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Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just getting started as a freelancer, you don’t need us to remind you how quickly the admin side of things can take over.
What starts as a few small tasks here and there can quickly turn into a full chunk of your day, and somewhere in the middle of all that, you're also supposed to be, you know, actually taking photos.
It’s something we see all the time working with photographers day-to-day - the admin slowly builds up until it’s taking up more time than the actual fun stuff.
And that's exactly the kind of workload (aka struggle) Dubsado was built for.
Offering a seamless way to manage all of your behind-the-scenes tasks, from juggling client bookings to managing invoicing, this powerful little tool is all about making your workflow as seamless as your photography.
And if you don't know what Dubsado has to offer yet and want to learn more about the ins and outs, you can read our dedicated Dubsado overview blog here first.
Introducing… Dubsado 3.0
Before we get into the setup steps, big things have been happening in the Dubsado world since this blog was originally published in 2024 - so here’s your update…
Dubsado 3.0 launched in beta on 17th November 2025, and not just a pretty cosmetic refresh. The system rebuild is faster, cleaner, and designed around how creative businesses like yours actually work day-to-day.
The good news is, for those who are happy with their current set-up, nothing’s being forced on you; existing users can opt in to 3.0 whenever they like. So, if you haven't switched over yet, you'll still be logging into 2.0 for now.
New to Dubsado entirely? You'll be starting in 3.0 from the off.
Here's what's different in the 3.0 beta:
- A redesigned project view - you can now switch between a table view and a Kanban board, so you can see exactly where every client sits in your process at a glance. Filter, sort and organise however works for your brain.
- A real inbox (finally) - all client communication now lives in one centralised place, with proper threading, inbox/sent/archive folders and canned emails built directly into the experience… So no more piecing conversations together across your emails and the platform.
- A detachable email composer - you can now start writing an email… then leave it open while you go and check something else. It might be a small detail, but it’s genuinely useful when you're mid-workflow and need to triple-check something.
- Scheduled email sending - you can now choose exactly when an email goes out, rather than sending immediately or relying on workflow timing alone.
- Flows - Workflows are now called ‘Flows’, and they’re properly visual. So rather than working through a list and hoping you haven’t missed a step, you can now actually see how everything connects before you switch it on.
- A rebuilt scheduler with calendar invites - when a client books with you, they’ll now get e a calendar invite automatically, and it stays in sync if they reschedule. This is a big upgrade for you photographers when you’re managing multiple shoot dates.
- Autopay editing without cancelling - you can update invoice amounts or dates without cancelling the whole payment plan and starting again, which is way more practical when things change mid-booking.
- A global time tracker - sitting on the top nav bar, this can be accessed wherever you are in the platform, with the option to view your time in money earned rather than just minutes logged.
And that's not all - 3.0 also comes with multiple calendar views (month, week, day and upcoming), inline calendar editing, email reassignment between projects, a centralised invoicing area that pulls together invoices, payment plans, packages and discounts in one place, and performance improvements across the board that make the whole platform way faster to use.
If you're still on 2.0, don’t panic! If/when you make the big move, all your existing data will transfer across automatically. Dubsado has also confirmed 2.0 will remain available until sometime in 2026, and we’ll get plenty of notice before it's retired.
Creating the Perfect Workflow in Dubsado (2.0 and 3.0)
Step One: Getting Started with Dubsado
Kicking off with Dubsado is as simple as setting up your profile and inputting your photography packages. Think of this first step as setting up your digital desk before you start using it.
It’s about getting those all-important admin bits sorted first, so you can focus more on capturing stunning images and less on the dreary paperwork.
After getting your business details inputted, here’s what you should do next:
- Upload your logo - First things first, head to Settings and upload your logo. Everything Dubsado generates - contracts, invoices, client portals, communications - can carry your branding, so it looks consistent and professional from day one.
- Set your brand colours - If you already have branding colours, great! Navigate to the colour settings and match them. If you're starting from scratch, choose colours that complement your logo or general branding. Consistency across all your client-facing documents makes everything feel intentional, so nothing feels like it's come from a generic system.
