> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://sailia-mintlify-refund-reserve-1778070886.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Platform overview

> Understand how Sailia works — from activities to payments — and how the key pieces fit together.

Sailia is a booking and operations platform for activity providers. This page explains the mental model behind the platform — how data flows through the system and how the main areas connect.

## How Sailia works

Everything in Sailia starts with an **activity** — a course, hire, or event. From there, the data flows through the system:

1. You create [activities](/activities/activities) with schedules, pricing, capacity, and staff assignments.
2. Customers book through your [online booking page](/getting-started/booking-page) or your team processes walk-ins through the [point of sale](/point-of-sale/overview).
3. [Payments](/payments/stripe) are collected via Stripe (card, cash, or instalment plan) and appear in your [financial dashboard](/payments/reporting).
4. Stripe sends payouts to your bank account, and if connected, [Xero](/integrations/accounting-sync) receives categorized invoices automatically.

Both sales channels — online and POS — share the same real-time capacity, customer records, and payment system. A booking made online immediately reduces available spots at the POS and vice versa.

## Core concepts

| Concept                                       | What it represents                                                                                           |
| --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **[Activities](/activities/activities)**      | The things customers book — courses, hires, and events with their own schedules, pricing, and capacity       |
| **[Bookings](/activities/managing-bookings)** | A customer's reservation for an activity session, tracked across all channels                                |
| **[Customers](/customers/overview)**          | People who book with you — each has a profile with booking history, memberships, waivers, and family members |
| **[Pricing tools](/pricing/memberships)**     | Memberships, activity passes, discount codes, and gift cards that adjust what customers pay                  |
| **[Payments](/payments/stripe)**              | Money flowing in through Stripe (online and POS), tracked with refunds and payouts                           |
| **[Staff](/staff/management)**                | Your team — assigned to activities, with pay rates, permissions, and auto-generated timesheets               |

## Online vs in-person sales

Sailia gives you two ways to sell, and they stay in sync:

* **Online booking page** — your auto-generated public site where customers browse, book, and pay by card. See [your booking page](/getting-started/booking-page) and [embedding](/getting-started/embedding).
* **Point of sale** — your in-person checkout for walk-ins, card reader payments, and cash sales. See [POS overview](/point-of-sale/overview).

Inventory, customer data, and payment records are shared across both channels. A membership discount applied online works the same way at the POS.

## Automating your back office

Sailia connects to external tools so you spend less time on manual admin:

* **[Workflows](/integrations/workflows)** send automated emails and SMS on 30+ triggers (booking confirmed, waiver incomplete, membership renewed, staff time-off, and more).
* **[Xero sync](/integrations/accounting-sync)** pushes each Stripe payout as a categorized invoice with VAT breakdowns.
* **[Booking tracking](/integrations/booking-tracking)** fires events to Google Tag Manager or PostHog for conversion analytics.
* **[Adventuro](/integrations/adventuro)** lists your activities on an OTA marketplace and pulls bookings back into Sailia.

## Next steps

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quick setup checklist" icon="list-check" href="/getting-started/setup-checklist">
    Walk through the essential steps to get your account ready.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Common tasks" icon="list" href="/help/common-tasks">
    Quick reference for everyday tasks like bookings, refunds, and staff management.
  </Card>
</Columns>