Use the getting started guide

The getting started guide is a small panel inside OutPhish that takes you through setting up, one step at a time.

It opens by itself the first time you sign in. After that it waits as a round ? button in the bottom-right corner of the screen. The number on the button is the step you’re up to. Click the button to open the guide, and click the minimise button (–) to put it away again. The top of the panel shows how far through you are, for example “Step 2 of 7”.

The guide appears for people who manage the organisation, such as the person who signed up (Organization Admin role). Each person’s progress is saved with their own login.

Note

IT providers (MSPs) see a different set of steps, for setting up their details and clients. MSP admins get that guide; technicians don’t get a guide. See How MSP accounts work.

The seven steps

1. Add Your First Team Member

Add yourself as a staff member first, so you can see exactly what your staff will see. The guide fills in your email and name for you. Click Add Myself and you’re taken to the Staff page.

The guide moves on as soon as you add a staff member, whether you use the guide, the Staff page or a CSV import. See Add staff.

Tip

You count as a staff member for your plan, just like everyone else on the Staff page. See Staff and your plan.

2. Choose Your Email Platform

Tell OutPhish whether your staff use Microsoft 365 (Outlook) or Google Workspace (Gmail). Test emails and fake sign-in pages then look like the ones your staff see every day, and only matching email templates are used.

Click Go to Campaigns. The Email platform box is highlighted. Choose Office365 or Google, then click Save changes. Choose Both only if your staff really use both: test emails and sign-in pages are then mixed, so a Microsoft-style email can lead to a Google-style sign-in page. See Schedule tests.

The guide moves on when you save Campaigns, even if the platform was already right. You can also click Next Tip.

On the trial, this step is called Your Email Platform. Your account uses Microsoft 365, and changing it needs a paid plan.

3. Review Your Email Templates

Before tests go to your staff, read through the ready-made email templates and turn off any you’re not comfortable with. Every business draws the line in a different place, for example on fake pay, HR or parcel emails.

Click Review Templates to open Campaigns → Advanced → Email templates. Themes that could upset staff, like job losses, stay off unless you turn them on. When you’re done, click I’ve Reviewed Them to move on. See Choose email templates.

On the trial you can read the templates, but choosing them needs a Standard plan.

4. Send a Test Email

Send yourself a test to see OutPhish in action. Click Go to Staff Page. The Send test email buttons (envelope icons) are highlighted. Click the one next to your name. Check your inbox, and your junk or spam folder, in a few minutes.

The guide moves on when you send the test. See Send a test now.

5. Configure Your Organisation

Add details about your organisation to make test emails more realistic and relevant. Click Go to Settings. Opening the Settings page moves the guide on.

In Settings you can have OutPhish research your organisation for you with Research with AI. On the trial, this needs a Standard plan. See Organisation settings.

6. Switch On Scheduled Tests

Nothing goes to your staff automatically until you turn on Scheduling in Campaigns and save. Tests then arrive at random times in each period you choose.

First, ask whoever runs your email to allow OutPhish’s sending servers, so tests aren’t blocked. See Allow OutPhish emails. Then click Go to Campaigns, switch on Scheduling and click Save changes. See Schedule tests.

The guide moves on when you switch Scheduling on and save. You can also click Next Tip to move on without doing it.

On the trial, this step is called Scheduled Tests. It explains that scheduled tests come with a paid plan, and has a See Plans button.

7. View Your Reports

Click View Reports to see who opened test emails, who clicked links and who needs more training. See Read your reports.

Click Finish the guide to close it for good.

On the trial, this step is called You’re Ready! and has an Upgrade for Full Features button. See Subscription and billing.

How the guide moves on

Some steps move on by themselves when you do the task. Others have a button to click when you’re ready (I’ve Reviewed Them or Next Tip).

The guide only notices a task while it’s showing that step. For example, if you sent a test before you reached step 4, send another one to move on.

Skip the guide

1. Open the guide and click Skip the guide at the bottom of the panel.
2. Click Skip.

The guide disappears until you restart it.

Restart the guide

1. Go to Settings.
2. Under Getting Started Tutorial, click Reset Tutorial.

The page reloads and the guide starts again from step 1.