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The Viewer Experience

About to view your first Zeck and have a few questions? We've got you covered. Below is a quick rundown of how-to's and best practices when engaging with Zeck.

Included in this article:

  1. TL;DR
  2. Passwordless Access
  3. Creating a Profile
  4. Navigating a Zeck
  5. Commenting
  6. Pre-Voting
  7. Pre-Read
  8. Export to PDF

1. TL;DR

2. Passwordless Access

In most cases, Viewers will access a published Zeck through our Passwordless Access system. This means that you don't have to bother with setting up a full profile. You simply confirm your email address in order to gain access to the secure site.

🎉 Benefits of this system: you can avoid remembering a new password and the content in the Zeck remains totally secure.

How to access a published Zeck via the Passwordless System:

  1. Click the link that was shared with you.
  2. Enter your email address into the Email box and then click Send Me Secure Link.
  3. Head back to your inbox and click the Magic Link in the email from zeck@zeck.app.
  4. If this is your first time accessing Zeck, you'll be asked to enter your name. Next time you get to skip this step.
  5. You are now on the Published Site and you can start digging in. Skip ahead to Navigating Zeck.

⚠️ But wait, I didn't get a Magic Link. What went wrong?

If you followed the steps above and you're not seeing the email from Zeck with the Magic Link there are a few things to check:

  • Any chance that email is in your Spam or Promotions folder? If this is your first email from Zeck, it's not impossible that your inbox hates us and hid the email. Take a look in your Spam & Promotions folders and then whitelist Zeck for the future. (More on email troubleshooting here.)
  • That's not it. Now what? It's probably worth checking with the creators of the Zeck to see which email address they've added to the system for you and make sure that the spelling is correct.
  • Still no? While you've got the team on the line, can you ask them to make sure they've given you Viewer access to this specific Zeck?
  • We did everything and I'm still left out of the party. No problem at all. If you've looked into everything above and you're still having issues, please email us at ready@zeck.app and we'll solve everything.

⚠️ The Magic Link is One-Time Use

Each Magic Link will expire after it has been used. If you click on that link again in the future, it will take you back the email confirmation page. From here you can:

  • Reconfirm your email to get a new Magic Link, or
  • Set up a password to sign in directly in the future.

3. Creating a Profile

That whole passwordless thing isn't for me. Can I just set up an old school sign in for Zeck? Yes, absolutely. Once you have been added to the system, you can set up a password and sign in directly to Zeck.

How to set up a password:

  1. Click on the link that was shared with you and then click Sign In With Your Password
  2. If you don't have a password yet, click Having Trouble Signing In
  3. Enter your email address into the email field and click Send Me Secure Reset Instructions
  4. This will send an email to your inbox with a link to set up your profile.
  5. Once you profile is set up, you can continue to sign in directly to Zeck.

Worth mentioning: when you sign in directly, you will land on your Zeck Homepage. Click on the Zeck you'd like to view and it will take you to the Published Site.

4. Navigating a Zeck

Zeck is a website, so the basic navigation and functionality should be familiar. Below are a few quick notes to get you off on the right track.

How to Use Zeck:

    • Scroll through to move from section to section.
    • If you want to jump to a specific section, click the Three Lines in the upper left to open the Navigation Panel. Click on any Section Title that you'd like to jump to.
    • From the Navigation Panel you can also click X to close this Zeck and head back to your Homepage where you'll see all of the Zecks in your account.
    • The Agenda will show the start time based on your computer's time zone, so if you are Zooming in from elsewhere, it will reflect the correct time based on the time difference.
    • You'll be able to take Pre-Votes throughout the Zeck. Click here for more on how this works.
    • If you click on a hyperlink, that will take you to either an appendix section in this Zeck or another website. If you open an appendix section, click the X to close that pop-up and return to where you started.
    • You'll notice the comments buttons throughout each section. Click here for more on commenting in Zeck.

    Worth Mentioning: your Homepage will only show you Zecks that you have Viewer access to.

    5. Commenting

    Commenting on the Published Site is one of the best ways to drive better decision making in the live meeting, and a key differentiator of Zeck.  Not only can the team hear your thoughts and questions beforehand, but your feedback and insights will lead to a better, more focused agenda.  

    To Comment on the Published Site:

    1. Click the Comments Buttons in each section of the Zeck.  We put them at the top, bottom and left side so you don't miss it.
    2. This will open the Comments Panel where you can leave a comment by typing your message in the Comment Box and clicking Submit.
    3. If you hover over "Who Can See This" you'll see a list of everyone who can view your comment.
    4. Only the Account Admins will be notified for each comment in the Zeck. You will get an email if your message is directly replied to or if you are tagged in a comment. If you get a notification email, click View Section to head back to that section of the Zeck and respond.
    5. You can send a Direct Message by tagging someone and checking the box for direct messaging.

    ⚠️ Don't Forget: Direct Messages are only visible to those who have been tagged. But, if you end up sharing your screen on a call, you might want to delete the messages first.

    6. Pre-Vote

    If you are a voting member of a Board of Directors, your Zeck may have the option to take a Pre-Vote ahead of the live meeting. Learn how to cast your Pre-Vote and never waste another minute on boring admin during your live meetings again.

    How to Pre-Vote:

    1. Click Pre-Vote.
    2. Choose Approve, Not Approve or Abstain.
    3. You'll see your recorded Pre-Vote added to the tally.
    4. If you need to change your vote, click Clear My Pre-Vote and repeat the steps above.

    Worth Mentioning: The vote will still be recorded and finalized during the meeting by the Secretary.

    7. Pre-Read

    If all has gone according to plan, you're getting the link to the Published Zeck about a week before your next board meeting. Take this time to prepare ahead of time so you can dive right into the good stuff when you're all together in-person.

    Best Practices:

    • Take time to read through the Zeck in advance. If the team knows that everyone has read the update sections they can skip that during the meeting and you can start digging into your strategic discussions.
    • Check out the Read Time; this is listed by section so you'll know how long it will take you to get through it all.
    • As noted above, make sure you leave comments throughout the Zeck to drive efficiencies and discussion.  Take advantage of the Pre-Votes to get the administrative minutiae (tough word to spell) out of the way.  
    • Buy some good snacks for the meeting - with all the extra time you'll now have on meeting days, you'll want to make sure the snacks are top notch.

    8. Export to PDF

    We think the best way to read and engage with Zeck is on the site, but if you're the kind of person who likes to read board materials in a cave with no wi-fi, we have a solution for you. The PDF export.

    How to Export a Zeck to PDF:

    1. Go to the Published Site (take a look around, doesn't it look nice?!).
    2. Click the Three Dots in the upper right corner.
    3. Click Export to PDF, this will open the export module.
    4. Click Download PDF.
    5. The PDF will download to your computer and you can access it from there

    🤓 Pro Tip: while we respect your right to prepare for meetings while spelunking, we'd love to point out that if you're viewing the PDF online, you can still click on the links and attachments, so you can dig in more deeply in the Zeck.