Getting Started

First-Run Setup

Before you can run events in Forge, you need to complete a few one-time org-level configuration steps. Steps 1–2 apply to every org, free or paid events alike; Step 3 (connecting a payment gateway) is only required if you plan to sell paid tickets.

Step 1: Verify the managed packages

  1. Go to Salesforce Setup > Installed Packages and confirm "Blackthorn | Events" (conference360__) and "Blackthorn | Base" (bt_base__) are listed — both are required for Forge.
  2. If your org sells paid tickets, confirm "Blackthorn | Payments" (bt_stripe__) is also installed.
  3. If a package is missing, contact Blackthorn support to obtain the installation link for your license tier.

Step 2: Assign permission sets

  1. In Salesforce Setup, go to Users > Permission Sets.
  2. Assign a Blackthorn Events set to every user who needs Forge access — "Blackthorn Events Admin" for full access, or "Blackthorn Event Organizer" for day-to-day event management (see the Permissions page for the full list, including Base and Payments sets).
  3. If the org sells paid tickets, also assign a Blackthorn Payments set (e.g. "Blackthorn Payments Admin") to anyone who needs to configure gateways or process refunds — this is unassigned by default and easy to miss.
  4. Assign a Blackthorn Base set (Admin, User, or Read Only) as well — Base underlies core record access.

Permission sets control Forge access

Forge reads your Salesforce CRUD/FLS permissions at runtime. If a user cannot see a field in Salesforce, they cannot see or edit it in Forge. There is no separate Forge permission system — everything flows from Salesforce.

Step 3: Connect a payment gateway (paid events only)

Skip this step if you're only running free events. Connecting a gateway is an admin task — it requires the Blackthorn Payments Admin permission set.

  1. In Forge, open Admin (bottom of the sidebar).
  2. Navigate to Payment Gateways.
  3. Click "Connect Gateway" and select your provider — Stripe, Authorize.net, or "Other (via Spreedly)". TouchNet and CashNet are listed but marked coming soon; they are not yet connectable.
  4. Enter your API credentials. These are stored in Salesforce as a bt_stripe__Payment_Gateway__c record — never in Forge's own database.
  5. Save and verify the connection.

Step 4: Configure org-level fee defaults (optional)

If you want to apply a default processing fee or service charge to all events, go to Admin > Fees and create a fee template. This creates a bt_stripe__Fee__c record that events can inherit. Individual events can override these defaults in their Tickets & Items tab.

Step 5: Set up email

Forge sends transactional emails (registration confirmations, tickets, reminders) through Salesforce's email infrastructure by default. If your org uses an external email provider (SendGrid, etc.), configure it in Admin > Communications.

You're ready

Once the packages are installed, permission sets are assigned, and a gateway is connected, you can create your first event. Head to the Quick Paths page for the fastest route to your first registration.