Frequently asked questions

This is usually caused by a corrupted document linked to a meeting. No amount of logging out, clearing cookies, or switching browsers will fix it — it requires a correction on the backend. Email helpful@boardspace.co with the meeting date and the board name so we can investigate.

This is typically a browser or connectivity issue. Try refreshing the page, clearing your cache, or switching to Chrome if you are using another browser. If the problem continues, contact helpful@boardspace.co.

Your browser is filling in saved data incorrectly. Clear the fields manually and type in your full email address and password. You may also want to update your browser’s saved login information for app.boardspace.co.

This usually means you are logging in with the wrong email address. If you have more than one email in the system (for example, a personal and a work address), try logging in with the other one. If the problem continues, contact support — this can be corrected on the backend.

If your new email address was previously used by another person in the system, it will conflict and neither address will work. Contact helpful@boardspace.co — the fix requires reverting to your original email on the backend. Once corrected, log in with your original email and use "Forgot Password?" if needed.

Super Admin alone is not enough to manage a specific board or committee — you also need to be a Board Admin for that space. Contact helpful@boardspace.co to be re-added as a Board Admin.

MFA stands for Multi-Factor Authentication. If a person has enabled MFA on their account, a checkmark appears in that column. Some organizations require directors to use MFA — the checkmark gives admins confirmation that it has been set up.

You need to be a Board Admin (not just Recording Secretary or Super Admin) to see People in the dropdown. Also, admin functions are not available on a phone — use a desktop or laptop. Make sure you are inside a specific board or committee space first, then click the purple circle at the top left.

Go to the board or committee they need access to. Click the purple circle at the top left, select People, then click "Add new person." Fill in their name, email, and position. An invitation email is automatically sent to them with instructions on getting started.

You need to add them separately to each committee. Being on the main board does not automatically give someone access to a committee — each space manages its own people list independently.

You must be an Admin. Click the purple circle at the top left, select People, click on the person’s row, then check or uncheck the positions as needed. Save your changes. If all positions are removed, the person loses access to that space.

The email address is the unique identifier — removing and re-adding with the same email brings back the original name because the person’s record (including their history) is still in the system. The solution is to add the new manager with a different email address.

Add them as a Special user (also called Professional). This gives them access to approved minutes, agendas, and documents linked to meetings, as well as the main Documents section. They will not have access to actions, events, or polls unless specifically invited.

Go to the Meetings page. At the upper right you will see the current Recording Secretary’s name with a dropdown. Select your name from the dropdown. You must have admin privileges to do this.

Add the private tag "Board Only" to any documents you don’t want specific people to see. Document access is controlled entirely by tags — it does not depend on who attended a meeting. Staff members listed as managers will still appear in the attendance list but won’t see documents tagged as Board Only.

Only one person can hold the Super Admin role at a time. Go to People, find the current Super Admin, and change their role. Then go to the new person’s profile and assign them the Super Admin role. It is important to do this before the current Super Admin leaves, so the incoming person can receive a proper handover.

You need to be the Recording Secretary for that space. The "Create New Meeting" button only appears for the current RS. If you are an Admin but don’t see the button, go to the Meetings page and select yourself as RS from the dropdown at the upper right.

From the Meetings page, click on the meeting date (shown in blue) — a calendar popup appears where you can change it. To change the start time of a closed meeting, go to the Smart Minutes, find the "Call to Order" section, and click the orange "Change Date/Time" button. To change the close time, go to Adjournment, click "Open Meeting," then close it again using "Set time manually."

Add the link when creating the meeting, or afterwards by clicking the video conference icon on the Meetings page for that meeting. The link appears at the top of the Smart Minutes and can be included in a custom notification email to the board.

You must be the Recording Secretary, and the meeting cannot already be approved. If both conditions are met, an orange "Open Meeting" button will appear in the Adjournment section. If the meeting is already approved, contact helpful@boardspace.co — it can be re-opened from the backend.

Yes, this can be done from the backend. Contact helpful@boardspace.co with the space name and meeting dates. Note that a backend approval does not add the motion or mover details to the approval record — if those were entered, let us know and we can preserve them.

Not currently. The ability to link past minutes to a future agenda is a requested feature that is on the development list. For now, the workaround is to copy and paste the relevant text, or attach the minutes as a document to the agenda item.

The Motion option only appears within specific agenda items that are set up to allow motions. Check your meeting template — if the agenda item type doesn’t support motions, you may need to adjust the template or use a different agenda item type. If the option should be there but isn’t, try adjusting the template settings and creating the agenda item again.

You must be a Board Admin to edit names and positions. Go to the board or committee, click the purple circle at the top left, go to People, find the person, and click their row. Edit their name and save. To edit a position, go to the Meetings page, click Contacts, find the person, and click Edit.

