ClubMates — User Guide

🚀 Getting Started

ClubMates is a mobile-first Progressive Web App (PWA) for managing cricket club finances, match polls, and umpire assignments. Works on any device — phone, tablet, or desktop.

Sign In

1. Open the app at clubmates.app
2. Tap Sign in with Google
3. Select your Google account
4. You'll see the My Clubs screen — ready to go!

Install as App (optional)

For the best experience, install ClubMates on your phone:

• Android: Tap the "Add to Home Screen" banner, or use Chrome menu → "Install app"
• iPhone: Open in Safari → Share → "Add to Home Screen"

🏠 Creating & Joining Clubs

Create a Club

1. On the My Clubs screen, tap + Create
2. Enter a club name (e.g., "Samurai Cricket Club")
3. Optionally upload a club logo and set a currency symbol
4. Tap Create Club — you're the Owner!

Join a Club

1. Tap Join on the My Clubs screen
2. Paste the Club ID or invite link shared with you
3. Tap Join — you'll be added as a Member

Switching Clubs

Tap the ← arrow in the top-left or use the menu → Back to My Clubs to switch between clubs.

📊 Dashboard

The Dashboard is the first thing you see when you enter a club. It shows:

• Approved Balance — total income minus expenses (approved transactions only)
• Pending items — count and amount of transactions awaiting approval (when approval workflow is on)
• Summary cards — quick totals for Contributions, Expenses, and Sponsorships
• Member count and club managers' names
• Recent transactions — latest activity at a glance

➕ Recording Transactions

Any signed-in member can record a transaction.

Transaction Types

• 💸 Expense — money spent (ground fees, equipment, travel, etc.)
• 💰 Contribution — money collected from members (dues, match-day fees)
• 🤝 Sponsorship — sponsor or external payments

How to Record

1. Go to the Record tab (bottom nav)
2. Select the transaction type
3. Choose the member (for contributions) or enter details
4. Enter amount, description, and date
5. Pick a category from the dropdown
6. Tap Submit

📋 Transaction History

View all transactions from the History section (accessible via the ☰ menu → Transaction History or scroll down on Dashboard).

Search & Filter

• Search by description, member name, or category
• Filter chips: All, Expenses, Contributions, Sponsorships, Pending
• Sort by date (newest/oldest) or amount

Multi-Select & Bulk Delete

1. Tap the ☑ Select button in the History toolbar
2. Tap transactions to check/uncheck them
3. Use Select All or Deselect in the action bar
4. Tap Delete Selected to remove them Treasurer

Single Delete

Tap the ✕ on any transaction to delete it. Treasurer

✅ Approvals & Workflow

When Approval Workflow is enabled in Club Settings, transactions must be approved before counting toward the balance.

How It Works

• Members submit transactions → status is Pending
• Treasurer sees a pending card on the Dashboard
• Treasurer can Approve ✓ or Reject ✗ each transaction
• Only approved transactions count toward the balance

Treasurer Self-Submissions

When a Treasurer records a transaction, it's auto-approved (no need to approve your own entries).

👥 Managing Members

View Members

The Members tab shows all club members with their role, contribution total, expense total, and sponsorship total.

Add Members Treasurer

• Add Manually — creates a "placeholder" member with just a name. They can later claim their account after joining the app.
• Invite by Email — sends an email invitation with a join link.
• Share Invite Link — copies or shares a join URL via WhatsApp. Anyone with the link can join.
• Club ID — share the club ID for others to join manually.

Change Roles Treasurer

Tap the role dropdown next to any member to change their role between Owner, Treasurer, and Member.

Placeholder Claims

When a new user joins the app and there's a placeholder member with a matching name, they can claim that account to inherit existing transaction history.

📢 Match Polls

Quickly check who's available for an upcoming match.

Create a Poll Treasurer

1. Go to the Polls tab
2. Tap + Create Poll
3. Set the match title, date, time, and venue
4. Tap Create & Share — a WhatsApp message with the poll link is auto-generated

Respond to a Poll All

• Tap ✅ Yes, ❌ No, or 🤔 Maybe on any open poll
• Share your vote on WhatsApp using the WA My Vote button
• You can change your vote at any time while the poll is open

Deep-Link Voting

Poll links include voting shortcuts: ?poll=ID&club=ID&vote=yes. Members can vote directly by tapping a link — no need to open the app and find the poll.

