Firebase Setup Guide

1

Go to firebase.google.com

You'll see a banner offering "$300 to unlock all Firebase features." Skip that — it requires a credit card and you won't need it.

Instead, scroll down and click "Get started in console."

Firebase homepage with the Get started in console button at the bottom

2

Start a new project

Sign in with your Google account if prompted. On the welcome screen, click the highlighted card: "Get started by setting up a Firebase project."

Firebase welcome screen with the Get started by setting up a Firebase project card highlighted

3

Name your project

Enter a name for your project — your business name works well (e.g. "PayDesk").

Check "I accept the Firebase terms."
The "Join the Google Developer Program" toggle is optional — leave it either way.
Click Continue.

Create a project screen with a field to enter your project name, the Firebase terms checkbox, and the Continue button

4

Skip the AI and Analytics prompts

You'll see two optional screens in a row:

"AI assistance for your Firebase project" (Gemini) — optional, click Continue either way
"Google Analytics for your Firebase project" — optional, click Continue either way

Neither of these affects whether your PayDesk app works, so don't worry about the toggle either way.

AI assistance for your Firebase project screen with the Enable Gemini in Firebase toggle and Continue button

Google Analytics for your Firebase project screen with the Enable Google Analytics toggle and Continue button

5

Your project is ready

You'll see a confirmation screen — "Your Firebase project is ready." Click Continue to enter your new project's dashboard.

Your Firebase project is ready confirmation screen with the Continue button

6

Add a web app

On the Project Overview page, click "+ Add app." You'll be asked which platform to add — choose Web, shown as a small icon that looks like </> (the symbol for code).

Project Overview page with the Add app button highlighted

7

Register your app

Give your app a nickname (same as your project name is fine).

Important: leave "Also set up Firebase Hosting for this app" unchecked. Your PayDesk site is hosted separately, not through Firebase.

Click Register app.

Add Firebase to your web app form with App nickname field, Firebase Hosting checkbox left unchecked, and Register app button

8

Copy your config keys

You'll now see a code block labeled firebaseConfig. This is what we need from you.

Ignore the "Use npm" / "Use a script tag" options above it — those are for developers. You just need the code block itself.

Click the small copy icon in the bottom-right corner of the code block to copy the whole thing at once.

Paste this exact block into the onboarding form when you're ready — don't retype it by hand.

Then click "Continue to console."

Add Firebase SDK screen showing the firebaseConfig code block with the copy icon in the corner (config values blurred)

9

Create your database

In the left sidebar, click "Databases & Storage."

Project Overview page with the Databases and Storage item in the left sidebar

Choose Firestore from the popup (under "NoSQL").

Databases and Storage popup menu showing SQL Connect, Firestore, Realtime Database, and Storage options with Firestore highlighted

Click "Create database."

Cloud Firestore landing page with the Create database button

Select edition: leave "Standard edition" selected → click Next

Create a database screen with Standard edition selected and the Next button

Database ID & location: leave Database ID as (default). For Location, leave it set to a United States region unless your business is based outside the US → click Next

Database ID and location step with default Database ID and nam5 United States location selected, plus a warning that location can't be changed later

Configure: choose "Start in production mode" (already selected by default) → click Create

Note: once you set the location, it can't be changed later — but the default is fine for almost everyone.

Configure step with Start in production mode selected, the default locked-down rules shown, and the Create button

Your database is now created and ready.

$Empty Firestore database view confirming the database was created, with Data, Rules, Indexes and other tabs along the top$

10

Set your security rules

Your database starts locked down by default — nothing can read or write to it until you set the rules below. This is the one extra step that comes with owning your own Firebase project instead of a shared one.

In the Firestore section, click the Rules tab. Delete everything in the box, then paste the block below exactly as it is, and click Publish.

Which did you purchase?

rules_version = '2';
service cloud.firestore {
  match /databases/{database}/documents {
    match /payroll-pro/{docId} {
      allow read, write: if docId in ['data', 'settings'];
    }
    match /{document=**} {
      allow read, write: if false;
    }
  }
}

These rules lock the database down to just the two documents Payroll Pro uses — nothing else can be read or written.

Firestore Rules tab showing the default locked-down rules in the code editor, with the Publish flow accessible via Develop and Test

11

You're done — head back to onboarding

You now have everything needed: your firebaseConfig block, and your rules are published. Head back to the onboarding form and paste your config in — we'll take it from there and have your site live within 24 hours.

Ran into a snag anywhere along the way? Email setup@getpaydesk.com — happy to help.