1) Sessions: what they are for

Sessions (also referred to as mini-projects) let you break a single project into separate moments/events so you can plan dates, locations, and optional extras in a clearer way.

Typical sessions inside a “Wedding” project:

Welcome Dinner
Rehearsal
Pool Party
Engagement shoot
Day 2 / Brunch
After party

A session is useful to manage:

Name + description (what the session is)
Location (with geocoding + weather support)
Date range (one day or multiple days)
Time + duration (and automatic end-time calculation)
An optional extra price linked to that session (price_extra)

2) Session pricing: how an added session price is handled

When you create/edit a session, you can optionally fill in a “Price extra” field. This represents an additional fee connected to that session (extra coverage, additional event, upgrade, etc.).

You have different ways to use that price depending on how you want to sell and collect it:

Option A — Add a price and generate a new invoice for the session

Use this when the extra should be billed separately (common when it’s added later).

What you do:

Set Price extra
Click the action to generate an invoice for that session

What the system does:

Creates a draft invoice linked to the project and its client
If price_extra > 0, adds one invoice line item:
- Item name = session name
- Quantity = 1
- Price = price_extra
Stores the created invoice reference on the session (invoice_id) so you know that session has a related invoice

When to use:

Last‑minute additions
Separate billing for add-ons

Option B — Do not generate an invoice: treat it as an add-on in the main quote

Use this when you want the session to be part of the overall package/quote.

What you do:

(Optionally) store the extra as Price extra in the session as a reference
Add that extra as a line item inside the main quote for the project

When to use:

You want one unified quote for everything
You want one acceptance step for the client

Option C — Add a price and generate a new quote for the session

Use this when you want the client to approve the extra first, before invoicing.

What you do:

Set Price extra
Click the action to generate a quote for that session

What the system does:

Creates a draft quote linked to the project and its client
If price_extra > 0, adds one quote line item:
- Item name = session name
- Quantity = 1
- Price = price_extra
Stores the created quote reference on the session (quote_id) so you know that session has a related quote

When to use:

Scope changes that need explicit acceptance
Add-ons that you want to “sell” separately

3) How to use Sessions (step-by-step, practical)

Inside a project you can:

Create a session from scratch

You can fill:

Name
Location
Date range
All-day toggle (if it lasts the whole day)
Start time + duration (end time is calculated automatically)
Price extra (optional)

Create a session from a template (catalog)

If you maintain templates in Settings → Mini-projects / Session templates, you can:

Select a template when creating/editing a session
Auto-fill name/description and suggested duration

Edit a session later

You can update:

Dates and times
Duration
Location
Description
Price extra

Extra helpful behavior:

The system can store coordinates for locations (geocoding) and show weather for the address.

4) Tasks: what they are for

Tasks are the operational checklist for a project. They help you run each project consistently and avoid forgetting steps.

You can:

Create tasks
Set priority (low / medium / high)
Add a description
Set a due date
Reorder tasks with drag & drop
Mark tasks as completed

Best practice:

Create reusable workflows via Task templates (Settings → Task templates), then apply them to projects.

5) Task automations (email + stage changes) — how they work in practice

A task can be:

Simple: regular checklist item
Automation: when completed, it can trigger actions automatically

A) “On complete” stage change

Each task can have an “On complete” setting to change the project stage.

What happens:

When you mark the task as completed, the project can automatically move to a chosen stage.

Use it for:

“Quote accepted” → move project to PRODUCTION
“Shoot completed” → move project to POST-PRODUCTION
“Delivery sent” → move project to COMPLETED/DELIVERED

B) Automation actions executed when the task is completed

When a task is of type Automation, it can execute actions such as:

1) Send email

You can configure:

Recipient:
- client preset (uses a “client email” variable)
- or a custom email address
Subject + HTML body (supports variables like project/client placeholders)
Optional “confirm before send”
- If enabled, the system sends you a preview/confirmation email first, with buttons:
  - “Send”
  - “Edit and send”

Use it for:

Appointment confirmations
“Your gallery is ready”
Payment reminders
Any sensitive message you want to review before it goes out

2) Send form

This sends a public form link to the client (e.g. questionnaire, onboarding, data collection).

Use it for:

“Please fill out the questionnaire”
“Provide invoice details”
“Choose preferences”

6) Automatic stage evaluation (project-level rules)

Besides the stage change configured on a single task, the project can also be evaluated by global rules to keep the stage aligned with reality:

Key rules:

If all tasks are completed → project tends toward COMPLETED (fallback “DELIVERED” if configured)
If the event date has passed → project tends toward POST-PRODUCTION
If there is at least one accepted quote → project tends toward PRODUCTION

Practical meaning:

Tasks, dates, and client acceptance can keep your project pipeline consistent without manual updates every time.