Setting up PassMyKitchen takes less than 5 minutes. You create an account, answer 7 quick questions about your business, and the app generates a custom HACCP plan and daily compliance checklist for you automatically. No credit card required. Here is the complete walkthrough from signup to your first compliance action.
For a deep dive on each onboarding step, see our detailed onboarding guide. For how the AI generates your HACCP plan, see how AI generates your HACCP plan. To understand what a HACCP plan is, see our HACCP plan guide.
What you need before you start
Gather these details before you begin. Having them ready makes the onboarding wizard fast and smooth.
Your business name. The name that appears on your permits and health department records.
Your state of operation. PassMyKitchen uses your state to reference the correct food safety regulations when generating your HACCP plan. The app covers all 50 US states.
Your business type. Are you a food truck, a cloud kitchen, or a caterer? This determines which features appear in your app (water logging for food trucks, event management for caterers on the Growth plan, multi-brand management for cloud kitchens on the Growth plan).
Your menu items. A list of what you serve. The more specific you are, the better the AI can identify food safety hazards. "Carne asada tacos, chicken quesadillas, bean and cheese burritos" produces a better plan than "Mexican food."
Your equipment. How many refrigerators, freezers, hot holding units, and cooking stations do you have? Each piece of equipment becomes a monitoring point in your daily compliance tasks.
Your team size. Are you a solo operator, or do you have staff? If you have a team, you can add their names during setup or later in the Staff section.
Step 1: Create your account
Go to passmykitchen.com and click "Start free trial" on the pricing page, or go directly to the signup page. You will see a "Create your account" heading with two options.
Option A: Email and password. Enter your email address and choose a password. After submitting, you will receive a verification email with a code. Enter the code to verify your account.
Option B: Sign in with Google. Click the Google sign-in button to use your Google account. This skips the email verification step.
Your 7-day free trial starts immediately with full access to all Starter plan features. No credit card is collected at signup. You only enter payment details when you actively choose to upgrade. For full trial details, see our free trial guide.
Step 2: Complete the onboarding wizard
After signing up, you enter the 7-step onboarding wizard. A progress bar at the top tracks your position through all 7 steps. Each step has a clear heading that tells you what information is needed.
Step 1 of 7: "What do you operate?" Select your business type from three options: Food Truck, Cloud Kitchen, or Caterer. Each option is displayed as a large card you tap.
Step 2 of 7: "Where is your business?" Select your state from a dropdown of all 50 US states. Enter your city and zip code. Your state is the most important field here because it determines which food safety regulations the AI references when generating your HACCP plan.
Step 3 of 7: "Name your business." Enter your business name and phone number. If you use a commissary kitchen, toggle the commissary option and enter the commissary address. For cloud kitchens, the commissary fields appear automatically.
Step 4 of 7: "Menu and allergens." Select your cuisine types from a list of categories. Add your specific menu items (up to 10). Flag which of the major allergens your menu contains. This information feeds directly into the hazard analysis section of your HACCP plan.
Step 5 of 7: "Equipment inventory." List your refrigeration, frozen storage, hot holding, and cooking equipment. Smart defaults are pre-filled based on your business type (for example, a food truck gets a reach-in cooler, freezer, flat-top grill, and fryer as defaults). Add, remove, or adjust quantities to match your actual setup.
Step 6 of 7: "Team size." Select your team size: "Just me" (solo operator), 2 people, 3 people, 4 to 5 people, or 6+ people. If you have team members, you can add their names and roles. You can also skip this and add staff later in the Staff section of the app.
Step 7 of 7: "Review and generate." Review all the information you entered across the previous 6 steps. Everything is displayed in a summary format. If anything needs correction, you can go back to any step. When everything looks right, click "Generate My Plan."
For tips on getting the best results from each step, see our detailed onboarding guide.
Step 3: Your HACCP plan is generated
After clicking "Generate My Plan," the AI reviews your business details and your state's food safety regulations. You see a loading screen with progress messages that cycle through:
- "Reviewing [your state] regulations..."
- "Analyzing your menu for food safety risks..."
