Getting Started with Filevine

This article is meant to give new users an overview of all of Filevine’s main features. We’ll walk through the process of signing in and setting up, and then give an overview of projects and other basic features in Filevine to help get you started. 

For definitions of common terms found in Filevine, read our glossary. 

• Sign In and Set Up
• Projects
• Main Menu

Sign In and Set Up

As a new user, you will receive an invite email welcoming you to Filevine. Click on the Sign in to Filevine button and you will be taken to the Filevine sign-in screen, where you can click to activate your account. You will then be asked to create your password and sign in. 

If you receive an Invalid Token error, the link you are using may have expired. This error can be addressed by following the steps to generate a new link. Learn more about what to do about the Invalid Token error.

Setting Up

Once you’ve signed in, you should first set up your profile and account settings. Click on the main menu in the top left corner and select Setup from the dropdown. 

1. Set up your personal information. Edit your name, username, email, and profile picture. You can also change your password. 
2. Share and connect your calendar. Connect your Filevine user calendar to a Google or Outlook calendar, and choose to share your calendar with other users in Filevine.
3. Enable up 2FA. Setup two-factor authentication with SMS or an authenticator app. 
4. Choose your notifications. Select which triggers in Filevine you would like to receive notifications for, and configure any additional notifications methods. 

All of this information can be edited at any time. If you’re unsure of which notifications you’d like to receive, for example, you can come back to adjust at any time. 

Shortcuts

If you would like to use Filevine from your mobile device or tablet, you can create a shortcut for the Filevine webpage on your device. Read more about adding mobile shortcuts.

Filevine also has some useful keyboard shortcuts that make navigating easier. Check out Filevine’s hotkeys.

Tips and Tricks

Filevine works great in multiple tabs. Specific pages in Filevine can be bookmarked so that you can return to that specific page anytime you need. This capability is useful for things like the Task Page or a specific filter in the Address Book.

Projects

In Filevine, cases, or matters, are called "projects." In most circumstances, a project holds all information for one case.

Projects are associated with one main contact card called the project contact--usually the client for the case--and are composed of a series of different sections. The type and number of sections for a project will vary based on the project type or template used. Read the Choose Sections section for more information about different project sections.

You can find a project by searching in the Search for a project textbox in the top right corner of Filevine, or click on the list of documents icon along the top left, right next to the main menu dropdown, to go to the project hub, where you can view all the projects 

Learn more about the different features of projects in the Build Projects section.

Activity Feed

Though sections in projects may vary, all projects have an Activity Feed, where team members can communicate with and assign tasks to one another. The activity feed can contain a variety of activity items, including notes and tasks but also incoming emails, faxes, and texts that have been sent to the project or moved from the mailroom.

Docs Section

Most projects also have a Docs section, where documents can be viewed and managed. 

Main Menu

The main menu and header icons in Filevine provide several features and overview pages you’ll use every day. The main menu is configurable, and your top four options will appear along Filevine top bar for easy access, rather than in the dropdown. Learn how to configure the main menu.

Click the links in the list below to learn more about each feature.

• Project Hub: a central place where you can view a list of all of your projects
• Feed: your user feed, where you will find updates to your projects, like changes to tasks, and notes, and deadline reminders
• Tasks: the task page, which houses a list of your incomplete tasks across your projects. Learn more about tasks in Filevine.
• Mailroom: houses all incoming emails, text messages, and faxes that have been sent to the Org. Mailroom items can then be sent to projects. 
• Contacts, or the Address Book: lists all contacts across the Org
• Timesheet: for Orgs with billing, a central place for users to view, edit, and track billing time entries across all of projects.
• Calendar: your user calendar, which will list deadlines and events specific to you and your projects. This is the calendar you are able to share with other users and connect with either Google or Outlook. 
• Search: a place to search throughout Filevine for everything from activity items to calendar events
• New project: create a new project and choose the project’s type and main project contact

Reporting

Reporting is a central feature of Filevine, and will allow you to view information about your contacts, users, project activity, and more. 

The Saved Reports page allows you to view all reports that have been saved by the user or shared with the user. On this page, you can view, export, and share your saved reports and set up auto-reports.

When you click Report Builder you will see a list of all your reports and a list of the possible report types. Click on a report type to begin creating that report.