ExporterOS Help & Documentation

Everything you need to get your export business running smoothly. If you have questions not covered here, email us at [email protected].

Getting Started

ExporterOS is an all-in-one system for small export businesses. It covers the complete workflow from your first customer inquiry through to payment collection, with tools for quotations, orders, shipping documents, inventory, supplier management, and finance.

You don't need to set everything up at once. Most teams start with Inquiries and Quotations, then gradually connect the rest of the workflow as they get comfortable.

Interface language: The app is fully available in both English and Chinese. Use the language toggle button at the top of the left sidebar to switch at any time — no need to log out or change any settings.
New to ExporterOS? Start by creating your first inquiry or quotation. The system is designed to guide you through each step — you'll pick it up as you go.

Company Setup

After signing up, go to Settings to fill in your company profile. This information appears on all your PDFs — quotations, invoices, packing lists, and more.

What to fill in

  • Company name (English and local language)
  • Address — shown on documents and your business website
  • Phone and email — buyer contact details on PDFs
  • Bank details — automatically inserted into Proforma Invoices and Commercial Invoices
  • Company seal — upload an image; it prints on all documents
  • Default currency — used as the starting currency for new quotations
Tip: Filling in your bank details now saves you from editing every invoice manually later. It takes two minutes and saves hours.

Invite your team

Go to Settings → Team Members to add colleagues. Each person gets a specific role: Sales, Finance, Warehouse, Purchasing, or Production. They'll only see the parts of the system relevant to their job.

Managing Inquiries

An inquiry is any message from a potential or existing customer asking about your products or pricing. ExporterOS keeps every inquiry organized and helps you decide where to focus your attention.

Adding an inquiry

1
Open Inquiries and click New InquiryEnter the customer's name (or select an existing customer), add the inquiry content, and set a source (email, trade show, website, etc.).
2
Let AI analyze itClick the AI Analyze button. Within seconds you'll see a score (0–100), a brief summary, and notes on what the buyer is most likely looking for.
3
Act on itConvert high-scoring inquiries directly to a quotation from the same screen. Low-scoring ones can be tagged and revisited later.

What the AI score means

  • 80–100: Strong buying signal — clear product need, specific quantities, professional language. Prioritize these.
  • 50–79: Genuine interest but still early-stage. Worth a response, but don't overinvest until they engage further.
  • Below 50: Vague or likely a poor fit. Respond briefly or skip.
Note: AI analysis uses a credit from your account balance. You start with 360 credits when you sign up — enough to analyze hundreds of inquiries before needing to top up.

Creating Quotations

A quotation is a formal price offer you send to a buyer. ExporterOS generates a professional PDF quotation that includes your company header, product line items, payment terms, and signature block.

Creating a new quotation

1
Start from an inquiry or from scratchClick "Create Quotation" on an inquiry, or go to Quotations → New. Select the customer and set the currency.
2
Add line itemsSelect products from your catalog, set quantities, unit prices, and any discounts. The total updates automatically.
3
Set termsChoose Incoterm (FOB, CIF, EXW, etc.), payment terms (T/T, L/C, etc.), validity date, and delivery time.
4
Generate and send the PDFClick Generate PDF. Download it and attach to your email, or copy the link. The buyer sees a clean, professional document with your branding.

Converting a quotation to an order

When the buyer confirms, open the quotation and click Convert to Order. All line items, pricing, and customer details transfer automatically — no re-entry needed.

Tip: You can have multiple active quotations for the same customer at different price levels or product configurations. Only the one the customer confirms gets converted.

Order Management

Once a quotation is confirmed, ExporterOS tracks the order through every stage until payment is collected.

Order status flow

1
ConfirmedBuyer has agreed. The order is in the system.
2
In ProductionWork order issued to the production team or factory.
3
SourcingPurchase order placed with suppliers.
4
In WarehouseGoods received and checked in to stock.
5
ShippedOutbound shipment created, export documents issued.
6
CompletedPayment received. Order closed.

Status updates automatically as you move through the workflow. You can also update it manually if a step is handled outside the system.

Export Documents — PI / CI / PL

ExporterOS generates the three core export shipping documents as professional PDFs. All three pull data from your order — you don't re-enter anything.

Proforma Invoice (PI)

A pre-shipment price confirmation document, often used to open Letters of Credit or request advance payment. Create a PI from any confirmed order. It includes your bank details, Incoterm, and all line items. Buyers can sign and return it to confirm the deal.

Commercial Invoice (CI)

The official invoice accompanying the goods at customs. It shows the actual transaction value, HS codes (if entered), and country of origin.

  • You can create multiple draft versions before locking the final one
  • Once you confirm a CI, it locks — preventing accidental edits after goods have shipped
  • Only one CI per shipment batch can be confirmed (the system prevents duplicates automatically)

Packing List (PL)

A detailed breakdown of the shipment: carton count, gross weight, net weight, dimensions (L×W×H), and CBM. Created from the confirmed CI. Your customs broker and freight forwarder will ask for this.

