Getting started

Account setup

From sign-up to first intake in under 10 minutes. This guide walks you through creating your org, configuring the basics, and inviting your team.

Admin

Step 1 -- create your account

  1. 1
    Go to fosterling.io/login and click Sign up. Enter your email and a password, or continue with Google.
  2. 2
    Check your email for a confirmation link and click it. You'll be redirected into the onboarding flow.

Step 2 -- set up your rescue org

  1. 1
    On the onboarding screen, enter your rescue's name. This is the display name your team and fosters will see.
  2. 2
    Choose your org type. Most rescues use Rescue. Options: Solo foster, Rescue, Sanctuary, Shelter, Network, Animal Welfare Fund.
  3. 3
    Work through the rest of the setup wizard -- location, public presence, donations, and team invites. Your location is used for lost & found geo-matching and isn't shown publicly unless you publish a microsite.
  4. 4
    Click Go live to finish. Your org starts on the free Solo plan -- no trial, no card required. Upgrade any time from Settings > Billing once you outgrow it.

Step 3 -- invite your team

  1. 1
    From the dashboard, go to Settings > Team & volunteers.
  2. 2
    Click Invite member. Enter their email address and choose a role: Admin, Coordinator, Vet, or Volunteer.
  3. 3
    Click Send invite. They'll receive an email with a link to create their account and join your rescue.
You can invite as many team members as you like on any plan. Role permissions control what each person can see and edit -- see Team & roles for the capability breakdown.

Step 4 -- configure the essentials

Before your first intake, it's worth spending 5 minutes on these settings:

  • Org profileSettings > Organization -- add your contact info, location, and species focus, then set your logo and public page under Settings > Branding & microsite. These appear on your public page and adopter emails.
  • FormsSettings > Forms -- customize the public surrender, adoption, and volunteer form fields to match what your rescue collects.
  • Email senderSettings > Organization -- set the "From" name used in adopter and foster emails.

Step 5 -- log your first animal

Go to Animals and click New intake. See the Intake guide for a full walkthrough. Your trial is live -- dive in.

Do I need a credit card to sign up?
No. Your org starts on the free Solo plan automatically -- no trial, no card. Upgrade whenever you're ready from Settings > Billing.
Can I import data from another system?
Contact support and we'll walk you through a CSV import for animals and donors. Direct migration from Shelterluv, PetPoint, or Chameleon is something we can discuss.
I signed up with Google and want to add a password. How?
Go to Settings > Your profile and use the 'Change password' section.
Can I change the org name later?
Yes -- go to Settings > Organization and edit the name. Your public page URL (e.g. fosterling.io/r/your-slug) is a separate slug you can edit any time from Settings > Branding & microsite -- just update any shared links after changing it.