First-Time User Guide

Welcome to ProcFu! This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know as a first-time user, from registration to building your first app and script.

Registration and Login

Getting started with ProcFu is simple:

1. Visit ProcFu.com and click the Login button in the top right
2. If you're new, click Sign Up
3. Choose your OAuth provider:
   • Podio (recommended if you're a Podio user — makes integrations easier)
   • Google (if your Podio account is already used elsewhere)
4. Sign in with your chosen provider

Once authenticated, you'll land on your ProcFu dashboard.

Your 30-Day Trial

New users receive a 30-day free trial with access to nearly all features:

• Monthly action limit: 10,000 actions (equivalent to the Silver plan)
• Full access to: API functions, ProcScript, App Builder, repositories, data syncs, and more
• Limited features: Only resource-intensive features like AI and certain heavy scripts are restricted during trial

Understanding Your Dashboard

Your dashboard shows:

• Actions count: Track your monthly usage in real-time
• Quick navigation: Access all ProcFu tools from the left sidebar

Account Settings

Navigate to your account settings to configure:

• Security: View your timezone, email, and account details
• Additional users: Add team members to your account
• Billing: Upgrade/downgrade plans, add invoice details
• Payment history: View all past invoices

Setting Up Integrations

Before building anything, connect your platforms:

1. Go to Integrations in your dashboard
2. Click Add New Integration
3. Select your platform (e.g., Podio)
4. Authenticate with your credentials
5. Click Test to verify the connection

Once connected, ProcFu can interact with your Podio workspace, apps, and data.

Getting Support

If you get stuck, ProcFu offers multiple support channels:

Support Tickets

Click the Support Tickets icon on the left sidebar to raise a ticket. Response time is typically 10-15 minutes during US business hours.

Documentation

• Official Help Docs: Click the help icon in your ProcFu dashboard
• ProcFu Guide: Visit ProcFuGuide.com (this site!) for comprehensive tutorials and examples

Community

• ProcFu User Forum: A Podio space where users ask questions and share solutions (request access via support ticket)
• Blog: Read case studies and feature announcements
• YouTube: Watch video tutorials on Andreas's channel

Functions: The Core of ProcFu

ProcFu offers 300+ functions for interacting with Podio, Tape, APIs, databases, storage, and more. You can use these functions in three main ways:

1. Function Console: Test functions directly in the ProcFu dashboard
2. Podio Workflow Automation (PWA): Use ProcFu bricks inside your GlobiFlow workflows
3. App Builder: Call functions within your custom apps using ProcScript

Exploring Functions

Navigate to Functions in your dashboard to browse by category:

• Podio functions: Create items, update fields, search apps, manage files
• Web functions: Scrape websites, make API calls
• Google Workspace: Interact with Docs, Sheets, Drive
• Tape, Notion, SQL, S3, FTP, ShareFile
• ChatGPT / OpenAI
• Miscellaneous: OCR, email (SMTP), and more

Building Your First App

The App Builder lets you create secure portals, forms, dashboards, and internal tools without writing complex code. Here's a quick example:

Example: Contact Submission Form

Step 1: Create a Podio App

1. In Podio, create a new app called "Contact Submissions"
2. Add fields:
   • Name (text)
   • Email (email)
   • Message (text)

Step 2: Build the App in ProcFu

1. Go to Apps → New App
2. Click Add New Screen
3. Name it "Create Record"
4. Select Podio as the data source
5. Choose your workspace and the Contact Submissions app
6. Set screen type to Create

Step 3: Add a Thank You Screen

1. Add another screen: Text Information
2. Name it "Thank You"
3. Add a simple "Thank you for your submission!" message
4. Go back to the Create Record screen settings
5. Set "After Submit" to redirect to the Thank You screen

Step 4: Configure Authentication

Since this is a public contact form:

1. Go to App Configuration
2. Set authentication to None
3. Set the first screen to Create Record

Step 5: Apply a Theme

1. Go to Configuration → Theme
2. Select a theme (e.g., NISA Beta)
3. Save and refresh — your form now looks polished!

Step 6: Embed on Your Website

1. Go to Configuration
2. Enable iFrame Embedding
3. Set a custom slug (e.g., contact-form)
4. Copy the iframe code and paste it into your website

You now have a fully functional contact form that saves submissions directly to Podio — built in under 5 minutes!

Writing Your First Script

ProcFu's Code / ProcScript editor lets you write custom logic using PHP-like syntax and call any ProcFu function.

Example: Joke API Integration

Let's fetch a random joke from a public API and save it to Podio.

Step 1: Create a Podio App

1. Create an app called "Jokes"
2. Add fields:
   • Type (text)
   • Setup (text)
   • Punchline (text)
   • Date (date/time)
3. Copy the app ID from the URL

Step 2: Write the Script

1. Go to Code in your ProcFu dashboard
2. Use the remote_curl function to call the joke API:

$result = remote_curl(
  "https://official-joke-api.appspot.com/random_joke",
  "GET",
  [],
  [],
  false
);

3. Use podio_item_create to save the joke:

$result2 = podio_item_create(
  YOUR_APP_ID,
  [
    "type" => $result['type'],
    "setup" => $result['setup'],
    "punchline" => $result['punchline']
  ],
  false,
  true
);

4. Click Run to test

Check your Podio app — you should see a new joke item!

Step 3: Save and Schedule

1. Save the script with a name (e.g., "Joke Script")
2. Go to Account → Scheduled Tasks
3. Click Add New Task
4. Select Run a ProcScript
5. Choose your Joke Script
6. Set the schedule (e.g., daily at 1:00 PM)

Now a new joke will be saved to Podio every day automatically!

Understanding Action Counts

Every operation in ProcFu consumes actions:

• Each function call = 1 action (approximately)
• Running a script with multiple function calls = multiple actions
• View your usage in the dashboard — it updates in near real-time

Advanced Features

Data Syncs

For large Podio apps (10,000+ records), querying directly can be slow. Use Data Syncs to mirror your Podio data to a MySQL database:

• Set up a sync between a Podio app and an SQL database
• Every update in Podio triggers an update in the SQL database
• Connect Power BI, Tableau, or other tools to the SQL database for fast reporting

Queue System

For long-running tasks (e.g., generating a complex report), use ProcFu's queue system:

• User clicks a button to trigger the task
• Task is added to the queue and runs in the background
• User receives a notification when it's complete (e.g., via email)

Custom Domains

Attach your own domain to your ProcFu apps for a professional, branded experience.

Error Logs and Debugging

If something goes wrong:

• Go to Logs to view detailed error messages
• Enable Email Notifications to receive errors directly in your inbox
• Use the ProcScript debugger to step through your code

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics, explore these areas:

• Functions API: Browse all 300+ functions
• App Builder Overview: Learn about screens, authentication, and code events
• ProcScript Documentation: Master scripting syntax and best practices
• Tips & Tricks: Learn advanced techniques and real-world examples

Welcome to the ProcFu community — happy building!