ServiceM8 glossary

Quick reference for terms and concepts you will encounter in ServiceM8.

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A

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Add-on

An optional feature you can activate in ServiceM8 to extend its functionality. Add-ons cover everything from automation and recurring jobs to forms, proposals, and accounting integrations. Some are free and some are subscription-based. You can browse and activate add-ons from Settings > ServiceM8 Add-ons in the Online Dashboard. See What are ServiceM8 Add-ons? for more information.

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Automation

An add-on that lets you schedule automatic communications to clients and staff, such as booking confirmations, booking reminders, quote follow-ups, and overdue payment reminders. Automations reduce administrative work while keeping clients informed with professional, timely messages. See Automation overview.

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B

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Booking Link

A single-use SMS link you can send to a client so they can select an available appointment time for an existing job. The client sees a list of open time slots, picks one, and the job is automatically scheduled to a staff member. See How SMS Booking Links work.

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Bundles

A way to group several materials, services, or labour items into a single preset package with a fixed price and one description for clients to see on quotes and invoices. Bundles help you systemise pricing and guide clients to focus on the value of what they are paying for. See How to use the Bundles Add-on.

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C

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Check In / Check Out

The process of a field technician recording their arrival at and departure from a job site using the ServiceM8 app. Checking in starts a timer to track time on site, and checking out stops it. This data is used for labour billing and job reporting. See How to edit Check In data.

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Client

A customer or company you do work for. ServiceM8 stores each client’s contact details, address, job history, and notes in a Client Card, which you can access from the Online Dashboard or the app. See Client card overview.

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Client Site

A specific location managed under a head-office client using the Client Sites add-on. This is useful when a single organisation has multiple premises and all invoicing goes through one head office. See Client Sites overview.

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Completed (job status)

One of the four job statuses in ServiceM8, shown in green. A job is marked Completed when all physical work is finished and the job is ready to be invoiced. Once completed, the job appears on the Invoicing page for billing. See What does Job Status mean?.

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D

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Dispatch Board

The central hub of ServiceM8 in the Online Dashboard, where you create jobs, schedule work to staff, view jobs on a map, manage queues, and send communications. Most day-to-day job management happens here. See Dispatch Board overview.

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F

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Field Staff

Staff members who work on site at client locations, using the ServiceM8 iOS app to receive job details, check in and out, complete checklists, take photos, add materials, and generate invoices. Field staff are sometimes called technicians or field technicians.

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Form

A customisable digital document used to complete structured paperwork in the ServiceM8 app, such as inspections, compliance reports, risk assessments, or certification records. Completed forms are converted to a PDF and saved to the job diary. See Forms overview.

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I

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Invoice

A bill generated from a completed job in ServiceM8 that itemises the materials, services, and labour charged to the client. Invoices can be created and sent from the app or the Online Dashboard, and synced to accounting software such as Xero, QuickBooks Online, or MYOB. See How to create an invoice online.

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J

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Job

The core record in ServiceM8, created when a client requests work or a quote. A job tracks progress from initial inquiry through to completion and payment. Every job has its own job card, a unique job number, and one of four statuses (Quote, Work Order, Completed, or Unsuccessful). See How to create a job.

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Job Allocation

A way to assign a job to a staff member within a flexible time window rather than at an exact appointment time. This is useful when work can be done at any point during a morning, afternoon, or other period. The Job Allocations add-on must be activated to use this feature. See Job Allocations overview.

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Job Card

The virtual folder in ServiceM8 where all information about a specific job is stored, including client details, job description, checklists, billing items, photos, notes, and diary entries. Job cards can be viewed and edited from both the Online Dashboard and the app. See How to create a job.

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Job Diary

A chronological log attached to each job that records all activity, including notes, photos, emails, SMS messages, forms, check-in times, and automation events. It serves as a complete audit trail for the job. See How to filter a job Diary.

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Job Status

One of four fixed stages that track where a job is in its lifecycle: Quote (awaiting quote or approval), Work Order (approved and ready for work), Completed (work finished, ready to invoice), and Unsuccessful (cancelled or declined). Each status has a distinct colour for at-a-glance identification. See What does Job Status mean?.

