The Setup Assistant helps you create a project in just a few steps, so you can start tracking progress in Sablono right away 🚀.
This is the recommended way for new users to get started quickly.
⚠️ Note for experienced users: The Setup Assistant has some current limitations. If you need to set up complex projects, reuse templates or maintain your project via Excel, check Limitations and when not to use the Setup Assistant before proceeding.
If you are new to Sablono and would like to understand the core concepts first, check our article What are Deliverables, Activities, Workflow Templates and Checklists?
Part 1: Getting started with the Setup Assistant
Open the Setup Assistant
When creating a new project, you will land on the main page. From here you can either:
Import your project tracker, or
Build your tracker using the Setup Assistant.
Click Use the Setup Assistant to begin.
Step 1 – Define your project type
First, enter some general information and select the type of work you want to track:
Apartment Fitout
Solar Panels
PODs
Other
If you choose one of the first three options, Sablono will generate a set of Deliverables (work areas) and a Workflow (activities) based on standard industry practices. You can customise them later.
If you select Other, a generic structure will be created for you to edit.
Step 2 – Add your Deliverables
Deliverables are the work areas of your project. These will appear as rows in your tracker.
You can add Deliverables by:
Clicking the + button and pasting a list of Deliverables from Excel or another document.
Clicking Add apartments now to insert a set of sample Deliverables (ideal if you are just exploring).
You will see a preview of your Deliverables before moving to the next step.
👉 Not sure what Deliverables are? Learn more in our article What are Deliverables, Activities, Workflow Templates and Checklists?.
Step 3 – Define your Workflow
The Workflow is the list of activities to be completed for each Deliverable. These will appear as columns in your tracker.
You can add Activities by:
Clicking the + button and pasting your list manually.
Selecting Use Standard Workflow to auto-populate with generic activities based on the project type chosen in Step 1.
Step 4 – Finalise your Tracker
Finally, decide if you are planning to track progress on your own or want to use this Tracker for demo purposes.
You have two options:
Track progress on your own → This will create an empty Tracker without demo progress.
Include Demo progress → This will add demo progress to your Tracker, as if your team had already been using it.
Note: If you choose demo progress, you can still reset it later — but this must be done from the Deliverables Page. See our tutorial How to reset activities for step-by-step instructions.
Refine and use your tracker
Once you complete the three steps, your Activity Tracker will be ready.
You can start tracking progress immediately or make further edits:
Edit Deliverables: Click on any deliverable, and then on the pencil icon to change its name or structure. Or go to the Deliverables Page to remove Deliverables, set dates, or hide/unhide activities.
Workflow Template Page: Adjust activity names, teams, durations, and dependencies.
Part 2: Limitations and when not to use the Setup Assistant
The Setup Assistant might not always the right tool if you have advanced requirements.
Current limitations
Random Codes: Deliverable Codes cannot be generated or maintained.
Excel maintenance: once the project is created, you cannot re-import or maintain Deliverables/Activities via Excel imports.
Re-use of templates: you cannot copy or assign Workflow Templates used in previous projects.
Demo progress reset: Demo progress cannot be removed directly in the Setup Assistant. To reset, go to the Deliverables Page, select the Deliverables, then choose Configure activities > Reset activities to not started.
Advanced features need to be configured outside the Setup Assistant, such as:
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)
Teams
QA Checklists
Dependencies & durations
You might want to use the known methods of importing data:
Import a Excel Tracker to Sablono
Import a list of Deliverables from Excel, then create and assign a Workflow Template
When to skip the Setup Assistant
You may want to bypass the Setup Assistant and use the standard Deliverables and Workflow Template pages if:
You require full control over project codes and IDs.
You want to reuse existing structures or templates.
You need to configure WBS, teams, or QA requirements from the start.
👉 In these cases, build your project manually using the Deliverables and Workflow Template pages.
What’s next
We will continue improving the Setup Assistant so you can customise even more directly within these steps. For now, some edits may still require using the Deliverables or Workflow Template pages.
If you have any questions or need help while creating your project, our Customer Support team is here to help.