Lupa's interface is built around a single top navigation bar that takes you everywhere — the Calendar, your client records, team chat, specialist modules, and practice settings. Once you know the five or six main areas and the keyboard shortcut for global search, you can move around the system as fast as a receptionist answers the phone.
💡 In short: The top navigation bar is your home base. Use it to reach the Calendar, Clients, Chat, Apps (specialist modules), Settings, and Admin. Press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows) to jump to any record instantly. Press ? at any time to see all keyboard shortcuts.
What You'll Need
A Lupa account with at least one store (location) assigned
A modern web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox)
Your practice may use multiple locations — if so, you'll use the store switcher to move between them
The Top Navigation Bar
The top navigation bar runs across the top of every page in Lupa. It's always visible and never scrolls away. !Screenshot needed: the full top navigation bar showing the Lupa logo, Calendar, Clients, Chat, Apps dropdown, Create button, search icon, bell icon, store switcher, and avatar menu on the right
Item | What it does | Who uses it most |
Calendar | Opens the appointment calendar — your home screen. Shows appointments, blocks, patient flow, and hospitalisations depending on your enabled features. | Everyone — this is where your day starts |
Clients | Opens the Clients & Pets module — search, create, and manage client records, pet profiles, and referring clinics. | Receptionists, nurses, vets |
Chat | Opens messaging — switch between the Client tab (messaging pet owners) and the Internal tab (team chat and channels). | Receptionists, anyone communicating with clients or colleagues |
Apps | A dropdown menu of specialist modules — Inventory, Insurance, Marketing, Reminders, Rota, Analytics, Diagnostics, Subscription Plans, Lupa Pay, and more. Which apps appear depends on what's enabled for your practice. | Varies by module |
Create | Quick-create button for appointments, calendar blocks, invoices/estimates, and admissions. | Receptionists, vets |
Search icon | Opens global search. Also accessible with Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows). | Everyone |
Bell icon | Opens the side panel with Notifications (appointment alerts) and Tasks (team task management). | Receptionists, nurses, vets |
Store switcher | For multi-site practices — switch between clinic locations. Your current location name is shown in the bar. | Staff working across multiple branches |
Avatar menu | Your profile picture in the top-right corner. Click to access account settings, change your password, or log out. | Everyone |
📍 What you see depends on your permissions. Not every team member sees every item. The Apps dropdown, Settings, and Admin sections only show modules your role has access to. If something is missing, ask your Practice Manager to check your permissions.
The Calendar — Your Home Screen
The Calendar loads automatically when you log in. It's the central hub for daily operations. From here you can:
View appointments across your team in Day, Week, or Continuous (Timeline) views
Track patient flow using the Flow Chart tab (a Kanban board of appointment statuses)
Manage hospitalisations from the Hospitalisation tab (when enabled)
Plan house calls using the Map Diary tab (when enabled) Click Calendar in the top navigation bar at any time to return here.
The Clients & Pets Module
Click Clients to open the client and pet management area. This page has tabs for:
Tab | What it shows |
Clients | All client records — searchable by name, email, phone, or postcode. Click any client to open their full profile with pets, invoices, appointments, and communications. |
Pets | All pet records — searchable by name, species, breed, microchip number, or owner name. |
Clinics | Referring clinics — other veterinary practices that refer patients to you (or that you refer to). |
The Apps Dropdown
Click Apps in the top navigation bar to see a dropdown of specialist modules. Each module handles a specific domain:
Module | What it does |
Inventory | Product catalogue, stock levels, supplier orders, deliveries, stock takes, and stock transfers |
Insurance | Insurance claims, pre-authorisations, policy search, and settlement tracking |
Marketing | Email campaigns, AI phone call campaigns, WhatsApp campaigns, and audience segments |
Reminders | Pet care reminders — vaccination, flea treatment, dental check schedules and automated notifications |
Rota | Staff shift scheduling — build weekly rotas, manage availability, and control online booking slots |
Analytics | Dashboards and custom data tables for revenue, appointments, clients, and inventory reporting |
Diagnostics | Lab orders (IDEXX, Zoetis, Laboklin) and diagnostic imaging with results tracking |
Subscription Plans | Health plan management — create plans, enrol subscribers, and track allowance usage |
Lupa Pay | Card payment transactions, payouts, disputes, and terminal management |
💡 Not all apps appear for every user. Your Practice Manager controls which modules are enabled for your practice, and your role determines which you can access.
Global Search
Global search is the fastest way to find anything in Lupa — clients, pets, appointments, products, services, or bundles.
Press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows) — or click the search icon in the top navigation bar
Type a name, phone number, email, microchip number, or product name
Press Enter to search
Results appear grouped by type: Pets, Clients, Appointments, Clinics, Products, Services, Bundles
Click any result to jump straight to that record
💡 Global search is for quick lookups. For detailed filtering (e.g. "all dogs overdue for vaccination"), use the search and filter tools within each module instead.
For full details on search, notifications, and tasks, see .
