--- url: /gst-manager-whmcs/features/setup-wizard.md description: >- A step-by-step walkthrough of GST Manager's guided 7-step Setup Wizard — what you'll see and what to do at each step to get GST-compliant invoicing working on a fresh install. --- # Setup Wizard The first time you open **Addons → GST Manager** on a fresh, licensed install, GST Manager drops you into a guided **7-step Setup Wizard**. This page walks you through it — what each step asks for and what to do — so you can go from a blank install to GST-compliant invoicing in one sitting. The wizard takes over the whole GST Manager area until you finish or skip it, so a new install can't accidentally be left half-configured. ![Setup Wizard step in the WHMCS admin](/gst-manager-whmcs/img/gst-setup-wizard-step.png) *Addons → GST Manager → Setup Wizard* ::: info First, a little vocabulary **GST** is India's Goods and Services Tax. Your **GSTIN** is the 15-character GST registration number for your business. **IGST / CGST / SGST** are the inter-state / central / state components of GST. **SAC** codes classify services for tax; **Purpose Codes** (from the RBI) classify export payments. You'll meet each of these as you go. ::: ## Before you start Make sure you've **entered your license key** first (**Settings → License**) — the wizard only opens once the license is active. Have your **GSTIN**, registered state, and business details (PAN, and CIN or LLPIN if you have one) to hand; that's everything you'll be asked for. ## Working through the wizard Move through the steps left to right. Each screen explains what it changes; here's what to do on each. ### Step 1 — License Nothing to enter here — the wizard just confirms your license is active and shows its type. Read it and click **Continue**. ### Step 2 — WHMCS prerequisites GST Manager depends on a few WHMCS settings (Proforma Invoicing, sequential invoice numbering, tax support, the client Tax ID field, per-line-item tax calculation, and taxable item types). Rather than making you hunt through WHMCS configuration, this step checks them all and **fixes every one with a single button** — click it, confirm they're green, and continue. This is the biggest time-saver in the wizard. ### Step 3 — GSTIN & tax rules Enter your **GSTIN** and pick your **registered state**. When you continue, GST Manager generates the tax rules for you: **IGST at 18%**, and **CGST 9% + SGST 9%** for your state. This is the one step you can't skip (see below). ### Step 4 — Company identity Enter the **phone, email, PAN and CIN/LLPIN** that should print in your invoice footer. Don't leave the samples in place — see the warning below. ### Step 5 — SAC & Purpose codes Set the default **SAC code** and **RBI Purpose code** for each service type (hosting, upgrades, domains, addons). These are stamped onto invoice line items; you can fine-tune them later with [Item Rules](/gst-manager-whmcs/features/item-rules). ### Step 6 — Bank & export details Add your **bank/remittance details** (you can set different details per currency), plus the **export/FEMA declarations** and **export invoice numbering** used for non-Indian customers. ### Step 7 — Invoice templates Finally, deploy the GST invoice templates into your WHMCS theme(s). Any existing template files are **backed up first**, so this is safe to run. Click **Finish Setup** and you're done. ## Only the GSTIN step is mandatory **Step 3 is the only step you must complete.** A valid **15-character GSTIN** and a registered state are required — without them GST Manager can't build correct tax rules. Type an invalid GSTIN and it's flagged in **red** at the top of the step until you fix it. Every other step has a **Skip for now** link, and there's a **Skip setup** escape hatch throughout. If you choose it, you'll be warned: > *Skip the setup wizard? GST Manager will not work correctly until these settings are configured > under System Setup.* ::: warning Don't leave the sample details on real invoices Steps 4–6 ship with placeholders (for example `+91-1234567890` and PAN `ABCDE1234F`) so the screens aren't blank. **If you skip step 4, those samples will print on real customer invoices.** Always enter your own details before sending invoices. ::: ## You can stop and come back You don't have to finish in one go. The wizard measures completion against your **actual settings**, not which steps you clicked — anything you set under **System Setup** (or templates you sync from **Global Settings → Sync Status**) counts as done. The setup banner on the dashboard only lists what's genuinely missing, and disappears on its own once nothing is. For **step 7**, only your **active** theme matters. To pick up later, go to **Global Settings → Setup Wizard**, which shows what's configured and offers: * **Continue Setup** — reopens at the first unfinished step, keeping everything you've done. * **Start Over From Step 1** — walks the whole wizard again. Neither resets anything — every field is pre-filled with your current values, so you're reviewing rather than re-typing. ::: tip Upgrades won't re-trigger the wizard The wizard only runs on a fresh install. **Upgrading an existing installation does not trigger it**, so your configuration stays exactly as you left it. ::: ## Where to go next * [Configuration](/gst-manager-whmcs/configuration) — adjust anything the wizard set, under System Setup * [Item Rules](/gst-manager-whmcs/features/item-rules) — SAC & Purpose codes per product * [Tax reports](/gst-manager-whmcs/features/tax-reports) — GSTR-1 and export CSVs at filing time * Back to the [overview](/gst-manager-whmcs/)