# Signing In & the Administration Panel

## Signing in as an administrator

1. Open the CRM in your browser:
   - **Production:** `https://crm.clevelandbusinessmentors.org`
   - **Sandbox:** `https://crm-test.clevelandbusinessmentors.org`
2. Enter your **administrator** username and password.
3. You'll land on a dashboard like any user — your *administrator* access simply adds an extra **Administration** area.

> Administrator accounts can change settings and see everyone's data. Keep your credentials secure, never share the admin login, and give each person their own account (see [Chapter 2 — Users, Roles & Access](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/users-roles-access)) instead of sharing one.

## Opening the Administration panel

Click your **avatar / initials in the top-right corner**, then choose **Administration**. (Only users with admin access see this option.)

The Administration page is a grid of labeled sections. You won't need most of them often — here are the ones this guide uses, and where each is covered.

## The areas you'll use

**Users and access**

- **Users** — the people who can sign in. *([Chapter 2](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/users-roles-access))*
- **Teams** — groups used to organize people and control visibility. *([Chapter 2](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/users-roles-access))*
- **Roles** — what a user or team is allowed to see and do. *([Chapter 2](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/users-roles-access))*

**System and customization**

- **Settings** — system-wide options. *([Chapter 3](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/configuration-customization))*
- **User Interface** — the navigation menu / tab list, including the **Documentation** tab. *([Chapter 3](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/configuration-customization))*
- **Entity Manager / Layout Manager** — the structure of records and forms. **Changed through the sandbox-first process, not casually here.** *([Chapter 3](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/configuration-customization))*
- **Label Manager** — the wording shown around the interface. *([Chapter 3](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/configuration-customization))*

**Data**

- **Import** — bring records in from a spreadsheet. *([Chapter 4](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/managing-data))*

**Email**

- **Outbound Emails, Email Accounts, Email Templates** — how the CRM sends mail. *([Chapter 5](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/integrations))*

**Maintenance**

- **Scheduled Jobs, Jobs, Auth Tokens** — background tasks and sessions; mostly informational. *([Chapter 6](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/operations-maintenance) – [Chapter 7](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/troubleshooting-recovery-reference))*

> **A note on the powerful areas:** *Entity Manager*, *Layout Manager*, and the bulk data tools can change the CRM for everyone at once. Treat them as read-only until you've read the chapter that covers them — and remember the golden rule: **Sandbox first.**

## Finding your way back

Wherever you are in Administration, the **CBM logo (top-left)** returns you to the main CRM, and the **avatar menu → Administration** brings you back here.