---
title: An Overview of the Settings Page
description: Organization Settings
---
[Skip to content](https://help.hoastart.com/an-overview-of-the-settings-page#main-content)
[](https://hoastart.com/)
Open main navigation
Close main navigation
How can we help you?
- There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.
1. [HOA Start - Classic](https://help.hoastart.com/?hsLang=en)
2. [Website & Site Setup](https://help.hoastart.com/website-site-setup?hsLang=en)
3. [Site Builder & Settings](https://help.hoastart.com/website-site-setup?hsLang=en#site-builder-settings)
# An Overview of the Settings Page
*Also searched as: account settings, organization settings, turn off registration, turn on chat, enable digest, member portal settings, Stripe settings, financial settings*
The Settings page holds the switches and connections that apply to your whole organization. This article explains what each setting does, from the top of the page to the bottom, and points to the article with the full steps for each one.
#### **Open the Settings Page**
1. Click **Account** on the vertical Dashboard menu at the left side of the screen.
2. Click **Settings**.
#### **Saving Your Changes**
The General Settings switches take effect only after you click **Save Changes** at the bottom of the page, and the other settings on the page use the same button. A green message reads “Successfully saved your settings!” when the save succeeds. Click **Cancel** to leave without saving.
The two switches under Member Portal Settings are the exception. They save the moment you turn them on or off.
#### **Online Payments**
This section connects your organization to Stripe so you can collect card and bank (ACH) payments online. The Follow these instructions link at the top opens the Stripe Connect setup guide. Once you finish the Stripe steps and Stripe approves your account, your Stripe Customer ID can take up to 4 hours to appear in the system. The Verify Approval button sends you to the Stripe website, where you log in to complete setup or check your approval status.
For the full process, see *How Do I Set Up Stripe Connect Step by Step?* and *What Do I Need to Set Up Stripe Connect, and What Does It Cost?*
#### **General Settings**
##### **Allow Public Registrations**
Controls whether visitors can sign up for an account from your public website. While it is on, the label reads Registrations Enabled. The public site shows a Register link in the top right corner, and the Log In window includes the line “Don’t have an account? Create one here.”
While it is off, the label reads Registrations Disabled. The Register link and the “Create one here” line no longer appear.
See *Member Registration* and *Approve or Reject a New Member Registration*.
##### **Enable Chat**
Turns Messaging on or off for your whole community. While it is on, logged-in members see a chat icon at the right end of the website menu bar.
While it is off, the chat icon no longer appears. Even when Chat is on for the community, each member can opt out from the Notifications tab of their own profile.
See *Activate or Deactivate Private Messaging*.
##### **Enable Digest**
Controls whether members can receive Weekly/Monthly Digest Notifications. While it is on, the Notifications tab of each member’s profile includes Receive Weekly/Monthly Digest Notifications, the digest frequency (weekly or monthly), and the list of digest topics the member can choose from.
While it is off, those digest options no longer appear on the Notifications tab, and only Enable Chat and Receive Text Messages remain.
See *Overview of Member Profile* for the member’s side of these options.
#### **Member Portal Settings**
- **Enable Member Portal** makes the Member Portal available to your members. The label reads Portal Enabled or Portal Disabled.
- **Load Member Portal By Default** sends members to the Member Portal automatically after they log in, instead of to the standard website. The label reads Enabled or Disabled.
Both switches save immediately. You do not need to click Save Changes.
See *Use or Deactivate the Member Portal* and *Load the Member Portal*.
#### **Contact Us—Member Portal**
Add one or more Admin email addresses here, and a Contact icon appears in the Member Portal. Members use it to open a simple contact form, and their messages go to the addresses you entered. These messages are not stored in the system, so keep a copy in your own inbox if you need a record. Click Add Another Contact to enter more than one address, and click the trash icon to remove one.
See *Provide a Contact Address for the Member Portal*.
#### **Connect to QuickBooks**
Click Connect to QuickBooks to link your website to your QuickBooks account.
See *Overview of QuickBooks Integration* and *Connect Your Website to QuickBooks*.
#### **Financials Settings**
##### **Effective Starting Date for Financial Transactions**
Enter the earliest transaction date that your financial data should include.
##### **Auto-Create System Transactions in Financials**
Automatically adds transactions processed through Dues & Fees and other parts of the Admin Dashboard to Financials. The label reads Auto-Create Disabled while the switch is off.
See *How Do I Configure Financials Settings?* for both of these settings.
#### **Show Primary Resident Name on Household Invoices**
Adds the Primary Resident’s name as the first line of the address block on Household invoices.
See *Automatically or Manually Assign a Primary Resident to Each Household*.
