is priced and limited the same way for both.

When to use it

Chosen at sign-up, changeable later from Settings if your business grows.

Pro Tip

Starting solo? Pick Freelancer — you can switch to Agency the day you bring on a second person.

Pro Tip

Neither account type caps your team size — Free and Pro both allow unlimited team members on either plan.

Your First Log

The 30-second habit that makes everything else in Shipmark useful.

Why it exists

A log is Shipmark's core input — three pieces of information (what, how long, what kind of work) are what every dashboard, report, and client-facing timeline is built from.

When to use it

As you finish something, or at the end of a work session.

  1. 1

    Click "+ New Log"

    Available from the dashboard or the My Logs page.

  2. 2

    Type what you did in plain English

    Natural-language quick logging reads a sentence and fills in the work type, duration, and title for you.

  3. 3

    Fix anything it guessed wrong

    Every field stays editable — quick log is a head start, not a black box.

  4. 4

    Save

    It appears instantly in your log history, ready to roll into reports and dashboards.

app.shipmark.io/logs
My Work Logs
Today · 3 entries · 2h 25m logged
+ Add Log
Auth flow refactorFeature
Rewrote token refresh logic
45m
Fix race condition in queueBug Fix
Added mutex lock to job runner
1h 20m
PR #204 reviewedCode Review
Left 6 comments, approved
20m

Pro Tip

Logs can be created retroactively — if you forgot to log yesterday, back-date it instead of skipping it.

Pro Tip

A sentence like "fixed the login bug, took about 45 minutes" is enough for quick log to build a full entry.

Best practices

  • Log as you finish something, not at the end of the week — memory of exactly what you did fades within a day.
  • Use natural-language quick logging for your first few weeks until the work-type categories become second nature.
  • Pick your theme (light or dark) on day one from Settings — it's a small thing, but you'll be looking at this screen daily.

Troubleshooting

Check your spam folder first. If it's not there, use "Resend code" on the verification screen — sending a new one invalidates the old one, so always use the latest.
Google sign-in isn't enabled on every Shipmark instance yet. Use your password or a one-time email code instead in the meantime.

Frequently asked questions

No. The Free plan requires no payment details and stays free for as long as you use Shipmark within its limits — it is not a time-limited trial.
Yes, anytime from Settings. It changes which settings and navigation items you see — it does not affect your plan, pricing, or existing data.
A password is optional. If you sign up with Google and never set one, your account simply has no password — Google and the email one-time code stay fully available either way.

Need more help?

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