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Job Template

A preset job card configuration with pre-filled descriptions, checklists, materials, and badges that you can apply when creating new jobs. Job templates speed up job creation and ensure consistency for common service types. See What are Job Templates?.

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K

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Knowledge Base

A library of best-practice articles, videos, and PDFs that you create and share with your team through the Knowledge add-on. Staff can access knowledge items in the field via the app, helping them follow procedures, meet standards, and complete jobs correctly the first time. See What is ServiceM8 Knowledge.

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M

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Materials / Items

The products, parts, services, and labour entries stored in your Materials & Services database that can be added to jobs for quoting and invoicing. You can search and add items to any job from the Online Dashboard or the app. See How to add labour & materials to a job.

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O

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Online Dashboard

The browser-based interface where business owners and office staff manage ServiceM8. From the Online Dashboard you access the Dispatch Board, create and schedule jobs, manage clients, configure settings, review invoices, and activate add-ons. See New to ServiceM8? Start with a job walkthrough.

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P

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Price Book

Another term for the Materials & Services database in ServiceM8 — the central list of all your materials, services, and labour items with their associated prices. Keeping your price book up to date ensures accurate and consistent quoting and invoicing across your team.

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Proposals

An add-on that lets you create rich, interactive quotes with formatted text, images, videos, and multiple-choice options for clients. Proposals give clients more detail and control in the buying process than a standard quote. They can be sent by email or SMS and accepted online. See How to create and send Proposals.

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Q

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Queue

A holding area on the Dispatch Board where you can park jobs that are waiting for something before they can be actioned, such as waiting for parts, a client response, or a scheduled event. Jobs placed in a queue have an expiry date, after which they automatically return to the unscheduled list for review. See Dispatch Board overview.

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Quote

Both a job status and a document. As a job status (shown in orange), it means the job needs to be quoted or the quote is awaiting client approval. As a document, it is the itemised pricing sent to a client for review before work begins. See What does Job Status mean?.

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R

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Recurring Job

A job that is automatically created and scheduled at regular intervals for the same client, such as daily, weekly, or monthly service visits. Recurring jobs are always based on a job template and are managed from the Dispatch Board in the Online Dashboard. See Recurring Jobs + Reminders Add-on overview.

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S

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Security Role

A permission level assigned to each staff member that controls what they can see and do in ServiceM8. Built-in roles include Business Owner, Finance, Staff, Contractor, and Strict Contractor, each with different levels of access to jobs, pricing, settings, and reports. Custom roles can also be created. See Security Roles overview.

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ServiceM8 Pay

An add-on that lets you accept credit and debit card payments from clients, either on site using Tap to Pay on iPhone, Scan & Pay, or manual card entry, or online through a payment link on emailed invoices. Payments are processed by Stripe and deposited to your bank account the next business day. See How to get started with ServiceM8 Pay.

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Staff

The people who work in your business and have a login to your ServiceM8 account. Staff can be office-based administrators or field-based technicians. Each staff member is assigned a security role that determines their level of access. See Creating staff logins to your ServiceM8 account.

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T

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Tags

Labels you can apply to photos, knowledge articles, and notes in ServiceM8 to organise and categorise content. Photo tags (such as “before” and “after”) help identify images, while knowledge tags link articles to specific materials, clients, or services so they appear automatically on relevant jobs. See How Tagging & Smart Links work.

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U

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Unsuccessful (job status)

One of the four job statuses in ServiceM8, shown in red. A job is marked Unsuccessful when a quote is declined or the job is cancelled. Unsuccessful jobs are not deleted — they remain in the system so client details and job history are preserved for future reference. See What does Job Status mean?.

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W

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Work Order

Both a job status and a concept. As a job status (shown in blue), it means the client has approved the work and the job is ready to be scheduled and completed. The job should remain as a Work Order until all physical work is finished, at which point it moves to Completed. See What does Job Status mean?.