Dolibarr is one of the most accessible and flexible open-source ERP and CRM systems available today. It’s lightweight, modular, and incredibly adaptable — perfect for freelancers, startups, and growing businesses. But like any powerful tool, your experience with Dolibarr will depend on how well you configure it from the start.

After you’ve completed the installation process and logged in for the first time, it might be tempting to jump right into creating invoices, managing products, or importing contacts. However, taking a little time to configure some key settings will save you hours (and headaches) later.

In this article, we’ll walk through the five most important things you should configure right after installing Dolibarr. Each of these steps will ensure that your system is organized, efficient, and ready to grow with your business.

1. Company Information and Global Settings

The first thing you should do is enter your company details and review the global setup options. This will influence how your documents (invoices, quotes, orders) are generated and how Dolibarr interacts with customers and third parties.

Steps:

• Navigate to Home > Setup > Company/Organization

• Fill in your company name, address, logo, tax ID, and contact details

• Configure your default language, country, currency, and timezone

These settings affect multiple areas of Dolibarr:

• Your logo and company name appear on all documents

• Currency and tax rules apply to invoices and payments

• Regional formats (dates, decimals) are applied across the platform

Also consider setting up:

• Default VAT/TAX rates

• Default bank account for payments

• Main contact person or user account

Taking the time to get these right ensures consistency and professionalism.

2. Activate and Configure Key Modules

Dolibarr’s modular system is one of its strongest features. But by default, only a handful of modules are active. You’ll need to turn on the ones relevant to your business.

Common modules to activate:

• Third Parties (clients, suppliers, prospects)

• Invoices

• Proposals/Quotations

• Orders

• Products/Services

• Bank/Cash

• Projects

• Agenda (calendar and events)

• Emailing (campaigns and notifications)

To do this:

• Go to Home > Setup > Modules

• Click on each module to activate it

• Access the module settings to customize its behavior

For example:

• In the Invoices module, define the invoice numbering format and due date terms

• In the Bank module, link to your bank accounts or define manual payment methods

Activating only the modules you need helps keep your interface clean and tailored to your workflow.

3. Set Up Users, Permissions, and Access Control

If you’re the only user, you can skip this for now — but as soon as your team grows, having a clear structure for access control becomes essential.

Dolibarr offers fine-grained user permission settings through roles and groups.

Create users:

• Go to Users & Groups > New User

• Assign login credentials, email, and status (active/inactive)

Define permissions:

• Create user groups for roles like Sales, Accounting, Warehouse, Management

• Set permissions per module (read, create, edit, delete)

• Use module-specific settings to restrict access to sensitive data

This is especially useful when:

• You want sales reps to manage only their own customers

• You need managers to have full visibility, but limit editing

• You have temporary or freelance workers who need restricted access

Controlling permissions from day one protects your data and keeps users focused.

4. Customize Document Templates (PDFs)

Dolibarr generates PDF documents for invoices, quotes, delivery notes, and more. These documents will be sent to your clients — they represent your company. Making them look professional and consistent is key.

Customize PDF templates:

• Go to Setup > Modules > PDF templates

• Choose your preferred style (e.g., Crabe, Azur, etc.)

• Upload your logo

• Add your company slogan or footer text

• Define colors, fonts, and margins if the template allows

You can also:

• Use custom fields and tags within templates

• Add conditions (e.g., VAT only if applicable)

If you have development skills (or a developer), you can clone and edit the underlying template files for full control over the layout. These are stored under /core/modules/.

Your documents are often your first impression — make sure they align with your brand.

5. Configure Numbering Systems and Document References

Every record in Dolibarr (invoices, proposals, orders, products) has a reference number. These references are not only practical for internal tracking but often must meet legal or compliance standards.

Dolibarr allows you to configure the reference format for each type of document.

To set this up:

• Go to Setup > Modules

• Click on the relevant module (e.g., Invoices, Orders, Products)

• Select the numbering model (e.g., INV{yyyy}-{0000})

You can:

• Use prefixes like INV-, PRO-, ORD-

• Include year/month in the reference

• Define padding (e.g., 0001, 0002)

Example:

• First invoice: INV2024-0001

• Next invoice: INV2024-0002

Good document numbering helps:

• Stay organized

• Avoid duplication

• Satisfy accounting and auditing requirements

Bonus: Other Settings Worth Reviewing Early

While the above five are must-dos, here are a few more configurations worth looking into in the first few days:

Email Settings:

• Set up SMTP for sending emails from Dolibarr

• Create email templates for proposals, invoices, and reminders

Product Categories:

• Organize your products/services into categories for easy selection and reporting

Taxes and Currencies:

• Define multiple tax rates if needed

• Enable multicurrency if you deal internationally

Data Import Tools:

• Use Dolibarr’s import wizard to upload customers, products, prices from Excel/CSV files

Security and Backups:

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for admin users

• Schedule regular backups of the database and documents

Taking care of these early ensures stability and readiness as you scale.

Final Thoughts

Dolibarr is an incredibly flexible platform, but its power depends on proper setup. By spending a bit of time right after installation to configure your company profile, activate the right modules, define user access, personalize documents, and standardize numbering — you lay a strong foundation for long-term success.

These initial steps only take a few hours but can save you countless days of rework, confusion, or errors later. More importantly, they help you present a professional image to clients, ensure compliance, and support your business growth.

So take a moment, go through these five key configurations, and make Dolibarr work for you — not the other way around.