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Getting Started

This page walks you through your first login, the dashboard layout, and the core concepts you'll use every day in Clearline LIMS.

Logging In​

  1. Open your lab's Clearline LIMS URL in a web browser (e.g., yourlabname.clearlinelims.com).
  2. Enter your username and password.
  3. Click Log In.

If you've forgotten your password, click Forgot Password on the login page to receive a reset email. If you don't receive it within a few minutes, contact support@clearlinelims.com.

First time logging in?

Your account is created by the CTM support team. You'll receive a welcome email with your login URL and temporary credentials.

Dashboard Overview​

After logging in, you'll see the Dashboard — your home base in Clearline LIMS.

The dashboard shows:

  • Quick Stats — counts of samples in each workflow state (Received, To be Verified, Verified, Published)
  • Recent Activity — a feed of recently updated samples
  • Navigation Sidebar (left) — access to Samples, Worksheets, Clients, and more
  • Top Bar — user menu, notifications, and the gear icon for lab settings (Lab Managers only)

Sidebar — The left-hand navigation panel is your primary way to move between sections:

  • Samples — View and manage all samples across your lab
  • Worksheets — Batch analysis assignment and result entry
  • Clients — Manage client records and their associated samples
  • Reports — Access published result reports

Spotlight Search — Press Ctrl+Space (or Cmd+Space on Mac) from anywhere in the system to open a quick-search bar. Type the name of a sample, client, or feature to jump directly to it.

Breadcrumbs — A trail at the top of each page shows you where you are (e.g., Clients > Happy Hills > Samples). Click any segment to navigate back.

Key Concepts​

Understanding these five concepts will make everything else in Clearline LIMS click.

Clients​

A Client represents an entity that submits samples. This might be an external company, a partner organization, or — in an in-house lab — your own organization. Every sample in Clearline LIMS belongs to a client.

Contacts​

A Contact is a person associated with a client. Contacts receive published result reports. Each client needs at least one contact before you can register a sample for them.

Samples​

A Sample is the physical item being analyzed. Each sample has an automatically generated ID (e.g., H2O-0001), a type, and a set of analyses to be performed. Samples move through a defined workflow from registration to publication.

Analyses​

An Analysis is an individual test or measurement performed on a sample. Analyses have result fields, units, and optional result range specifications. They are configured by the CTM team based on your lab's test catalog.

Worksheets​

A Worksheet is used to group and batch-assign analyses to specific analysts. Worksheets are especially useful in high-volume labs where multiple analysts are working in parallel.

Your First Sample (5-Minute Walkthrough)​

Here's the complete flow from registration to publication:

  1. Register — Navigate to a client, go to the Samples tab, click Add, fill in the required fields, and click Save. The sample is created with status Sample Due.
  2. Receive — When the physical sample arrives, select it in the listing and click Receive. Status changes to Received.
  3. Enter Results — Open the sample, enter result values in the analyses table, and click Submit. Status changes to To be Verified.
  4. Verify — A Lab Manager opens the sample and clicks Verify. Status changes to Verified.
  5. Publish — Select the sample in the listing and click Publish. The result report PDF is generated and the sample moves to Published status.

For the full details on each step, see Sample Workflow.