The Notifications and Tasks Side Panel
Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar to open the side panel. It has two tabs:
Notifications — appointment-related alerts (new online bookings, status changes) that need your attention
Tasks — team task management with priorities, categories, assignees, and due dates The badge count on the bell shows how many unread notifications and active tasks you have.
Settings
Click Settings in the top navigation bar to access your practice's configuration. Settings is organised into tabs covering different areas:
Settings area | What you configure |
Details | Practice name, address, contact info, opening hours, logo, and locale |
Employees | Staff profiles, roles, and qualifications for this location |
Appointment Types | Visit types with durations, categories, pricing, and online booking visibility |
Services | Billable professional services (consultations, procedures, fees) |
Bundles | Packaged combinations of services and products |
Financial | Bank details, payment terminals, tax rates, and financial locking |
Online Booking | Booking portal configuration, intake questions, and confirmation messages |
Communications | Email accounts, SMS settings, WhatsApp, and default reminder templates |
📍 Settings shows store-level configuration — settings for your current location. For company-wide settings that apply to all branches, use Admin.
Admin (Company-Level)
If your role includes admin access, you'll see Admin in the top navigation bar. This is the company-level control panel for multi-site practices:
Settings — company-wide team members, permissions, security, integrations, and configuration that applies to all locations
Analytics — aggregated reporting across all branches
Apps — company-level access to modules like Subscription Plans and Marketing The key difference: Settings configures one location. Admin configures the whole organisation.
Switching Between Locations (Multi-Site)
If your practice has multiple branches, the store switcher appears in the top navigation bar showing your current location name.
Click the store name in the navigation bar
Select a different location from the dropdown
Lupa reloads with the selected store's data — calendar, clients, inventory, and settings all switch to that branch
💡 Your permissions may differ between locations. If you can access a feature at one branch but not another, check with your Practice Manager — permissions can be configured per store.
The Avatar Menu
Click your profile picture (or initials) in the top-right corner to see:
Option | What it does |
Settings | Opens your personal profile — update your name, phone, title, avatar, and password |
Log out | Signs you out of Lupa. Always log out on shared clinic devices. |
Keyboard Shortcuts
Lupa has a full set of keyboard shortcuts to help you move around and act quickly without reaching for the mouse. Press ? at any time to open the Keyboard shortcuts cheatsheet — a pop-up that lists every available shortcut grouped by category. You can also press ? again or press Escape to close it.
💡 Tip: The cheatsheet only appears when you're not typing in a text field, so pressing ? while writing a note won't trigger it.
Navigation
Shortcut | What it does |
Cmd+K / Ctrl+K | Open global search from anywhere |
? | Open the Keyboard shortcuts cheatsheet |
Alt+Shift+C | Go to the calendar |
Alt+Shift+L | Go to the clients list |
Alt+Shift+P | Go to the pets list |
Alt+Shift+A | Go to the appointments list |
Alt+Shift+Y | Go to the inventory |
Alt+Shift+S | Go to analytics |
Alt+Shift+R | Go to reminders |
Alt+Shift+I | Go to imaging (when imaging is enabled for your practice) |
Alt+Shift+F | Go to the flow chart |
Alt+Q | Log out |
Alt+C | Open client details (available on appointment, invoice, and imaging pages) |
Alt+P | Open pet details (available on appointment, invoice, imaging, and pet pages) |
Creating records
Shortcut | What it does |
Alt+A | Create a new appointment |
Alt+B | Block off time in the calendar |
Alt+I | Create a new invoice |
Alt+E | Create a new estimate |
Working on an invoice
Shortcut | What it does |
Alt+S | Save the invoice (only active while the invoice is in edit mode) |
What's Next?
If you want to... | Go to |
Learn about search, notifications, and tasks | |
Understand the calendar views | |
Book your first appointment | |
Register a new client and pet | |
Set up your profile and change your password | |
Understand roles and what you can access |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I see a module that my colleague can see?
Why can't I see a module that my colleague can see?
Your role may not include the permission for that module. Lupa shows different navigation items based on your assigned permissions. Ask your Practice Manager to check your access in Settings → Roles & Permissions.
Can I customise which items appear in the navigation bar?
Can I customise which items appear in the navigation bar?
The navigation bar is controlled by your permissions — there's no manual customisation. If a module is enabled for your practice and your role has access, it appears automatically.
What's the difference between Settings and Admin?
What's the difference between Settings and Admin?
Settings configures the store (location) you're currently working in — appointment types, services, staff, financial settings. Admin configures your organisation as a whole — company-wide team members, permissions, security, and cross-location settings.
How do I get back to the calendar quickly?
How do I get back to the calendar quickly?
Click Calendar in the top navigation bar from any page. The calendar is always one click away.
Does the navigation look different on mobile?
Does the navigation look different on mobile?
The Lupa work app is designed for desktop and tablet browsers. On smaller screens, some elements may collapse into a menu. For mobile access, staff can use the work-mobile app, which wraps the web interface for tablet and phone use.
Can I open multiple pages at once?
Can I open multiple pages at once?
Yes — right-click any link and choose "Open in new tab" to keep multiple records open side by side. This is useful when comparing client records or referencing one appointment while working on another.