Try selecting your name from the RS dropdown on the Meetings page again. If you are then being kicked back to the login screen when you try to enter the Smart Minutes, this may require a backend correction — contact helpful@boardspace.co.

Go to the Smart Minutes for each meeting. Find the Adjournment section and click "Close Meeting." A motion is automatically present — you can select directors. In the popup, check "Set time manually" and enter the actual closing date and time. Repeat for each unclosed meeting.

Go to Find (the search icon in the left sidebar), then select the History tab. Use Search Filters to check "Motions" — this limits results to motion content only. A keyword is required to run the search. To retrieve all motions without filtering by topic, enter "To" as your keyword — motions in BoardSpace are recorded as action statements (e.g., "To approve the budget as presented") so virtually every motion contains this word. Combine the Motions filter with a specific keyword (e.g., "budget") to find motions about a particular topic.

Minutes can be saved as a PDF, which you can then open in Microsoft Word. From the Meetings page, open the minutes and use your browser’s print function (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) to save as PDF. Word can open PDF files directly.

Your browser is blocking pop-ups. In Chrome: click the three dots (top right) → Settings → search "pop-ups" → go to Pop-ups and redirects → allow pop-ups for app.boardspace.co. In Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → uncheck "Block pop-up windows." Refresh the page and try again. Chrome is the recommended browser for BoardSpace.

You can attach a document when building the agenda. Click on the agenda item, look for the attachment or paperclip icon, and upload or link your document. If the document is already in your Documents or Library, you can link to it from there rather than uploading a duplicate.

Use tags to organize your documents. Before uploading, decide on a tag structure that reflects how your board searches for things — by topic (Finance, Governance, Contracts), by year, or by document type. Every document must have at least one tag. Use the Tag Manager to clean up or merge redundant tags. Contact helpful@boardspace.co if you’d like help setting up your tag library.

The board package can only be sent to people who are members of that space. As a workaround, send the board package to yourself first and then forward that email to the individual — an attendee, observer, or guest who is not in the system.

Check your notification settings first: click your name at the top right → Notification Preferences. Make sure the relevant notifications are turned on. Also check your spam folder — BoardSpace emails can land there. Add boardspace.ca to your safe sender list or contacts. If your organization has an IT department, ask them to whitelist boardspace.ca in your email system.

No — notification emails from BoardSpace are sent outbound only. Replies do not reach anyone. If you need to respond to something, log in to BoardSpace directly or contact your Board Admin or Recording Secretary.

This is a known issue that has been linked to a CAPTCHA interfering with the loading process. Try refreshing the page. If it persists, contact helpful@boardspace.co — this can be resolved quickly on the backend.

This is most commonly caused by a browser issue. Try switching to Chrome (the recommended browser), clearing your cache, or using a different computer. If the problem is happening during a live meeting, contact helpful@boardspace.co immediately — we can implement a quick fix and restart the system if needed.

BoardSpace works on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and phones. Chrome is the recommended browser; Firefox also works well. Internet Explorer is not supported — use Chrome or Firefox instead. Make sure your operating system is up to date. There is nothing to download or install — BoardSpace runs entirely in your browser at app.boardspace.co.

Desktop or laptop — best for all users, essential for heavy work. All features are available. Best for taking minutes, building agendas, managing people, or working in Board Settings. Anyone can use a desktop or laptop, regardless of their role.

Tablet — fully featured. All features are available on a tablet. Works well for most tasks. Tasks that involve a lot of typing — particularly taking minutes during a live meeting — are much easier with a keyboard attached.

Phone — great for on-the-go access. Directors can read agendas, review minutes, complete actions, vote on polls, and view documents. Admin and Recording Secretary functions are not available on a phone. If you cannot find an option you expect to see, switch to a tablet or computer.

Click the orange Save button at the top right of the agenda builder. Changes are not saved automatically — always click Save before navigating away.

Go to Events (or Planner) in the left navigation menu. Click "Add Event," fill in the details and date, and save. Recurring events (such as AGM dates or filing deadlines) can be set to repeat annually. These appear on the Home page dashboard for all board members.

Tags are how documents are organized and found. Every document must have at least one tag. To manage your tags, go to Documents → click the down arrow next to Upload → select Tag Manager. Use the Merge feature to combine similar or duplicate tags (e.g., "Bylaw" and "Bylaws"). Only primary board admins can manage tags.

When the Recording Secretary creates a poll, you will receive an email notification and see a Poll Invite tile on your Home page. Click it, read the question, select your answer, and click Submit. Poll results are added to the board record automatically. Closed polls still show their results — you can always look back at what was decided.

Version 4 is in active development. We are not publishing a release date until we are confident we can meet it — we would rather take the time to get it right than rush it out. If you have specific features you are waiting for, email helpful@boardspace.co and we will let you know when they are available.