Navigating and Configuring Free CRM – FreeCRM Support

This document explains the main areas of Free CRM, how to navigate the interface, and how to configure essential settings such as time zone, appearance, users, communications, billing, custom fields, AI, and integrations so your team can start working effectively.

Step 1: Review the Dashboard Overview

When you first log in to Free CRM, you land on the dashboard. This is a customizable view of key information about your company, including:

Number of contacts, companies, deals, open tasks, and support cases
Recent activity and recent deals
Call queue and deal pipeline
SMS and WhatsApp messages
Recent companies
Form submissions

The dashboard is designed to give you a quick pulse of everything happening in your business.

Step 2: Explore the Main Navigation Areas

Use the left-hand navigation menu to access the core modules:

Contacts – Primarily used for B2C workflows.
Companies – Primarily used for B2B workflows.
Calendar – A multi-user calendar that syncs with Google.

Step 3: Manage Deals and Pipelines

Open the Deals area to manage all of your sales activity and pipelines. Here you can:

Track deals through each stage of your sales process
Use a Kanban-style board to visualize deal progress
Set sales targets
Customize pipelines and create multiple pipelines for different products, teams, or regions

Step 4: Work with Tasks and Support Cases

Use the Tasks and Cases modules to manage follow-ups and support:

Tasks – Use for to-dos and action items that may not have a specific calendar date/time (e.g., internal follow-ups, preparation work, customer tasks related to deals or support tickets).
Cases – Use for customer support and trouble ticket management; most support staff will work here.
Deals – Sales staff will primarily work in the Deals area.

Step 5: Track Calls and Configure VoIP

Go to the Calls section to track all calling activities within the CRM:

Free CRM includes integrated VoIP calling with click‑to‑call directly from the system.
No separate telephony application is required.
You must add funds for telecommunication usage (SMS and phone calls); rates are kept inexpensive.

Step 6: Use Email for Direct Communication

Open the Email area to manage email communication:

View your inbox within Free CRM.
Send one‑off emails easily from the system.
Connect and use multiple email systems if needed (e.g., different mailboxes or providers).

Step 7: Manage Documents and Use Them in Campaigns

Use the Documents (document management) module to:

Upload documents of any kind (proposals, contracts, marketing collateral, etc.)
Share documents with your team
Attach and include documents within campaigns and communications

Step 8: Create and Run Campaigns

Open the Campaigns area to manage marketing and outreach:

Create and run multiple campaigns, including drip (automated) campaigns
Set up content templates for emails and other messages
Use variables to personalize messages with CRM data (e.g., contact names, company info, deal details)

When you send large volumes of messages, each one is customized using information from the CRM.

Step 9: Build Forms and Customer Surveys

Go to the Forms section to create:

Highly customizable forms and customer surveys
Forms that can be embedded or included in emails and sent out to customers or leads

Step 10: Analyze Data with Reports

Open the Reports area to access the reporting engine:

Build and run powerful reports on contacts, deals, activities, campaigns, and more
Use reports to measure performance and identify trends across your CRM data

Step 11: Configure Products and Invoicing

Go to the Products section to:

List all of your products and services
Use the built‑in custom invoicing features to generate invoices tied to your products and services

Step 12: Open the Settings Menu

Use the top navigation bar for additional options. On the top right, click your name icon to open the main menu, then select Settings:

This is the primary area to set up system‑wide and personal preferences.
Additional options are available in this menu and can be explored later.

Step 13: Set Time Zone and Personal Preferences

Within Settings, first configure your personal and general preferences:

Set your time zone (critical for correct scheduling and logging).
Choose how many rows to display per page (e.g., 200 rows per page).
Set your locale/region.
Configure your default countries list.
Customize your calendar behavior and homepage settings.

Step 14: Adjust Appearance and Company Settings

Still in Settings, configure how the system looks and your company information:

Appearance – Select from multiple visual skins/themes for the interface.
Company Settings – Set your company name, upload your company logo, and enter your headquarters address.

Step 15: Manage Users and Mail Accounts

Use the administrative sections in Settings to manage access and email:

Users – Add and manage all coworkers who can access the CRM, and control their permissions.
Mail Accounts – Set up mail accounts or configure direct connections with Google.
- Supports IMAP and SMTP mail accounts
- Supports Google and Microsoft 365 integrations for email

Step 16: Configure Booking Pages and Scheduling

In Settings, locate the Booking Page/Scheduling feature:

Use the built‑in scheduling system (similar to Calendly or cal.com).
Create booking pages and share links with customers and leads.
Include booking links in emails sent directly from the CRM for easy appointment scheduling.