Reminders Treasurer

• A reminder banner appears across all tabs when a match is within 2 days and fewer than 11 members confirmed
• Tap Nudge to send a WhatsApp reminder to non-responders
• Close Poll to stop accepting responses

🏏 Umpire Duty

Manage umpire assignments for matches.

Create Assignment Treasurer

1. Go to Polls tab → Umpiring sub-tab
2. Tap + Assign Umpire
3. Enter match title, date, and venue
4. Choose a method:
   • 🙋 Volunteer — share on WhatsApp, members tap to claim
   • 👤 Manual Pick — select a member directly
   • 🎲 Dice Roll — randomly pick from members with the lowest umpire count
5. Tap Create & Share

Swap Requests

If you're assigned and can't umpire, request a swap. Another member can accept the swap request.

Umpire Stats

Track how many times each member has umpired in the Stats filter view.

🔑 Roles & Permissions

Owner Owner

• Full control over everything
• Can delete the club
• Can change anyone's role (including promoting to Owner)
• All Treasurer permissions included

Treasurer Treasurer

• Approve / reject transactions
• Create polls and umpire assignments
• Add members manually or by email
• Share invite links and poll links on WhatsApp
• Manage club settings (name, logo, currency, guest access)
• Export data (Excel, JSON)
• Change member roles (Member / Treasurer — not Owner)

Member Member

• Record own transactions
• Vote in polls
• Volunteer for umpire duty
• Share own vote on WhatsApp
• View dashboard, history, and member list

👁️ Guest Access

Allow non-members to view your club data without signing in.

Enable Guest Access Treasurer

1. Open ☰ menu → Club Settings
2. Under Guest Access, choose:
   • Open — anyone with the link can view
   • PIN Protected — guests need a 4-digit PIN
   • Disabled — no guest access
3. Save settings

What Guests Can Do

• ✅ View balances and summary
• ✅ View polls and respond to polls
• ❌ Cannot record transactions
• ❌ Cannot manage members or settings

A blue "Guest — read only" banner tells guests they have limited access.

⚙️ Club Settings

Access via ☰ menu → Club Settings. Treasurer

Available Settings

• Club Name — rename your club
• Club Logo — upload or change the logo image
• Currency Symbol — set the currency displayed (₹, $, £, etc.)
• Approval Workflow — toggle on/off. When on, member submissions need Treasurer approval.
• Guest Access — Disabled, Open, or PIN-protected (see Guest Access section)
• Custom Categories — add or remove transaction categories

📤 Export & Backup

Access from the ☰ menu.

Export to Excel

Downloads all transactions as an .xlsx spreadsheet — great for sharing with the committee or filing records.

Export JSON Backup

Downloads a complete backup of all club data (settings, members, transactions, polls, umpire assignments) as a .json file.

💬 WhatsApp Sharing

ClubMates is deeply integrated with WhatsApp for sharing with your club group.

What You Can Share

• Balance Summary — formatted summary of income/expenses (Dashboard → WhatsApp button)
• Poll Links — create a poll and share on WhatsApp. Members can vote by tapping the link.
• Your Vote — share your own poll response via "WA My Vote"
• Invite Link — share a join link so teammates can join the club
• Umpire Assignments — share volunteer opportunities on WhatsApp
• Poll Nudge — remind non-responders via WhatsApp
• App Guide — share this guide on WhatsApp (from the App Guide modal)

💡 Tips & FAQ

How do I invite my teammates?

Open the ☰ menu → Copy Invite Link and send it via WhatsApp, or share the Club ID.

Can I be in multiple clubs?

Yes! You can create or join as many clubs as you need. Switch between them from the My Clubs screen.

What happens when I delete a club?

All data is permanently deleted — transactions, polls, members, everything. Only the Owner can delete a club, and you must type the club name to confirm.

How does auto-update work?

The app has a service worker that checks for updates every 5 minutes. When an update is available, you'll see a "✨ App updated!" toast and the app refreshes automatically. No reinstall needed.

Can I use ClubMates without installing?

Yes! It works fully in any modern browser. Installing is optional but gives you a full-screen, app-like experience.

Is my data secure?

ClubMates uses Google Sign-In and Firebase's security rules. Only club members can see their club's data. All communication is encrypted (HTTPS).

Who can I contact for help?

Reach out to your club's Owner or Treasurer. For app issues, contact the app administrator.