The web-based Back Office is where you set up most aspects of Lightspeed Restaurant and manage things like menus, settings, reporting, and employee hours. This article explains all that you can do within the Back Office, how to log in for the first time and navigate around, and other important features to know about.

Understanding the Back Office

The Back Office is the operational engine room of your business. It plays an essential role in a range of tasks, from setting up Lightspeed to managing day-to-day operations. While you'll initially start with one set of Back Office login credentials, you can always create more Back Office users as needed.

Back Office functions and features

The Back Office is where you:

• Perform most of the setup in the Getting started guide.
• Set up discounts, account / order profiles, and reporting shifts, as well as other elements not covered within the guide
• View and manage employees' hours worked.
• Connect and manage Lightspeed add-ons, such as Order Anywhere online ordering and Lightspeed Delivery, and third-party integrations.
• Review sales reports.

Logging in for the first time

On your first login to the Back Office, we’ll prompt you to activate Lightspeed Payments and to start setting up Lightspeed Restaurant. After completing these steps, you’ll be able to log in to the Back Office without any extra actions in the future.

Before logging in, find your account activation email and follow its prompts to set a Back Office admin password. If you're setting up multiple business locations, you'll receive one email for them all.

1. In a web browser, visit https://manager.lsk.lightspeed.app/ to access the Back Office login page.
   
   

   Note: We recommend using a computer to access the Back Office as it will be more responsive a tablet. Back Office is not supported on mobile phone devices.

2. Enter your username (email address) and password.
3. Click Log in to continue.
4. If prompted, select the particular business you want to log in to. 
5. At the Welcome screen, click Activate Payments to begin applying for Lightspeed Payments. Applying is the first step in setting up Lightspeed Payments, and your sales representative will guide you through this process.
   
   

   Note: The Lightspeed Payments application requirements differ slightly from region to region. From the Back Office header, you can check your application status, resume an application, or submit a new application for a business location that’s a separate legal entity.

   

6. After your payments application, click Set up Lightspeed Restaurant back on the Welcome screen to begin setting up your POS.
7. Click Get started to continue with the setup wizard.
   
   

   If you skipped the payments application or Lightspeed Payments is not available in your region, you’ll see this screen immediately after logging in to the Back Office.

   

8. Verify your business's trade and company details, including its name, address, and contact person. Click Confirm to continue.
   • Trade details cover your business's customer-facing presence. Here, you enter the name and physical address of your business location. 
   • Company details are your legal ownership information. For example, your legal entity name, company contact, and any additional addresses.

   If you need to make changes later, you can do so from your business settings.

   

9. Select the business type that best describes your establishment, then click Continue. Business types automatically pre-configure certain features on your account, but you can always change individual settings later.

   Business profile types

   Note: Available business profiles may vary by region.

   • Fast Casual / QSR

     Ideal for quick-serve restaurants without tables, such as food trucks or ghost kitchens. Features present in the Fast Casual / QSR profile include:

     • Basic table number support with no floor plans
     • Customer receipts print automatically when closing orders
     • No tipping

   • Cafes / Bakeries

     Ideal for quick-serve restaurants with tables, such as a coffee shop or fast food. Features present in the Cafes / Bakeries profile include:

     • Full table number support, including floor plans
     • Customer receipts print automatically when closing orders

   • Bar / Pubs

     Ideal for bars, pubs, and taverns with counter or table service. Features present in the Bars / Pubs profile include:

     • Full table number support, including floor plans
     • Customer receipts print automatically when closing orders
     • Ability to organize orders by seat

   • Casual / Fine dining

     Ideal for both traditional and upscale restaurants who need complete table management. Features present in the Casual / Fine dining profile include:

     • Full table number support, including floor plans
     • Order tickets print the full course history
     • No Direct Sale mode
     • Users are automatically logged out after completing orders

   • Hotels

     Ideal for hotel establishments. Features present in the Hotels profile include:

     • Full table number support, including floor plans
     • Order tickets print the full course history and floor plan name
     • No Direct Sale mode
     • Users are automatically logged out after completing orders
10. Complete the rest of the wizard to access your Back Office. All steps are optional and covered later in our Getting started guide, so you can skip any that you’re not ready to complete yet.
    
    

    The wizard will help you:

    • Configure your tax settings (North America only, automatic in other regions).
    • Enter your fiscal details, such as a VAT or GST number (Europe, Australia, and surrounding regions only).
    • Set up accounting groups and set the tax that will be applied to each collection of menu items.
    • Download the Lightspeed Restaurant app and add a POS device.

Navigating the Back Office

Finding your way around the Back Office requires understanding its two main components: the navigation menu and header. The navigation menu contains links to all Back Office sections and features, and the header allows you to access account management and support pages quickly.

Navigation menu

The navigation menu on the left sidebar categorizes the various features present in the Back Office and includes a search bar for quick navigation to specific features. 

Continue reading for an overview of each default top-level menu section and its function.

Sections of the navigation menu

• Business location dropdown: If you have multiple business locations, this allows you to switch between the Back Office of each location. This menu is not visible to businesses with only one location. 
• Navigate to: Click to search for a specific Back Office feature contained in the menus. Search can also be triggered with the keyboard shortcut Cmd + K (Mac) or Ctrl + K (Windows).
• Home: Return to the Dashboard that initially appears after logging in to the Back Office.
• Menu management: Add, edit, and manage items, menus, and accounting groups.
• Configuration: Manage account settings, POS devices and device configurations, printers and printer settings, users and user groups, and payment methods.
• Reports: Access the Sales summary and other reporting, such as sales and staff reports.
• Advanced insights: Our Advanced Insights add-on is a proprietary reporting system that offers comprehensive access into your key business metrics.
• Hours: View user shifts and hours worked, and add new user shifts.
• Integration: Set up and manage add-ons and third-party integrations like online ordering and Lightspeed Delivery, for example.
• Inventory: Manage your stock through our Inventory module, which provides detailed insights and tracking capabilities.
• Customers: Add, view, and manage customer information, gift cards, and loyalty cards.
• Financial services: Learn more about Lightspeed Payments and Lightspeed Capital.
• PMS search: Search for specific receipts if using a third-party property management system integration.

Header

The header at the top of the screen links to support resources and account management features, such as changing the Back Office language and logging out.

Continue reading for an overview of each header section and its function.

Sections of the header

• Setup guide: Step-by-step guide through the initial setup process. The Setup guide is only visible while your account is still in setup mode.
• Help: View your Business ID and access links to the Help Center, tutorial videos, support email address, and System status page.
• Language: Change the language used in Back Office menus and sections to German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, or Dutch.
• Product Switcher (grid icon): The Product Switcher allows you to toggle between your existing Lightspeed add-ons, such as Order Anywhere, and start a free trial for those you don't currently subscribe to. Your Lightspeed Payments application status also appears here, allowing you to see when you’re approved or to start or resume an application.
• User name or icon: View and change the name, email address, and password for your account, to manage your subscription and billing invoices (select accounts only), or to log out of the Back Office.

About the Setup guide

The Setup guide, located in the upper-right corner on the Back Office page header, is a useful supplement to our Getting started guide. It's only available while your account is in setup mode (all accounts begin in setup mode until you go live).

The guide tracks your progress toward launching Lightspeed Restaurant in your business with each task you complete. Click a section of the guide, like Configure your menu, to view what still needs to be done for that section.