- Connect your email - Next, link your professional email address by heading over to the integrations tab. Follow the prompts, link your email with Dubsado, and streamline all your communications directly through this super-tool, so all your client communication flows through Dubsado directly rather than across different inboxes.
If you're on 3.0: This feeds straight into the new unified inbox - everything organised into Inbox, Sent and Archive, with proper conversation threading. - Sync your calendar - Simplify your scheduling process by linking your calendar to Dubsado. Jump over to the calendar settings and follow the instructions to sync all your bookings, shoots and meetings from various platforms into one centralised location. It's a little thing, but genuinely useful when you're juggling multiple shoots and don't want anything falling through the cracks.
If you're on 3.0: The calendar has been fully rebuilt - month, week, day and upcoming views, inline editing, keyboard shortcuts. It works the way you'd expect a calendar to work, which sounds basic, but it's a big improvement. - Set up smart fields - Smart fields are Dubsado's clever little auto-fill feature. They pull your business details, client names, project information and more into templates automatically, so you're not manually updating the same information across every document. Set them up once, and they'll do the legwork across everything.
- Connect your payment processor - Dubsado can integrate with your bank or other payment platforms like Stripe, PayPal and Square. Head over to the finance settings and get this sorted early, so you're ready to send invoices the moment a client books.
If you're on 3.0: All your billing tools - invoices, payment plans, packages and discounts - now live in one place outside of individual projects. So instead of digging through each job to find what you need, it's all right there waiting for you.
Step Two: Creating Client-Focused Journeys
Imagine your photography bookings flowing effortlessly, from the first hello to the final gallery. That's the power of client-focused journeys in Dubsado.
Here's how to make it happen:
- Map out the client journey: Start by sketching out every step of your client's journey with you, from their first email to delivering their gallery and beyond.
- Create a lead capture form for your website: this is one of Dubsado's most underrated features. Lead capture forms are smart and simple ways to get your potential clients quickly linked to your Dubsado account, automatically creating a ‘project’ (or job) for that lead.
- Build your packages: Add your photography packages and any available add-ons (prints, albums, extra hours) so they're ready to drop into proposals and invoices without retyping them each time.
If you're using 3.0, these now sit in one place rather than inside individual projects, which makes them even easier to update when things change. - Prep your templates: Get your documents ready to roll out even quicker! Contracts, questionnaires, proposals and invoices can all be templated, speaking your language and reflecting your brand. Invest the time here once and you'll barely need to touch them again.
If you're on 3.0: Completed forms are also easier to read through, with a cleaner responses view that just shows you what you actually need.You can also export all your responses as a CSV file or copy them across to another tool, if you want!
- Set up your Canned Emails: These are your ready-to-go, templated replies, written in your voice, sent with a click. Head over to Dubsado's email settings and craft some templates that feel warm, welcoming and brilliantly helpful.
In 3.0: Canned emails now sit directly in your inbox, and you can schedule them or move conversations between projects if needed.
- Define your payment plans: Need to take a deposit or split large invoices into instalments? That's where payment plans come in. You can even set up payment reminders.
If you're on 3.0: You can now edit invoice amounts or dates without cancelling tour entire autopay schedule - a small but genuinely useful change when plans shift or the scope creeps mid-booking.
- Set up your scheduler: Your booking page can be customised to match your brand, and clients can book directly based on your live availability.
If you're on 3.0: The scheduler has been rebuilt from the ground up. Clients now receive a calendar invite automatically when they book, which stays in sync if they reschedule or cancel. You can also attach questionnaires or deposit requests to bookings, so the admin side is sorted before you've even spoken.
With these simple steps, you'll be weaving client-focused workflows in Dubsado that not only make your life easier but also make your clients feel special and supported.
Step Three: Getting Down with Workflows (Or just ‘Flows’ in 3.0)
First: Build your workflows
Now you’ve got the groundwork done, it's time to build your automations. My preferred method is to split these into different sections of the client journey - ‘Enquiry’, ‘Booking’, ‘Pre-shoot’ and ‘Post-shoot’. Remember, you can use one workflow to start the next workflow automatically!
