Getting Started

Up and running
in minutes.

Follow these steps to get StringsTheory set up and working the way your shop does.

1

Download & Install

StringsTheory is a native Mac and iPad app. Download it from the Mac App Store or via the direct download link on the pricing page. The app supports macOS 13 Ventura or later and iPadOS 16 or later.

Once downloaded, open the app and you'll land on the Dashboard. No account required to get started — the Free tier activates automatically.

💡 Tip

On macOS, grant StringsTheory Full Disk Access in System Settings → Privacy & Security if you plan to use local backup or CSV import/export to custom locations.

2

Activate Your License

If you've purchased a Pro license, go to Settings → Account and enter your license key. Your Pro features — Bill of Materials, Production Tracking, COGS Reports, Integrations, and Cloud Sync — activate immediately.

  • Open the app and navigate to Settings using the sidebar
  • Select the Account tab
  • Enter your license key and tap Activate
  • A green confirmation will appear when Pro is active
ℹī¸ Note

Each Pro license activates on one machine at a time. To move to a new Mac, deactivate first via Settings → Account → Deactivate, then activate on the new device.

3

Set Up Your Inventory

Inventory is the heart of StringsTheory. Start by adding your categories in Settings → Categories, then head to the Inventory section to start adding items.

  • Go to Settings → Categories and create your top-level categories (e.g. Pickups, Hardware, Strings, Tools)
  • In Inventory, click the + button or press ⌘N to create a new item
  • Fill in the name, category, unit cost, and sale price — the SKU generates automatically
  • Add a photo using the image picker if you'd like visual identification
  • Set a low stock threshold so you get alerted before you run out

If you have an existing inventory in a spreadsheet, use Import CSV from the Inventory toolbar. Map your columns and approve the taxonomy — StringsTheory handles the rest.

💡 Tip

Use the barcode scanner (camera icon in the toolbar) to scan a product barcode to instantly find an item or create a new one pre-filled from your scan.

4

Create Your First Work Order

Work Orders track every repair from drop-off to pick-up. Open the Work Orders section and click + New Work Order.

  • Select or create a customer to link to the order
  • Describe the item being repaired and the work requested
  • Use the signature capture to have the customer sign at drop-off
  • Set an initial status (Pending is the default)
  • Save — the order appears on your Kanban board or list view

Drag cards across the Kanban board to update status, or use the status dropdown in the list view. When a repair is done, generate a PDF directly from the work order and email it to the customer or print a repair label.

💡 Tip

Set up Work Order Templates in Settings for your most common job types (string replacement, fret level, amp recap) to pre-fill fields and save time at drop-off.

5

Add Your Customers

Customers can be added manually or imported from a CSV. Head to the Customers section and click + New Customer, or use the Import CSV button to bring in an existing list.

  • Enter name, email, phone, and company as needed
  • Customer profiles automatically show all associated work orders
  • Use the search bar to find customers by any field instantly
6

Connect Integrations Pro

Pro users can connect StringsTheory to Google Sheets, Square POS, and Shopify. Go to Settings → Integrations to set these up.

  • Google Sheets: Click Connect and authorize your Google account. Select the spreadsheet to sync. StringsTheory uses your Internal SKU as the primary key across 16 columns.
  • Square POS: Connect your Square account and select which catalog items to link. Two-way sync keeps quantities aligned.
  • Shopify: Enter your Shopify store URL and API credentials. Map your Shopify locations to StringsTheory and enable auto-sync.

Once connected, use the integration sidebar controls to push or pull data on demand, or enable Auto-Sync for a configured interval.

7

Set Up Backups

Protect your data with regular backups. Go to Settings → Backup & Restore and choose your preferred backup location: local storage, Dropbox, or Google Drive (Pro).

  • Choose what to include: inventory, work orders, customers, BOM, and/or production data
  • Run a manual backup now to get a starting snapshot
  • Enable automatic backups on a schedule (Pro)
  • To restore, use the Restore tab and select a backup file
✓

You're all set!

You now have the foundation in place. From here, explore the more advanced features at your own pace:

  • Set up Bill of Materials for items you assemble from components
  • Use Production Tracking to log serialized units and import from Google Sheets
  • Run COGS Reports to see revenue, cost, and margin by item or category
  • Configure label templates and start printing Dymo labels for your inventory
  • Customize your SKU format in Settings to match your existing numbering

If you run into anything, the documentation has more detail on every section, or contact us and we'll help you out.