Maple Onboarding Process Overview

Last updated: March 23, 2026

Welcome to Maple! This guide walks you through the complete onboarding process — from your first login to going live with your AI voice agent. Whether you're integrating with a POS system or setting up a standalone configuration, the onboarding process is designed to get your restaurant up and running quickly.

What You'll Need Before You Start

Have the following ready before your onboarding session:

  • A computer (laptop or desktop preferred over a phone) with screen-sharing capability

  • Your POS system login credentials (e.g., Toast, Clover, Lighthouse/SkyTab)

  • Your EIN (Employer Identification Number)

  • Bank account details — routing number and account number

  • A credit card for monthly billing

  • A PDF of your restaurant menu (if not using a POS integration that syncs menus automatically)

Step 1: Access the Maple Portal

  1. Open a web browser on your computer and navigate to app.maple.inc.

  2. Log in using your credentials. You can sign in directly or use Continue with Google. If you already have a Google account associated with your restaurant, use that for easier access.

  3. If you received an invite link via email or text message, click the link and follow the prompts to create your account by setting a password and entering your business name.

Tip: If you receive an onboarding link via text message on your phone, copy and paste the URL into a web browser on your office computer for the best experience.

Step 2: Begin the Onboarding Setup

Once logged in, you'll see the Maple dashboard. To start the guided onboarding flow:

  1. Click the blue rocket icon (labeled "Get Started" or "In Progress") on the left sidebar or in your notifications area. You can also check the bell icon in the upper-right corner for onboarding notifications.

  2. Click Continue Onboarding or Finish Onboarding to enter the setup wizard.

The wizard will guide you through each step sequentially. If you need to pause at any point, click Exit Onboarding in the lower-left corner — your progress will be saved.

Step 3: Confirm Your Business & Location Details

  1. Enter your business/merchant name — this is your overall company name, not a specific location name.

  2. Search for your restaurant location by name or address. Maple can auto-populate location details from publicly available data, so you may just need to confirm what's shown.

  3. Select your restaurant type from the dropdown (e.g., "Restaurant and Bar").

  4. Enter your store details, including:

    • Store name (how the AI will refer to your restaurant)

    • Store phone number (with +1 area code)

    • Website URL

    • Store address

Note: If you have multiple locations, you'll start with one location during onboarding and can add more later.

Step 4: Select Your Maple Modules

Choose which services you'd like to activate:

  • Maple Voice — AI answers calls, handles FAQs, and transfers calls to staff when needed.

  • Maple Orders — AI handles order placement during calls and integrates with your POS. Enable this if you take phone orders.

  • Booking — Integrates with reservation platforms like OpenTable for AI-managed bookings.

Select only the modules relevant to your business. You can always add or change modules later.

Step 5: Connect Your POS System

If your restaurant uses a supported POS system, connecting it allows Maple to sync your menu, process orders, and streamline operations.

  1. Select your POS integration type from the available options (e.g., Toast, Clover, Lighthouse/SkyTab).

  2. Log in to your POS account when prompted to authorize the connection.

  3. Confirm which menus you'd like to push to Maple from your POS system.

Alternatively, you can grant Maple access to your POS by adding onboarding@maple.inc as a new employee at your POS location. The Maple team can then complete the integration on your behalf.

If you don't have a POS integration: You can upload your menu manually. During the onboarding wizard, you'll see an option to Upload Menu or Upload Menu Later. You can provide a PDF of your menu to the Maple team, and they'll convert and upload it for you — this typically takes a couple of days.

Maple supports integrations with 12–13 POS systems. If your POS isn't listed, the onboarding team will work with you on an alternative setup.

Step 6: Complete Business Verification (KYC)

Maple uses Stripe for business verification, which is a regulatory requirement for processing payments. This step is often referred to as KYC (Know Your Customer).

  1. You'll be redirected to a Stripe verification form.

  2. Enter your business details:

    • Business type

    • Industry classification

    • EIN (Employer Identification Number)

  3. Enter the principal owner's personal details:

    • Full name

    • Home address

    • Date of birth

  4. Enter your banking information:

    • Routing number

    • Account number

Tip: Having your routing and account numbers ready speeds up this step significantly. The KYC process typically takes about 10 minutes.

Step 7: Set Up Billing & Payment

During onboarding, you'll be prompted to enter your payment information for Maple's monthly subscription:

  1. Enter your credit card number, expiration date, verification code, and billing zip code.

  2. Click Submit or Secure Checkout to save your payment method.

No charges are applied immediately — billing begins on the first day of the following month.

Step 8: Create Your First Maple AI Agent

This is where your AI voice agent comes to life:

  1. Click Create your first Maple agent and then Get Started.

  2. Select an AI phone number — enter your preferred area code (e.g., 713, 281) to get a local number that's familiar to your customers. The system will present available options.

  3. Enter a welcome message — this is the greeting your AI agent will say when answering calls. Keep it short and friendly.

  4. Set up a handoff number — this is the phone number calls will be transferred to when a customer needs to speak with a human staff member.

  5. Configure call forwarding from your existing public-facing restaurant phone number to the new AI agent number.

Your AI phone number is unique to your restaurant. Customers will call your regular number, and call forwarding routes them to the AI agent seamlessly.

Step 9: Configure Your Knowledge Base & FAQs

The knowledge base is what powers your AI agent's ability to answer customer questions accurately.

  1. Navigate to the Knowledge Base section in your Maple dashboard.

  2. Review the template FAQ questions that Maple provides as a starting point.

  3. Add custom FAQs specific to your restaurant — hours, parking, dietary accommodations, specials, reservation policies, etc.

  4. Think about the information you'd normally give to a new employee — that's exactly what your AI agent needs to know.

Tip: You don't have to complete all FAQs in one sitting. Staff members can add and update FAQs asynchronously through the portal at any time.

Step 10: Test Your AI Agent

Before going live, thoroughly test your setup:

  1. Call your AI agent's phone number to hear the welcome message and test common questions.

  2. Verify FAQ responses are accurate and complete.

  3. Test call handoff to confirm transfers to your staff work correctly.

  4. Place a test order (if using Maple Orders) to confirm POS integration is functioning.

  5. Provide feedback to the Maple team — most merchants go through 1–2 rounds of adjustments before going live.

Step 11: Go Live

Once testing is complete and you're satisfied with your AI agent's performance, you're ready to go live. Confirm the following checklist:

  • ✅ FAQs are working correctly

  • ✅ Reservation/ordering links are in the correct locations

  • ✅ Phone handoff and all integrations are functioning properly

  • ✅ Call forwarding is active from your public number to the AI agent

Your Maple onboarding specialist will confirm everything is set and activate your account for live calls.

Phased Implementation (Optional)

If you'd prefer a gradual rollout, Maple supports a phased approach:

  • Phase 1: Activate the AI phone system to capture missed calls and answer FAQs.

  • Phase 2: Enable payment processing and order-taking features after you've validated the phone system.

This lets you get comfortable with the platform before adding more advanced features.

After Onboarding

Once you're live, the Maple team monitors your account over the next couple of weeks to identify frequently asked questions that may need additional coverage. You can continue to refine your knowledge base, adjust settings, and explore additional features through the Maple dashboard at any time.

Key Portal Sections to Explore

  • Knowledge Base — Add and edit FAQs

  • Phone Agents — Manage AI agent settings, welcome messages, and call forwarding

  • Locations — Update business hours and location details

  • Orders — View and manage incoming orders (if Maple Orders is enabled)

Need Help?

If you get stuck at any point during onboarding, your Maple onboarding specialist is available to walk you through the process via screen share. The team can also log into your account on your behalf to complete setup steps if needed.