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Before your team sends a single message, take a few minutes to configure your Dealer Funnel account correctly. The settings you establish here control how your dealership appears to customers, when automated messages go out, which phone number your texts come from, and how your team accesses the platform. Getting these right from the start prevents headaches later and ensures every lead gets the right experience from day one.

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Initial Configuration Checklist

Work through these steps in order. Each section builds on the one before it — for example, your business hours affect automated message delivery, so it’s important to set those before you activate any funnels or blasts.
1

Set Up Your Dealership Profile

Your dealership profile is the foundation of your Dealer Funnel account. It populates your outbound message signatures, automated templates, and reporting labels. Navigate to Settings > Dealership Profile to configure the following:
  • Dealership Name — Enter your store’s name exactly as you want it to appear to customers in message footers, appointment confirmations, and review requests. If you operate multiple rooftops under one agency account, each location has its own profile.
  • Address — Add your physical street address, city, state, and ZIP code. Some automated message templates pull this information to give customers directions or location context.
  • Logo — Upload your dealership logo (PNG or JPG, recommended size 400×200 px). Your logo appears in email communications and on the customer-facing appointment scheduling page.
  • Brand Color — Enter a hex color code that matches your dealership’s brand. This color is applied to buttons and accents in customer-facing emails and scheduling pages, creating a consistent branded experience.
  • Timezone — Select the timezone that matches your dealership’s physical location. This setting is critical: it controls when scheduled messages, funnel steps, and appointment reminders are delivered. An incorrect timezone will cause messages to send at the wrong local time.
Click Save Changes when all fields are complete.
If you manage multiple dealership locations, each location has its own profile page. Switch between locations using the location selector in the top navigation bar.
2

Configure Business Hours

Business hours tell Dealer Funnel when your dealership is open and actively staffed. Navigate to Settings > Business Hours and set your operating schedule for each day of the week.For each day, toggle the day on or off and then set your opening and closing times using the time pickers. If your dealership has different hours for sales and service, check whether your account has department-level hour settings enabled — if so, configure each department separately.Business hours affect your platform in several important ways:
  • Automated funnel messages are held if they would otherwise send outside your business hours, then released at your next opening time — so you’re not texting prospects at 2 a.m.
  • Carly AI responses use your hours to determine when to hand a conversation to a live agent versus continuing to handle it automatically after hours.
  • Appointment scheduling only surfaces available time slots within your configured open hours.
Do not leave business hours blank or set to 24/7 unless your dealership genuinely operates around the clock. Inaccurate hours can cause automated messages to send at times that frustrate customers and violate TCPA quiet-hours guidelines.
Click Save after setting each day’s hours.
3

Verify Your Phone Number Setup

Your SMS number is the phone number that appears on all outbound text messages your team sends through Dealer Funnel. Navigate to Settings > Phone Numbers to confirm your number is active.On this page you’ll see:
  • Your assigned number — The 10-digit long code (or short code, if applicable) provisioned for your account.
  • Status — The number should show as Active. If it shows as Pending or is missing entirely, contact Dealer Funnel support to complete provisioning.
  • Messaging capabilities — Confirm that both SMS and MMS are enabled if you plan to send images or media in your messages.
If you need to purchase a new number: Click Buy a Number, enter your preferred area code, and select an available number from the list. Dealer Funnel provisions the number automatically. New numbers may take a few minutes to become fully active.
Choose a phone number with a local area code that matches your dealership’s market. Customers are significantly more likely to answer and respond to texts from local numbers they recognize.
Sending messages from an unverified or unregistered number can result in carrier filtering. Dealer Funnel’s onboarding team will guide you through 10DLC brand and campaign registration if your account requires it.
4

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your Dealer Funnel login. When enabled, you must enter a one-time passcode after you enter your password — so even if your password is compromised, unauthorized users cannot access your account.To enable 2FA, navigate to Settings > Security. Toggle Two-Factor Authentication to On and click Save. The next time you log in, Dealer Funnel will send a six-digit OTP via SMS to your registered mobile number, or to your registered email address if no mobile number is on file.
Agency Admins can require 2FA for all users across the account. Navigate to Settings > Security > Require 2FA for All Users and enable the toggle to enforce this policy team-wide.
Before enabling account-wide 2FA enforcement, make sure every team member can receive their one-time code — either via SMS to their registered mobile number or via their registered email inbox. Agents who cannot receive the code will be locked out until an admin resets their credentials.
5

Set Your Notification Preferences

Dealer Funnel can alert you whenever something important happens — a new lead arrives, a customer replies, or an appointment is booked or cancelled. Setting up notifications ensures you and your team never miss a time-sensitive moment.Navigate to Settings > Notifications and configure the following:Email Notifications: Toggle on the events for which you want email alerts. Common choices include:
  • New inbound lead created
  • New inbound message received in a conversation assigned to you
  • Appointment booked or cancelled
  • Daily lead summary report
Mobile Push Notifications: If you use the Dealer Funnel mobile app, enable push notifications to receive real-time alerts on your phone. Toggle on Push Notifications and select the same event types you want to be alerted about on mobile.Notification Frequency: For high-volume dealerships, set a digest option for lower-priority events (such as funnel step completions) so you receive a summary rather than one alert per event. Reserve instant notifications for new leads and inbound messages where speed matters most.Click Save Notification Settings when you’re done.
Notification settings are personal — each team member configures their own preferences from their individual user profile. Managers cannot set notification preferences on behalf of their agents, but they can remind agents to complete this step during onboarding.
6

Update Your User Profile

Your user profile controls how you appear to teammates inside Dealer Funnel and manages your personal login credentials. Click your avatar or initials in the bottom-left corner of the navigation, then select My Profile.Update the following:
  • Name — Enter your first and last name. This is how you appear in conversation assignments, internal notes, and reports.
  • Avatar — Upload a profile photo so your teammates can quickly identify conversations and notes you’ve left. Use a clear headshot (square image, at least 200×200 px).
  • Email Address — Your email is also your login username. To change it, enter your new email and confirm with your current password. You’ll receive a verification email to the new address before the change takes effect.
  • Password — Click Change Password, enter your current password, then set a new one. Use a strong password: at least 12 characters with a mix of uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Click Save Profile to apply your changes.
Update your profile photo before your first day working leads. Teammates and managers can see who owns each conversation more quickly when everyone has a recognizable avatar.

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Next Steps After Setup

Once your dealership profile, hours, phone number, security settings, and notifications are all configured, your account is ready for daily operations. Here’s what to tackle next:
  • Invite your team — Go to Users > New User to add your agents and managers. See the Quickstart guide for step-by-step instructions.
  • Connect your lead sources — Navigate to Settings > Integrations to connect your DMS, third-party lead providers, and Facebook page so leads flow into Dealer Funnel automatically.
  • Build your first funnel — Head to the Funnels section to create an automated follow-up sequence for your internet leads. A simple three-step funnel covering Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7 is a great starting point.
  • Launch a blast — If you have an existing customer database, import it under Leads and send a reactivation blast to reconnect with cold contacts right away.
Need help with any of these settings? Reach out to Dealer Funnel support through the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the app, or email your onboarding specialist directly. Most configuration questions are resolved in a single session.