Getting Started with OnArk
What Is OnArk?
OnArk is a platform that lets churches create multi-section online classes — like membership courses, discipleship tracks, or welcome experiences — and share them with their community through a simple link. Guests check in with their email, navigate through sections at their own pace, take assessments, fill out forms, and watch videos. Admins see all results and can trigger automated follow-ups.
Step 1: Create Your Admin Account
Go to onark.app/sign-up to create your account.
Fields required: • First Name and Last Name
• Church Role (optional — your title or position)
• Email (used to log in)
• Password (minimum 8 characters)
After submitting, you are automatically taken to the Church Setup step.
Note: If you received a special offer link (e.g., 1 Month Free), make sure to use that link when signing up — the offer is applied automatically.
Step 2: Set Up Your Church
After creating your account, you are prompted to set up your church profile.
Required fields: • Church Name — The name of your church as it will appear to guests
• Church Location — Your US state, or "Outside the US" if international
Optional fields (you can skip these): • Church Size — 0–250, 250–1000, 1000–5000, or 5000+
• How Long Has Your Church Existed — 0–2 years, 2–5 years, 5–10 years, 10+ years
• How Did You Hear About Us — Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, Email, Planning Center Integrations, Someone Told Me, Other
Click "Create" to finish. Your church account is now active.
Step 3: Choose a Subscription Plan
After setup, you are taken to the plan selection screen.
How Plans Work
OnArk offers multiple subscription tiers billed monthly or yearly. Choosing yearly saves the equivalent of 2 months compared to monthly billing.
Each plan card shows: • Plan name and price
• A description and list of included features
• A disclaimer (if applicable)
Selecting a Plan
1. Toggle between Monthly and Yearly billing at the top of the page.
2. Click the plan that fits your church.
3. Click "Start Plan".
4. You are redirected to Stripe's secure checkout to complete payment.
Note: You can start building and previewing classes before selecting a plan, but guests cannot take live classes until you have an active subscription.
Changing Your Plan Later
You can change your plan at any time from Admin → Billing → Change Plan. See Billing for details.
Logging In
Go to onark.app/login and enter your email and password.
If you forget your password, click "Forgot your password?" on the login page. A reset link will be sent to your email.
Accepting a Team Invitation
If a church owner invites you to join their team, you receive an email with a link. Clicking the link takes you to a page where you enter your name and set a password. After submitting, you are logged in and can access the church's admin panel.
Key Concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Admin | A staff member who can log in and manage the church's classes and data |
| Guest | A person from your community who takes a class — no account required |
| Subscription | A paid plan that allows guests to take live classes |
| Onboarding | The three-step process: Sign Up → Create Church → Choose Plan |
Common Questions
Do I need a credit card to sign up? No. You can create an account and set up your church for free. A payment method is only required when you select a subscription plan.
Can more than one person manage the church account? Yes. After setup, the account owner can invite additional team members from the Team page. See Team Management.
What happens if my subscription lapses? Your class content remains intact, but guests will not be able to access live classes until the subscription is active again. Admins can still log in and manage content.
Can I have multiple churches on one account? Each user account is associated with one church at a time. However, if a user is invited to multiple churches, they can switch between them.
I get "Something went wrong" during account setup. What do I do? This is usually a browser issue. Try Chrome first — we test most on Chrome and it tends to be most reliable. Older Safari versions can sometimes cause problems. If it keeps happening, email support@onark.app with your browser, version, and OS (e.g. Chrome 120 on Windows 11).
Signup isn't accepting my information. What's wrong? Try Chrome if you're not already on it. Disable ad blockers or strict privacy extensions on the signup page. If it still fails, contact support@onark.app with your device, browser name/version, and the exact error message.
I have to log in again every time. Can I stay logged in? Sessions time out after inactivity. Avoid incognito or strict privacy browser settings — they clear session data. If it keeps happening, try a different browser or clear your cache.
Is OnArk optimized for Safari or Chrome? We develop and test on Chrome most; it's the browser we recommend. We do test on Safari too. If you hit issues, try Chrome first and let us know your browser and version if problems continue.
Do you offer Spanish (or other languages) for guests? Yes — there is a Spanish version of the guest experience (the course-taking side). The admin side is not fully translated. Guests can switch to Spanish if their browser/device language is set to Spanish, or they can choose it manually where the option is available. Built-in assessments (DISC, Spiritual Gifts, Enneagram) are included in the translated experience.