App Guides

Close Forge

Close Forge setup and go-live checklist

Step-by-step setup instructions for creating a Close Forge deployment, passing readiness checks, publishing, and enabling live follow-up.

Before you create the deployment

Close Forge should be set up only after the workspace can safely identify customers, send messages, and stop follow-up when a customer should not be contacted. Prepare these items first:

A compatible CRM connector: ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro, depending on the deployment.
A connected CRM instance: the exact account or tenant Close Forge should read from.
Verified email sending: a verified sender identity and reply-to plan for customer replies.
Texting readiness: a TradeVulcan-managed number that is SMS capable.
Messaging compliance approval: the workspace business profile and SMS use case should be approved before live texting.
Business consent policy: your team should know when customers have consented to email or SMS follow-up.

Important: the consent attestation is a product guardrail, not legal advice. Confirm TCPA, CAN-SPAM, carrier, state, and customer-contract requirements with your own counsel or compliance advisor.

Create the deployment draft

Close Forge new deployment form with deployment name, starting template, connector binding, business name, timezone, send window, quiet hours, SMS number, email sender, reply-to email, opt-out text, and consent attestation. — Create a draft deployment from the Close Forge app page. This form defines the CRM binding, message defaults, sending windows, and consent attestation before the workflow is edited.

Open Dashboard, then choose Apps.
Select Close Forge.
Choose New deployment or open the deployment setup form if it is already visible.
Enter a clear Deployment name. Use the business name, location, connector, or campaign purpose so the deployment is easy to recognize later.
Choose the Starting template. Use Unsold estimate follow-up for the first launch. Use Sold but not highest option follow-up when the team is ready for reviewed option-comparison messaging.
Select the Compatible connector and the exact Connector instance.
Enter the customer-facing Business name.
Set the deployment Timezone.
Set Send window start and Send window end. A common starting point is 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM local time.
Set Quiet hours start and Quiet hours end. These should cover evenings and overnight hours.
Add the default SMS from number only if it is a texting-ready TradeVulcan number.
Add the default Email from and Reply-to email.
Keep the SMS opt-out text clear, such as Reply STOP to opt out.
Review and check the consent attestation.
Select Create deployment draft.

Understand the go-live checklist

Close Forge go-live checklist showing CRM connected and email sending configured, with phone number and texting compliance still needing attention. — The go-live checklist explains what must pass before Close Forge can be enabled for live follow-up. Required items must be ready; Vulcan Intelligence is optional.

Checklist item	Required?	What it means	What to do if it fails
Compatible CRM connected	Yes	At least one compatible connector instance is connected and can be bound to the deployment.	Open Connectors, repair the CRM instance, then return to Close Forge.
Texting-ready phone number assigned	Yes	The workspace has a TradeVulcan-managed number that can send SMS.	Open Messaging settings and request or activate the number.
Verified email sending configured	Yes	The workspace has a verified sender identity for app email follow-up.	Verify the domain and sender identity in email settings.
Texting compliance approved	Yes	The business messaging profile has passed approval for SMS sending.	Submit or repair the compliance profile and wait for approval.
Vulcan Intelligence enabled	No	AI drafting, rewriting, or classification can be used by optional workflow nodes.	Ask TradeVulcan admins to enable it if AI-assisted drafting is part of your launch plan.

Publish and enable in the right order

Save draft after editing workflow steps or templates.
Send test to create a sample event or test message before going live.
Review Connector health to confirm CRM, SMS, email, and Vulcan Intelligence readiness.
Open Run logs and Event history after testing to confirm the workflow is behaving as expected.
Publish the workflow. Publishing syncs the visual workflow into campaign execution records.
Enable the deployment only after required readiness checks pass.

Launch checklist for business owners

One deployment is bound to the correct CRM connector.
Business name, timezone, send window, quiet hours, from number, from email, and reply-to email are correct.
Email templates and text templates use your voice and do not promise unapproved offers.
Stop conditions include sold estimates, replies, opt-outs, canceled estimates, and manual stops.
At least one test event or test message has been reviewed.
A manager knows where to check the Close Forge pipeline each day.

Common setup problems

Symptom	Likely cause	Recommended fix
Enable redirects back with a readiness warning	One required checklist item is not ready	Open the checklist, use the Fix button, and enable again only after the item passes.
No new records appear in the pipeline	The CRM connector is not bound, polling has not run, or the test data is already sold/ineligible	Check Connector health and Event history, then send a sample event or run the CRM poll if available.
Email sends but SMS does not	Phone number or compliance readiness is missing	Confirm the default SMS number is texting-ready and compliance is approved.
Messages are skipped	The estimate is sold, missing contact details, duplicated, opted out, or already handled	Open Run logs and the record drawer to see the exact reason code.