Getting Started with CrowdWork
A Quick Start Guide for Theatres
🎭 Your CrowdWork Playbill
A guide to tonight's features. Running Time: ~15 minutes
💡 Stage Direction: Click any item to jump to that section!
Welcome to CrowdWork!
Let's get your theatre up and running with our platform. This guide breaks down the essentials into bite-sized pieces - tackle them one at a time at your own pace. Go from zero to ticket sales in 15 minutes!
Initial Setup
🎟️ Create Your Account & Enable Payments
Navigation: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details
Create your free account at crowdwork.com
Enter your theatre details and timezone
Connect your Square account for payment processing
Don't have Square? Create a free account
Instant deposits to your account
Simple pricing: $1 per ticket + standard card processing
Free tickets and cash sales have no fees
💡 Pro Tip: Want step-by-step instructions? Check out our complete setup guide.
🎨 Customize Your Theatre
Navigation: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details
Upload your logo
Add your address
Set default event descriptions
Configure sales windows
Set global blackout dates
Need a little more detail? Visit our complete customization guide.
📱 Set Up Our POS Mobile App
Navigation: Dashboard → Theatre → Point-of-Sale
Get our free POS app to manage in-person sales and check-ins:
Download the CrowdWork POS app (if it says "Fourth Wall Tickets" don't worry, that's our old name and it just hasn't updated in the app stores yet!)
Quick Setup
Sign in with your CrowdWork account
Connect a Square card reader (optional)
You're ready to sell!
Key Features
Sell tickets in person
Accept credit cards or cash
Scan and check in ticket holders
View real-time sales data
Process refunds
💡 Pro Tip: Perfect for front-of-house staff! Create user accounts with limited box office access.
Creating Events
🎭 Create Shows
Navigation: Dashboard → Shows → + Add New Show
Example: One-Time Shows
Perfect for special events, guest artists, or single performances
Select "Once" from Occurs dropdown
Set show date and time
Choose pricing:
Single price for all tickets
Multiple price tiers
Pay what you want option
Example: Weekly Shows
Ideal for regular performances or recurring events
Select "Weekly"
Set first show date/time
Optionally set end date
Add any blackout dates
Example: Monthly Shows
Great for regular showcases or monthly specials
Select "Monthly"
Choose week position (First/Second/Third/Fourth/Last)
Pick day of week
Set time
Want more scheduling options? See our complete scheduling guide.
📚 Create Classes
Navigation: Dashboard → Classes → + Add New Class
Example: Multi-Session Classes
Perfect for workshops, training programs, or series
Check "Dates are purchased as a grouped package"
Add all session dates
Set program pricing
Optionally add capacity limits
Example: Drop-in Classes
Ideal for ongoing classes with flexible attendance
Set up as recurring events
Keep individual date purchase enabled
Configure pricing per session
Optional: Set capacity limits
One-Off Workshops
Perfect for guest teachers, special topics, or introductory sessions
Select "Once" from Occurs dropdown
Set single date and time
Choose pricing structure:
Single price for all students
Multiple tiers (e.g., Early Bird, Regular)
Optional: Set capacity limit and sales window
Need class management inspiration? Visit our class creation guide.
Advanced Features
💰 Pricing Strategies
Navigation: Dashboard → Shows/Classes → Edit Show/Class
Multiple Price Tiers
Select "Multiple Prices" when creating event
Add tiers (e.g., General, Student, VIP)
Set price and capacity for each
Optional: Add passwords for restricted tiers
Pay What You Want
Enable "Pay What You Want" pricing
Set suggested price (optional)
Define minimum amount (optional)
Sales Windows
Control when tickets become available:
Set "Sales start at" date/time
Set "Sales end at" date/time
Leave blank to use theatre defaults
🏷️ Discount Codes
Navigation: Dashboard → Discount Codes → + Create New Discount
Navigate to Discount Codes section
Click "Create New Discount"
Choose discount type:
Percentage off
Fixed amount off
Free tickets
Set usage limits:
Total uses
Uses per customer
Valid dates
💡 Pro Tip: Start simple and add complexity as needed. You can always update settings later! When you need more guidance, see our full Discount Codes page.
🧑🎨 Giving Your Staff Access
Navigation: Dashboard → Users
Perfect for setting up your team with appropriate system access:
Invite Staff Members
Enter staff email address
Click "Invite User"
They'll receive account creation email
Assign Role Levels
Box Office: For front desk, ticket checking
Producer: Show management and customer data
Instructor: Class management only
Manager: Full access except financials
Admin: Complete system access
💡 Pro Tip: Start staff with minimal access - you can always upgrade their role later! For more details on roles and permissions, see our full Managing Staff guide.
📖 Helpful Links
Quick links to a few pages you might find handy...
🗺️ Navigation Quick Reference
The quickest way to find what you need...
