This guide walks you through the full Civic.ly workflow from start to finish — setting up your account, adding your first asset, running an inspection, reporting a defect, and creating a job to fix it. By the end, you will have experienced the complete cycle that your team will use every day.
The whole process takes less than an hour. Follow the steps in order.
The Journey
Step 1: Set up your account
Create your Civic.ly account using the invite email you received, then log in to the web app for the first time.
Step 2: Configure your mobile device
Install the Civic.ly app and set up your phone's camera and location permissions so photos include GPS data. This is essential for automatic asset mapping.
Configure Your Mobile Device →
Step 3: Add your first asset
Take a photo of something nearby and watch Civic.ly map it and describe it using AI. Then check the results in the web app.
Step 4: Create and complete an inspection
Create a simple inspection for your new asset in the web app, then switch to the mobile app to complete the checklist.
Create and Complete an Inspection →
Step 5: Create a defect
Fail an inspection item, raise a defect, take a photo, and draw on it to highlight the issue.
Step 6: Create a job to fix it
Create a job from the defect, complete it, and see the full audit trail — from asset to inspection to defect to job — all linked together.
Create a Job to Fix a Defect →
What You Will Learn
By following these six steps, you will see how Civic.ly connects everything together. An asset on your map has inspections, inspections reveal defects, defects create jobs, and the whole history is recorded for compliance and insurance. This is the core workflow your council will use day in, day out.
- Take one photo indoors and one outdoors (like a lamppost or bin in the street) so you can see how the GPS maps assets to different locations.
- Once you have finished the quick start, you can delete the test data and begin adding your real assets.
Common Questions
No. You can pause and come back at any time — your data is saved automatically. But the full loop only takes about an hour, and it is worth doing in one sitting so you can see how everything connects.
You can, but we recommend using a test asset first (like a laptop or a nearby lamppost) so you can practise without worrying about getting things perfect. You can delete test data afterwards.