> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.helmkit.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Your First Success

> Complete your first task in Helm

## What you'll accomplish

Your first task in Helm depends on whether you're an agency or a guide. This guide will walk you through the most important thing to do when you're getting started.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="For Agencies">
    If you're running an agency or tour company, your first task is to get your bookings into Helm. You can do this by connecting your existing booking system (like Bókun) or by creating your first booking manually.

    This guide will show you how to connect Bókun to automatically sync your bookings, or how to create a booking from scratch if you're not using an integration yet.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="For Guides">
    If you're a guide who's been added to an agency's roster, your first task is to complete your onboarding profile. This tells agencies about your skills, availability, and preferences so they can assign you to the right tours.

    <Note>
      **What is the roster?** The roster is how agencies connect with guides in Helm. When an agency adds you to their roster, you can see and manage assignments from that agency. You're not a member of their organization—you're an independent guide who can work with multiple agencies, each with their own roster.
    </Note>

    This guide will walk you through filling out your profile and seeing your first assignment.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Step-by-step walkthrough

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="For Agencies">
    ### Option 1: Connect Bókun (recommended)

    If you use Bókun to manage your bookings, connecting it to Helm will automatically sync all your tours, bookings, and customer information.

    **To connect Bókun:**

    1. From your Helm dashboard, go to **Settings**
    2. Navigate to **Organization** → **Integrations**
    3. Find **Bókun** in the list of available integrations
    4. Enter your Bókun subdomain in the field provided
    5. Click **Connect to Bókun**
    6. Authorize Helm in Bókun's approval screen
    7. You'll be redirected back to Helm with a connected status

    Once connected, Helm will start syncing your bookings. Depending on how many bookings you have, this can take a few minutes. You'll see them appear in your dashboard as they sync.

    After your bookings are synced, you can start assigning guides to them directly in Helm.

    <Info>
      For detailed setup instructions, see [Connecting Bókun](/features/integrations/bokun).
    </Info>

    ### Option 2: Create a booking manually

    If you're not using Bókun or want to create a booking from scratch, you can add bookings manually.

    **To create a booking:**

    1. From your dashboard, click "New Booking" or go to the Bookings page and click the "+" button
    2. Fill in the booking details:
       * **Customer information**: Name, email, phone number
       * **Tour or experience**: What they're booking (select from your existing experiences or create a new one)
       * **Date and time**: When the tour takes place
       * **Number of guests**: How many people are attending
       * **Additional notes**: Any special requests or important information
    3. Click "Create booking"

    Your booking is now in the system. You can assign a guide to it, send confirmation details to the customer, and track it through completion.

    ### What happens after creating your first booking

    Once you have a booking in Helm (whether synced from Bókun or created manually), you can:

    * **Assign guides**: Choose which guide will lead the tour
    * **Manage schedules**: See all your bookings on a calendar view
    * **Communicate**: Send updates to guides and customers
    * **Track status**: Monitor which bookings are confirmed, in progress, or completed

    This is the core of what Helm does—it keeps all your bookings organized and makes it easy to coordinate your team.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="For Guides">
    ### Complete your onboarding

    When you first join an organization as a guide, you'll be prompted to complete your profile. This helps agencies assign you to tours that match your skills and availability.

    **Step 1: Choose your cities**

    Select which cities or regions you work in. This ensures you only get assigned to tours in areas where you're available.

    1. You'll see a list or map of available cities
    2. Select all the cities where you can guide tours
    3. Click "Next"

    **Step 2: Add your skills**

    Tell agencies what kinds of tours you specialize in.

    1. Choose from categories like food tours, history tours, adventure tours, etc.
    2. Add any specific certifications or specializations
    3. Click "Next"

    **Step 3: Set your languages**

    Indicate which languages you can guide tours in.

    1. Select all languages you're fluent in
    2. Mark your native language if prompted
    3. Click "Next"

    **Step 4: Connect your calendar**

    Link your personal calendar so agencies can see when you're available.

    1. Choose to link your Google Calendar
    2. Authorize Helm to access your calendar
    3. Your busy times will automatically block you from being assigned tours

    <Info>
      For detailed setup instructions, see [Linking Google Calendar](/features/integrations/google-calendar).
    </Info>

    **Step 5: Complete your profile**

    Review everything and submit your profile. The agency will now be able to assign you to tours.

    ### View your first assignment

    After completing your profile, you'll start receiving tour assignments. When an agency assigns you to a booking, you'll:

    * Receive a notification (email and in-app)
    * See the assignment appear on your dashboard and calendar
    * Be able to view all the details: customer name, tour type, meeting location, time, and any special notes

    **To view an assignment:**

    1. Go to your dashboard or click on the notification
    2. You'll see the tour details, including:
       * Date and time
       * Meeting location
       * Customer information
       * Number of guests
       * Special requests or notes from the agency
    3. You can accept or decline the assignment
    4. Add notes or ask questions to the coordinator

    ### After your first assignment

    Once you've accepted an assignment:

    * It appears on your calendar
    * You can communicate with the agency about any questions or changes
    * You'll receive reminders before the tour starts
    * After the tour, you can mark it as complete and add any notes about how it went

    If you end up working with the same agency frequently, you can later turn
    on auto-accept for that agency from your roster so future assignments
    confirm immediately.

    This is how you'll work with agencies in Helm—they assign tours to you based on your availability and skills, and you manage everything from your dashboard.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## What's next

You've completed your first task in Helm! Here's what to explore next:

**For agencies**: Now that you have bookings in the system, learn how to [manage your schedule](/features/run/index), [assign guides to tours](/features/run/guide-assignments), and [communicate with your team](/features/run/comments).

**For guides**: Now that your profile is set up, learn how to [manage your availability](/features/integrations/google-calendar), [communicate with agencies](/features/run/comments), and [track your upcoming tours](/features/run/index).

**Everyone**: Explore [Key Concepts](/concepts) to understand how bookings, assignments, schedules, and organizations work in Helm.