- [Website & Site Setup](https://help.hoastart.com/website-site-setup?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Site Builder & Settings](https://help.hoastart.com/website-site-setup?hsLang=en#site-builder-settings)
- [Pages](https://help.hoastart.com/website-site-setup?hsLang=en#pages)
- [Widgets & Site Elements](https://help.hoastart.com/website-site-setup?hsLang=en#widgets-site-elements)
- [Images & Media](https://help.hoastart.com/website-site-setup?hsLang=en#images-media)
- [Sponsors & Menu](https://help.hoastart.com/website-site-setup?hsLang=en#sponsors-menu)
- [Members](https://help.hoastart.com/members?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Households](https://help.hoastart.com/members?hsLang=en#households)
- [Member Profiles & Data](https://help.hoastart.com/members?hsLang=en#member-profiles-data)
- [Addresses](https://help.hoastart.com/members?hsLang=en#addresses)
- [Dashboards & Reports](https://help.hoastart.com/members?hsLang=en#dashboards-reports)
- [Registration](https://help.hoastart.com/members?hsLang=en#registration)
- [Roles & Permissions](https://help.hoastart.com/roles-permissions?hsLang=en)
- [Email & Communication](https://help.hoastart.com/email-communication?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Message Center (Overview & History)](https://help.hoastart.com/email-communication?hsLang=en#message-center-overview-history)
- [Message Center Templates](https://help.hoastart.com/email-communication?hsLang=en#message-center-templates)
- [E-mail Blasts](https://help.hoastart.com/email-communication?hsLang=en#e-mail-blasts)
- [Professional Email Accounts](https://help.hoastart.com/email-communication?hsLang=en#professional-email-accounts)
- [Community Engagement](https://help.hoastart.com/community-engagement?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Messaging](https://help.hoastart.com/community-engagement?hsLang=en#messaging)
- [Newsfeed & Posts](https://help.hoastart.com/community-engagement?hsLang=en#newsfeed-posts)
- [Calendars](https://help.hoastart.com/community-engagement?hsLang=en#calendars)
- [Events](https://help.hoastart.com/community-engagement?hsLang=en#events)
- [Committees](https://help.hoastart.com/community-engagement?hsLang=en#committees)
- [Ticketing System](https://help.hoastart.com/ticketing-system?hsLang=en)
- [Violations & Compliance](https://help.hoastart.com/violations-compliance?hsLang=en)
- [Documents](https://help.hoastart.com/documents?hsLang=en)
- [Amenities & Reservations](https://help.hoastart.com/amenities-reservations?hsLang=en)
- [Boardroom & Meetings](https://help.hoastart.com/boardroom-meetings?hsLang=en)
- [Voting & Surveys](https://help.hoastart.com/voting-surveys?hsLang=en)
- [Mobile App](https://help.hoastart.com/mobile-app?hsLang=en)
- [Budgets & Expenses](https://help.hoastart.com/budgets-expenses?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Transactions & Reconciliations](https://help.hoastart.com/budgets-expenses?hsLang=en#transactions-reconciliations)
- [Chart of Accounts](https://help.hoastart.com/budgets-expenses?hsLang=en#chart-of-accounts)
- [Budgets](https://help.hoastart.com/budgets-expenses?hsLang=en#budgets)
- [Vendors](https://help.hoastart.com/budgets-expenses?hsLang=en#vendors)
- [Reports & Settings](https://help.hoastart.com/budgets-expenses?hsLang=en#reports-settings)
- [Invoicing & Billing](https://help.hoastart.com/invoicing-billing?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Dues & Fees](https://help.hoastart.com/invoicing-billing?hsLang=en#dues-fees)
- [One-Time Charges](https://help.hoastart.com/invoicing-billing?hsLang=en#one-time-charges)
- [One-Off Invoices](https://help.hoastart.com/invoicing-billing?hsLang=en#one-off-invoices)
- [AR Dashboard](https://help.hoastart.com/invoicing-billing?hsLang=en#ar-dashboard)
- [Payments](https://help.hoastart.com/payments?hsLang=en#main-content)
- [Wallets](https://help.hoastart.com/payments?hsLang=en#wallets)
- [Stripe & ACH Setup](https://help.hoastart.com/payments?hsLang=en#stripe-ach-setup)
- [Balance and Credit](https://help.hoastart.com/balance-and-credit?hsLang=en)
- [QuickBooks & Accounting Integrations](https://help.hoastart.com/quickbooks-accounting-integrations?hsLang=en)
- [Guided Setup](https://help.hoastart.com/guided-setup?hsLang=en)
- [Support](https://help.hoastart.com/support?hsLang=en)
[](https://hoastart.com/)
Copyright © 2026, HOA Start