You’ll likely have multiple versions of these for the different types of shoots you offer. If your workflows are similar, you can copy an existing workflow and tweak it for each shoot type.
If you're on 3.0: Workflows have been renamed ‘Flows’ and rebuilt with a super-cool, easy-to-use, visual-based builder. So, that means, rather than working through a linear list of steps and hoping for the best, you can see the entire automation laid out in front of you - how each action connects, what triggers what, and where any gaps are - way before you have to push anything live.
Second: Test everything before you go live
Now that you've got your client workflows all set up and your business operations running like a well-oiled machine, it's time for a quick check-up before the big reveal.
It's all about running through your process manually, putting yourself in your client's shoes to see how everything flows.
Wearing both your business owner and client hats, here are your top tips for Manual Testing:
- Take it step by step, walking through the entire process to ensure everything flows smoothly.
- If you're still in the trial phase, stick to using the same email address for multiple tests. This way, you won't burn through your sample clients, and Dubsado won't create duplicates.
- When testing Dubsado forms as if you were a client, use incognito mode or private browser windows. This ensures you're seen as a client, not the business otner.
- Remember, there’s no need to process real payments during testing. Simply apply them manually to mimic a client's payment process.
- Give your forms and emails a thorough once-over. Check for any pesky typos or missing info that might throw off your clients.
- Last but not least, jot down any issues you come across and work through them before you go live.
Third: Connect everything to your website
Once you're happy with how everything flows, don’t miss out on any potential opportunities to connect with your clients! You can embed your lead capture form on your contact page and make sure the right workflow is attached. Every enquiry that comes through will now automatically kick off the correct process, meaning you don’t need to do all the manual go-between any more!
Step Four: Optimising as You Go
Now that your client workflows are running smoothly, let's fine-tune your business operations for maximum efficiency. Dubsado offers a treasure trove of tools to help you manage your photography business with ease, and here's how to set them up:
- Lead & job tracking - Customise your project statuses and Dubsado will reward you with a bird's eye view of which clients have reached which phase in your client journey.
If you're on 3.0: you can view all your projects in a Kanban board organised by status, so you can see every client across every stage at a glance - especially useful when you're juggling a full shoot schedule. - Reporting and analytics - Dubsado's reporting lets you gain valuable insights into your business by tracking revenue, seeing where your enquiries are coming from and monitoring what's outstanding. It's the kind of visibility that helps you make better decisions about your business, rather than just reacting to whatever's sitting in your inbox.
If you're on 3.0: the dashboard has been redesigned and is now fully customisable - you can choose which metrics you want to display, so the information that actually matters to your business is front and centre every time you log in. - Task tracking - within each project, you can add tasks and deadlines to keep things like shot list prep and gallery delivery on track. It's not a full project management tool, but for keeping the small things organised alongside your contracts and invoices, it does the job well.
Final Thoughts
There you have it – your crash course in mastering Dubsado to take your freelance photography business to new heights!
Sure, Dubsado sometimes gets a bit of a reputation for being tricky to set up… But once it is set up properly? The difference is huge. It's a super powerful platform, and like most powerful things, it just asks for a bit of time upfront to get right.
Your enquiries get handled consistently, clients feel looked after, payments come in without chasing, and you're not spending your evenings rewriting the same emails or hunting down unsigned contracts.
We know the reality though - knowing what to do and actually having the time to do it are two very different things. And if Dubsado has been sitting half-set-up in your account for longer than you'd like to admit, you're far from alone in that.
How Ashwood VA can help
If you read through all of this and thought, "I know I need to do this, I just don't have the time" - that's exactly where we come in.
Setting up Dubsado is one of the things we help our photographer clients with most. From building out your workflows and templates to testing everything before it goes live, we can take the whole setup off your plate… Meaning you can focus on the fun stuff that got you into this business in the first place: your photography.
Take a look at our services page to see how we could help, or get in touch if you'd like to chat about what support might look like for you.
Not sure yet whether Dubsado is even the right fit for the way you work? Our comparison of Dubsado vs Studio Ninja is a good place to start.