Class & Show Management
Create Show/Class: Dashboard → Shows/Classes → + Add New Show/Class
Edit Show/Class: Dashboard → Shows/Classes → [Event Name] → Edit 🥕 Read More: Creating a Show or Class
View Class Registrations (2 options):
Dashboard → Classes → [Class Name] → Registrations are in the table at the bottom → Click ••• next to an order for more options
Dashboard → Registrations → At the top, Filter by Class/Dates/ID → Click ••• next to an order for more options
Moving Customers/Students to a Different Class/Show: Dashboard → Customers/Students → [Person Name] → Edit → Click ✏️ next to an order 🥕 Read More: Managing Exchanges
View Sales Totals: Dashboard → Shows/Classes → [Event Name] → Top of Page has Sales Info
Get Email Notifications when a Class/Show is Purchased or Sells-Out: Dashboard → Notifications → + Create New Notification 🥕 Read More: Setting Up Notifications
Customer Service Tasks (Exchanges & Refunds)
Switch Student to a Different Class: Dashboard → Students → [Student Name] → Edit Student → Click ✏️ next to registration
Exchange a Ticket: Dashboard → Customers → [Customer Name] → Edit Customer → Click ✏️ next to ticket 🥕 Read More: Managing Exchanges
Issue a Refund: Dashboard → Customers/Students → [Person Name] → Edit → Click ••• next to order → Issue Refund 🥕 Read More: Issuing Refunds
Customer Information (Orders, Profiles & Custom Checkout Fields)
Collect Phone Numbers from Students/Customers: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Checkout Options → Collect Phone Numbers
Collect Email Newsletters Subscriptions During Checkout: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Checkout Options → Collect Newsletter Opt-Ins
Collect Additional Info During Checkout: Dashboard → Checkout Fields → Edit Fields → + Add New Checkout Field 🥕 Read More: Custom Checkout Fields
View Data Collected During Checkout (3 options):
Dashboard → Checkout Fields → Submissions
Dashboard → Customers/Students → [Person Name] → Edit → Click ••• next to order → View Custom Submission
Dashboard → Shows/Classes → [Event Name] → Click ••• next to an order → View Custom Submission
View Customer/Student Profile Details: Dashboard → Customers/Students → [Person Name] → Profile Details at the top
View Customer/Student Purchase History: Dashboard → Customers/Students → [Person Name] → Orders in the bottom table
Email Features (Activity Notifications, Custom Email Text, etc.)
Add an Opt-in for Email Newsletters During Checkout: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Checkout Options → Collect Newsletter Opt-Ins
Add Custom Information to all Emails: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Global Show/Class Descriptions
Add Event-Specific Email Text: Dashboard → Classes/Shows → [Event Name] → Edit button → scroll down to Confirmation Email section
Get Email Notifications on New Purchases or Sold-Out Events: Dashboard → Notifications → + Create New / Edit an Existing Notification
Find a Customer/Student Email Address: Dashboard → Customers/Students → [Person Name] → Profile Details at the top
Get all Customer/Student Email Addresses: Dashboard → Customers/Students → (optionally use the Filters) → Export CSV button
Get all Customer/Student Email Addresses for a Specific Show/Class: Dashboard → Tickets/Registrations → Filter by Event/Date → Export CSV button
Financial Tools (Fees, Reports, Square, Discounts, Donations)
Accepting Donations: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Edit Details button → Checkout Options → Collect Donations
Change How Fees are Handled:` Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Edit Details button → Fees → How would you like service fees handled?
Change Square Account: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Update Connected Square Account button 🥕 Read More: Connecting Your Square Account
View Reports: Dashboard → Analytics
Offer Discount Codes: Dashboard → Discount Codes 🥕 Read More: Setting Up Discount Codes
Offer Payment Plans: Dashboard → Payment Plans → Manage Plans → + Create New Plan button 🥕 Read More: Payment Plans
Marketing Tools (Email Lists, Discounts, Gift Cards, Website Embeds)
Embed Full Calendar of All Shows or Classes on My Website: Dashboard → Theatre → Embeds → Shows or Classes section → Copy calendar widget code
Embed Calendar of Some Shows/Classes on My Website: Dashboard → Theatre → Embeds → Shows or Classes section → Filter by Tags → Copy calendar widget code 🥕 Read More: Embedding Widgets
Sales, Promos and Discount Codes: Dashboard → Discount Codes 🥕 Read More: Setting Up Discount Codes
Add an Opt-in for My Email List During Checkout: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Checkout Options → Collect Newsletter Opt-Ins
Get Email List of all Customers/Students: Dashboard → Customers/Students → (optionally use the Filters) → Export CSV button
Get Email List of Customers/Students for a Specific Show/Class: Dashboard → Tickets/Registrations → Filter by Event/Date → Export CSV button
What is the Direct Link to My CrowdWork Website: Dashboard → Public Links → Shows/Classes
Notifications (Purchase & Sold-Out Alerts)
Get Notified When Someone Makes a Purchase: Dashboard → Notifications → + Create New Notification → Select "Purchase" trigger
Get Alerts When an Event Sells Out: Dashboard → Notifications → + Create New Notification → Select "Sold Out" trigger 🥕 Read More: Setting Up Notifications
Theatre Settings (Your Account Details, Fees, Your Links)
Change My Theatre Name/Email/Logo/other: Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Edit Details button
Change My Theatre Subdomain: Contact Support for help on this.
Change How Fees are Handled:` Dashboard → Theatre → Theatre Details → Edit Details button → Fees → How would you like service fees handled? 🥕 Read More: Customizing Your Theatre Settings
What is the Link to My Shows/Classes Website: Dashboard → Public Links → Shows/Classes
Website Integration (Embed Calendars or Cards on Your Website)
Embed Full Calendar of All Shows or Classes: Dashboard → Theatre → Embeds → Shows or Classes section → Copy calendar widget code
Embed Calendar of Some Shows/Classes: Dashboard → Theatre → Embeds → Shows or Classes section → Filter by Tags → Copy calendar widget code 🥕 Read More: Embedding Widgets
Getting Help
Need help? Our support team is always here for you! Contact Support through your Dashboard or email support@crowdwork.com
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