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This guide covers institution-level setup at deandesk.com. See Institutions & Schools for how these levels relate.

Video walkthrough

This walkthrough uses the real DeanDesk interface with the fictional Northstar Academy demo school and a calm, AI-generated English voice. Payments and outside services are not connected in the demo.
Screenshots use fictional Northstar demo data. Payment and integration screens illustrate the demo setup; no live transactions or connections are shown. Open Platforms in the institution dashboard. Each platform represents one school portal. Your institution owns the school, while its courses, school Users, admissions, and student billing are managed in the school’s Admin Dashboard.
Northstar demo: Platforms

Northstar demo — Platforms

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Create a school

Click Create new platform on Platforms. The setup workspace saves your progress so you can return through Continue a saved setup.
1

Starting point

Choose the starting point closest to your school or program. Available starting points depend on your DeanDesk plan. Use How DeanDesk works to replay the introductory tour.
Northstar demo: School setup

Northstar demo — School setup

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2

Enrollment

Answer each displayed enrollment question. These choices determine the initial registration and admissions experience. Admissions review and program-selection questions appear where applicable to the enrollment method.
3

School details

Enter School name, DeanDesk web address, and Timezone. Choose the payment account country and sales currency. The web address uses lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. Expand Address and branding (optional) to add location and visual details.
4

Review and create

Save and review the proposed setup, resolve missing choices, and confirm that you reviewed it before creating the school. If creation is interrupted, use Refresh status to check the existing setup.
5

Continue inside the school

After creation, click Continue to school setup. Work through the school onboarding checklist for people, courses, products, website content, and launch review.
Sales currency is fixed after creation. Choose the currency your school will charge before confirming the setup.

Review a platform

Open a school from Platforms or Overview. The detail page has four tabs:

Overview tab

Managed hostname, custom domain, creation details, and school location
Northstar demo: Platform detail — Overview

Northstar demo — Platform detail — Overview

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Branding tab

Primary and header colors, font theme, logo/title dimensions, header-title visibility, and current logo
Northstar demo: Platform detail — Branding

Northstar demo — Platform detail — Branding

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Features & Policies tab

Configured feature and policy switches, plus adult and child onboarding forms
Northstar demo: Platform detail — Features & Policies

Northstar demo — Platform detail — Features & Policies

Open full-size screenshot Main sidebar and profile menu items that are enabled for the school When your Identity has access, click Admin Console on the platform detail page or Overview (the button reads Admin on a Platforms list card) to open the school as its administrator. Check the school name after switching. Use the public-site link to inspect the school’s public experience.
Northstar demo: Platform detail — Navigation

Northstar demo — Platform detail — Navigation

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Edit platform configuration

Click Edit Configuration. The editor has a different set of tabs from the read-only detail page:

General configuration

Name, hostname, read-only sales currency, description, tagline, custom-domain information, and location
Northstar demo: Platform configuration — General

Northstar demo — Platform configuration — General

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Branding configuration

Color presets, primary/header colors, font theme, logo URL, logo and title sizing, and title visibility
Northstar demo: Platform configuration — Branding

Northstar demo — Platform configuration — Branding

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Policies configuration

Capability switches, registration and enrollment choices, onboarding form assignments, and application statuses with descriptions, order, and email templates
Northstar demo: Platform configuration — Policies

Northstar demo — Platform configuration — Policies

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Interface configuration

Main sidebar and profile view visibility Review the changes and click Save, or click Cancel to discard them. Fields marked Immutable, such as the hostname and sales currency, can’t be changed. For the complete school admissions journey and rounds/tracks, enter the school and use Enrollment & Admissions. For public pages, menus, media, and styling, use the school’s Website workspace.
Northstar demo: Platform configuration — Interface

Northstar demo — Platform configuration — Interface

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Keep the two settings levels separate

These pages configure an individual school owned by the institution. Settings → Institution controls the institution’s own name, branding, domain, and public portal. Billing & Payments controls the institution’s subscription to DeanDesk.