Overview of General Settings
July 26, 2024
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The Settings window of Mango allows you to configure what options are available in various lists and reports, control your defaults for new records, enable integration with other applications, and otherwise customize your experience.
Initial Setup
Before you start using Mango, there are settings that need to be initially configured. You should customize your settings for Time & Expense, Invoices, Activities, and Billable Expenses before you add any time or expense records. It’s also highly recommended that you review the Lists and Rate Templates to verify the options there. Before creating any invoices, review your settings for Invoices.
Administrators will also want to Manage Roles before adding any additional users, and set security options in Other settings. Additionally, they can enable QuickBooks and MangoShare Integration.
General Settings in Mango
Mangos’s Settings are divided into tabs related to specific features:
- Time & Expenses
- Invoices
- Activities
- Billable Expenses
- Lists
- Banks
- Rate Templates
- Notifications
- QB Integration
- MangoShare Integration
- Utilities
- Client Portal
- Manage Roles
- Other
Time & Expenses
This tab includes required settings
This tab includes common options for billable transactions, including the option to Auto Approve Time and Expense records. If you are required to collect Sales Tax, you can activate that setting here and configure your rates. You can also set Billing Increments and configure the Timer options here.
Additional information can be found in the Time & Expense Settings article.
Invoices
This tab includes required settings
Defaults are established at the Company level for creating and finalizing invoices as well as creating your standard message for invoices. You can set the last used Invoice Number here.
Additional information can be found in the Invoice Settings article.
Activities
This tab includes required settings
Configure activities here, which can be flagged as billable or non-billable, with billing rates and taxable options set. These can then be used to create time and expense records, or added directly to invoices for billing.
Additional information can be found in the Activity Settings article.
Billable Expenses
If you bill for expenses, create your expense categories here. Each expense can have a default amount assigned, be flagged as billable or non-billable, and have a taxable option set.
Additional information can be found in the Billable Expense Settings article.
Lists
This tab includes required settings
Lists are used throughout Mango for reporting, assignments, and classifications. This includes client types, customer groups, invoice groups, contact types, payment types, and more.
Additional information can be found in the List Settings article.
Banks
This tab includes required settings
At least one bank must be created. Deposits of cash receipts require you to select the Bank that the deposit is being made to and the payments that are included.
Additional information can be found in the Bank Settings article.
Rate Templates
Billing Rate Templates are created here and assigned to clients and/or activities. These Rate Templates, combined with the default rate assigned to users, determine the billing rate for invoice line items.
Additional information can be found in the Understanding Billing Rates article.
Notifications
Using notifications, you can let your users know when certain events occur, such as a client making a payment or another user adding them to a calendar event. You can also enable thank you emails to go to your clients when they make payments.
Additional information can be found in the Notification Settings article.
QB Integration
Mango can optionally integrate with QuickBooks. Once QuickBooks is activated, you can configure additional settings on how integration will occur.
Additional information can be found in the Third-Party Integration article.
MangoShare Integration
When using MangoShare (which is included in the Pro tier of Mango or available separately), your clients in Mango can automatically synchronize with MangoShare. Once enabled, you can take advantage of document management, and store your files in the cloud. This allows you to easily send files, request files, or have clients electronically sign documents.
Additional information can be found in the Document Management Overview article and the MangoShare Help Center.
Utilities
The Utilities tab allows you to apply settings to multiple records at once. This includes setting clients as inactive, applying billing or client groups, adding engagements or terms, and much more.
Additional information can be found in the Utilities article.
Client Portal
The Client Portal tab allows you to configure settings for the client payment portal. This includes what options are shown in the portal, and what types of electronic payments are available via Mango Payments. This tab is only available with MangoPayments, and the payment options available here can be overridden on the Settings tab of the Client View. For additional information, see the Configuring the Client Portal article.
Additional information can be found in the Electronic Payments, and Clients View articles, and the MangoShare Help Center.
Manage Roles
Users can be assigned a role to default the features of Mango that they are permitted to access. These roles are defined here. Mango comes with several roles that can be modified, and you can add any additional roles as needed. The Administrator role cannot be modified, and anyone assigned to this role has access to all features in Mango.
Additional information can be found in the Permissions article.
Other
The Other tab includes some security features, which allow you to enable two-factor authentication, or even allow you to lock down the system if necessary. This tab also includes optional features you can enable or disable, such as the Agenda, Leaderboard, and To-Do List on the Dashboard, or the ability to generate Engagement Letters.
Additional information can be found in the Other Settings article.
See It in Action
The following learning center video shows the various settings in Mango.
Common Questions About General Settings
- What settings are required to be configured, and which are optional?
- The following sections include required settings: Time & Expenses, Invoices, Activities, Lists, and Banks. All other sections are highly recommended to be configured prior to using Mango, but are not required.
Learn More
The following knowledge base articles contain additional information relating to General Settings: