Comprehensive Setup Guide: Preparing Your Account for Launch

This article walks you through everything you need to complete as a recruiting admin to set up your Guide account and prepare your candidate experience for launch.

Estimated time to complete: ~60 minutes.

🛠️ Section 1: Before You Begin

Before diving in, make sure you:

✅ Have access to app3.guide.co (this is the correct login URL)
✅ Install the Guide Chrome Extension (you’ll find a link under your name in the bottom left of the Guide UI)
✅ Use the Chrome extension in Greenhouse (we recommend setting up a keyboard shortcut: Command+G on Mac)
✅ Confirm Greenhouse integration is fully connected (webhooks + permissions)
✅ Have access to the Slack launch plan pinned in your Guide channel

🧱 Section 2: Finalize your Default Candidate Portal Template

Every candidate sees a Guide portal. The content shown is powered by the default portal template, which applies to all jobs by default.

Before launch, complete the following:

✅ Audit the Overview Section

Edit your company story, branding, value prop, and visuals
You can embed images, videos, and link cards
Common examples: Careers page, DEI message, recent news, product video

✅ Audit the Interview Plan

These are the stages the candidate will see (e.g. “Intro Call” → “On-site” → “Offer”)
These are not tied to your Greenhouse stages — you control the names
Add hover text (teasers for each stage)
Optional: Add prep content that unlocks per stage (e.g. take-home instructions, virtual on-site tips)

💡 Pro Tip: Get this template as close to final as possible. Every department or job-specific version will duplicate this as a starting point.

🧩 Section 3: (Optional) Create Department-Specific Templates

Once your default template is finalized, you can create additional versions for specific teams.

How:

Click the 3-dot menu → Duplicate Template
Rename to match the department (e.g. “Engineering Template”)
Assign to the relevant Greenhouse department(s)
Tweak content or interview plan if needed

When to do this:

You’re ready for more personalization
You want eng, sales, or exec roles to tell a distinct story

When not to do this:

You’re just launching (keep it simple!)

🧑‍💻 Section 4: Audit Interview Display Names

Go to: Settings → Interview Defaults
You’ll see a list of all interviews from your Greenhouse interview kits. For each one:

✅ Review & Update Titles

Override any interview names that aren’t candidate-friendly
- e.g. “Recruiter Phone Screen” → “Intro Call”

✅ Hide Internal Interviews

Turn off visibility for interviews candidates should never see
- e.g. “Debrief,” “Offer Checks,” “Reference Call”

🧠 Guide Tip: When interviews are scheduled in Greenhouse, Guide automatically shows them in the candidate portal unless you explicitly hide them here.

📨 Section 5: Audit Email Templates (Optional but Recommended)

Go to: Templates → Message Templates
Guide pulls in your Greenhouse templates automatically. But:

Subject lines don’t sync (Greenhouse API limitation — fix from Greenhouse coming soon)
Note: If you edit a template in Guide, it stops syncing with your Greenhouse version

✅ Options for rollout:

Option A: Clean up before launch (recommended for a better UX)
- Remove unused templates
- Add subject lines to the 5–10 templates you’ll use most
- Example: Self-schedule request, availability request, confirmation email
Option B: Let each recruiter create their own templates during training
- Lower upfront effort, but more friction during early scheduling

💡 Tip: Use portal content to reduce the amount of detail in your emails (e.g. links, instructions, interview logistics)

🚀 What’s Next? Kickoff Training & Go-Live

Once the following are done:

✅ Default candidate portal template is approved
✅ Interview names are audited + overrides in place
✅ (Optional) Greenhouse email templates are cleaned up

You’re ready to schedule your live team training and go live with Guide 🎉

📎 Resources

If you get stuck or have questions, just drop us a note in Slack. We’re here to help!

Editing "Interview Defaults" & Candidate-Facing Interview Titles

Enabling Interview Plan Templates (Multi-Template Mode)

Understanding Interviewer Calendar Invites in Guide

Using Scheduling Queues In Guide

Adding Prep Content For Each Stage Within your Candidate Portal