- "Generating your HACCP plan..."
- "Setting up your daily checklist..."
- "Almost done..."
Generation takes approximately 30 seconds. When complete, you are redirected to your Today dashboard. Your HACCP plan is now available under "HACCP Plan" in the sidebar navigation. It includes a product description, process flow, hazard analysis, critical control points, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and recordkeeping requirements, all customized to your business, menu, and state. For a detailed explanation of what the AI generates, see how AI generates your HACCP plan.
Step 4: Your first compliance action
Your Today screen is the first thing you see after setup. Here is what you will find.
Your compliance score. Displayed as a circular progress ring. After setup, your score reflects that you have a HACCP plan but no daily logs yet. The score updates in real time as you complete tasks.
Today's tasks. A list of compliance tasks generated from your HACCP plan. Tasks include temperature checks for your equipment, cleaning log entries, and other monitoring tasks specific to your operation. Each task has a checkbox.
Quick actions. Links to log a delivery, upload a document, or ask the AI assistant a question.
Complete your first task. Tap a temperature check task. A modal opens where you enter the temperature reading in Fahrenheit. Save it. The app timestamps the entry automatically. Your compliance score increases immediately. That is your first compliance record, created in under 30 seconds.
This is the moment the product starts working for you. Every task you complete builds your compliance record, raises your score, and prepares you for your next inspection. For a full explanation of the dashboard, see your compliance dashboard explained.
What happens during your 7-day trial
Your trial gives you full access to all Starter plan features for 7 days.
Everything works. Generate your HACCP plan. Log temperatures and cleaning tasks. Upload documents. Use the AI compliance assistant (50 questions per day). Open Inspector Mode to see what inspectors see. Track staff certifications.
No credit card required. PassMyKitchen does not collect payment information during signup. You will not be charged during the trial.
At the end of 7 days, you choose a plan to continue: Starter at $29 per month or Growth at $49 per month. If you do not upgrade, your account is paused but your data is preserved. You can upgrade at any time to reactivate. For full trial details, see our free trial guide.
Marcus set up his PassMyKitchen account on a Monday morning before heading to the commissary. By the time he was filling his water tanks, his HACCP plan was generated, his first temperature log was recorded, and his compliance system was running. Total time from signup to first compliance action: 4 minutes. For broader compliance guidance, see our food safety compliance guide.
Ready to get started?
Set up your PassMyKitchen account in under 5 minutes. Create your account, answer 7 questions, and get a complete HACCP plan generated for your business and your state. No credit card required. No long forms. No waiting.
Start your free trial and be compliance-ready today.
Frequently asked questions
How long does setup take?
Most users complete the entire setup process (account creation, 7-step onboarding, HACCP plan generation) in 3 to 5 minutes. The onboarding wizard takes 2 to 3 minutes to answer all 7 questions. HACCP plan generation takes approximately 30 seconds. Your first compliance task takes about 15 seconds.
Do I need a credit card to sign up?
No. PassMyKitchen does not collect payment information during signup. Your 7-day free trial starts immediately with full Starter plan access. You only enter payment details when you actively choose to upgrade to a paid plan.
Can I change my business details after onboarding?
Yes. Every detail you entered during onboarding can be updated in the Settings section of the app. Go to Settings > Business to change your business name, type, state, or other details. Go to Settings > Locations to update your address. If your changes affect your HACCP plan (new state, new equipment, new menu), you can regenerate your plan from the HACCP Plan section.
What if I make a mistake during setup?
During onboarding, you can go back to any previous step using the back button. On the final review step (Step 7), all your information is displayed so you can catch errors before generating. After onboarding, you can edit all business details in Settings > Business and regenerate your HACCP plan if needed.
Does PassMyKitchen work on my phone?
Yes. PassMyKitchen is built as a mobile-first web application. It works in any modern mobile browser (Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android). There is no separate app to download. Bookmark passmykitchen.com on your phone's home screen for quick access. The entire interface, from onboarding to daily logging to Inspector Mode, is designed for phone use with large touch targets and a fast workflow.