Quick Start Guide

Set up your first permit type and accept applications through the Citizen Portal.

What you'll accomplish

By the end of this guide, you'll have a working permit entity, an application form, and a Permit Menu entry that makes your permit available on the Citizen Portal.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure:

You have administrator access with CREATE and UPDATE permissions on ENTITY resource
You have access to the Entity Manager module
You understand the basic data requirements for your permit type

Step 1: Create the Permit Entity

First, create an entity to store permit application data.

Open Entity Manager

Navigate to Entity Manager from the sidebar.

Create New Entity

Click + New Entity and enter:

Name: building_permit (snake_case, internal identifier)
Label: Building Permit (display name)
Description: "Building permit applications"
Folder: Select or create a "Permitting" folder

Save Entity

Click Create to save your new entity.

Step 2: Add Fields to Your Entity

Add the fields that will capture application data.

Open Your Entity

Click on your new Building Permit entity to open it.

Add Essential Fields

Click + Add Field and create these fields:

Field Label	Type	Key Setting
Permit Number	Text	Required, Unique
Property Address	APO	Required (Address, Parcel, Owner from GIS)
Project Description	Textarea	Required
Estimated Cost	Number	Unit: $, Position: Left
Status	Dropdown	Options: Submitted, Under Review, Approved, Denied
Applicant Name	Text	Required
Applicant Email	Email	Required

Configure Status Field

For the Status dropdown:

Enable Show as Badge
Enable Color-code options
Assign colors (e.g., Orange for Submitted, Blue for Under Review, Green for Approved, Red for Denied)

Start Simple

You can add more fields later. Focus on essential information needed to process an application.

Step 3: Create an Application Form

Build a form that applicants will use to submit applications.

Navigate to Forms

In Entity Manager, click on Forms for your Building Permit entity, then click + New Form.

Configure Form Settings

Click Configure Form (gear icon) and set:

Form Name: "Building Permit Application"
Description: "Submit your building permit application"

Add Form Steps

Create a multi-step form:

Step 1: Applicant Information

Add: Applicant Name, Applicant Email

Step 2: Property Details

Add: Property Address (APO field)

Step 3: Project Information

Add: Project Description, Estimated Cost

Step 4: Review

Click + Add Review Step so applicants can verify their information

Configure Submission Action

In Form Settings → Form Submission Actions, add an action to set Status to "Submitted" when the form is submitted.

Save Form

Click Save to save your form configuration.

Step 4: Create the Permit Menu Entry

The Permit Menu controls what appears on the Citizen Portal.

Open Permit Menu Entity

In Entity Manager, locate or create the Permit Menu entity. This is a system entity that controls portal visibility.

Add New Record

Create a new Permit Menu record with:

Field	Value
Application Type	Building Permit
Entity ID	Select your Building Permit entity
Form ID	Select your Building Permit Application form
Active	Yes

Save Record

Save the Permit Menu record. Your permit type is now visible on the Citizen Portal.

Portal Visibility

Only permit types with active Permit Menu entries appear on the Citizen Portal. You can deactivate entries to temporarily hide permit types.

Step 5: Test Your Setup

Always Test

Before going live, submit a test application to verify everything works correctly.

Open the Citizen Portal

Navigate to your Citizen Portal (typically at your portal URL).

Find Your Permit Type

Locate "Building Permit" in the available permit types and click to start an application.

Submit Test Application

Complete all form steps with test data and submit the application.

Verify in Staff View

Log into the staff portal and verify:

Application record was created
All fields display correctly
Status shows as "Submitted"
APO data populated correctly

Next Steps

You've created your first permit type! Here's what to explore next:

Add Automation

Set up automatic notifications and status changes.

Configure Fees

Add permit fees and payment collection.

AI Evaluation

Set up AI-powered document processing.

Configure Access

Set up roles and permissions for staff.

Quick Reference

Task	Location
Create/edit entities	Entity Manager → Select entity
Create/edit forms	Entity Manager → Entity → Forms
Manage portal visibility	Permit Menu entity
Configure automations	Automation Builder
Set up fees	Fee Definitions

Need Help?

If you run into issues:

Check the specific configuration guide for the feature you're working with
Review the Entity Builder Guide for field configuration details
See the Form Builder Guide for form setup help
Contact support for additional assistance