All three documents include your company seal (uploaded in Settings), company header, and signature block. They're ready to send to your freight forwarder or buyer without any additional formatting.

Suppliers & Production

Work Orders

When an order needs to go into production, create a Work Order from the order detail page. The work order goes to your production team (or factory) with the product specs, quantity, and required-by date. You can track its status from the Work Orders module.

Purchase Orders

When you need to source materials or finished goods from a supplier, create a Purchase Order. Each PO is linked to one or more orders, so you always know why you're buying what you're buying.

  • Set expected delivery dates and track actual arrival
  • Record payments against each PO as you make them
  • Outstanding payables are automatically visible in the Finance module

Supplier Profiles

Keep a full profile for each supplier: contact person, bank details, payment terms, and a history of all POs placed with them. Useful when negotiating or auditing your supply chain.

Inventory Management

ExporterOS tracks stock levels across one or more warehouses in real time.

Receiving goods

When a purchase order arrives, create a Goods Receipt. Enter what was received (which items, how many), and the stock levels update immediately. If the quantity differs from the PO, the discrepancy is recorded.

Outbound shipments

When goods leave the warehouse to fulfill an order, create an Outbound record. This deducts from inventory and links to the order. The system prevents you from shipping more than you have in stock.

Tip: If you operate multiple locations (factory warehouse, bonded warehouse, third-party logistics), you can set them up as separate warehouses and move stock between them.

Finance & Reports

Accounts Receivable

ExporterOS automatically calculates what each customer owes you based on confirmed Commercial Invoices. When a payment comes in, record it against the relevant order. The outstanding balance updates in real time. You can view a full Statement of Account for any customer as a PDF.

Accounts Payable

Based on your Purchase Orders, the system shows what you owe suppliers. Record payments as you make them. The AP view shows you exactly which POs are unpaid, partially paid, or fully settled.

Monthly and Annual Reports

The Reports page shows a month-by-month breakdown of revenue, organized by the orders that were completed in each month. Switch between years to compare performance. All figures respect the currencies of the underlying transactions.

Important: ExporterOS is a business operations tool, not certified accounting software. The financial data here is for your own visibility and management — not a substitute for formal accounting or tax filing. Always work with a qualified accountant for statutory reporting.

AI Features

ExporterOS uses AI to help you work faster in specific, high-value situations. The AI is always opt-in — it never runs automatically without you asking for it.

🎯
Inquiry Scoring

When you click "Analyze" on an inquiry, the AI reads the content and gives it a score from 0 to 100. High scores mean a strong buying signal. You also get a one-paragraph summary and key notes — useful when you have 20 inquiries to triage in the morning.

👤
Customer Background Analysis

When adding a new customer, you can trigger an AI analysis of their company. This surfaces relevant background — typical business size, markets they serve, public reputation — to help you calibrate how to pitch to them.

🌐
Business Website Generation

ExporterOS can generate a professional English-language B2B product catalog website for you, hosted at your own subdomain (e.g., yourcompany.exporteros.com). It uses your product list plus a few additional details you provide. The result is a live, shareable URL you can send to buyers.

Credits

AI features use credits from your account balance. You receive 360 credits when you sign up — more than enough to get started. You can view your balance and usage history in Settings → Credits & Services.

AI Prospecting

AI Prospecting is ExporterOS's outbound lead discovery module. Have a conversation with your dedicated AI assistant, describe your ideal buyer profile, and it automatically searches the global web for matching companies, screens them for relevance, and presents them one by one. Confirmed leads go directly into your private prospect library, ready for follow-up outreach.

How it works

1
Complete initial setup with the AI assistantThe first time you open AI Prospecting, the assistant asks a few questions about your products and your ideal buyer — what they buy, which countries, what type of company. Once set up, you're ready to search.
2
Start a search (3 credits)Tell the assistant what you're looking for — for example, "find heat exchanger manufacturers in Poland." It confirms your intent and starts searching. Results usually come back within 1–2 minutes.
3
Review each leadEach company comes with its name, business focus, website, and a match score. Click "Add to Library" or "Skip." The more feedback you give, the more accurate future searches become.
4
Work your lead libraryApproved companies go into your private prospect library, managed from the Prospecting page. You can send outreach emails, convert them to formal customer profiles, and track the whole pipeline in one place.
Gets smarter over time: The AI assistant remembers your feedback and adjusts future searches automatically. Types you rejected won't reappear; directions you approved get explored further.
Tip: Describe your target in plain language — "find refrigeration equipment companies in Turkey" works just as well as a structured form. The assistant interprets your intent and handles the search logic.

Your Business Website

Every ExporterOS account can have a professional B2B product catalog website, automatically generated from your product list and hosted at a dedicated subdomain.

What you get

  • A clean, mobile-responsive English-language catalog page
  • Your company name, contact details, and product listings
  • An inquiry form buyers can submit directly — the inquiry lands in your ExporterOS inbox automatically
  • Your own subdomain: yourcompany.exporteros.com

How to set it up

1
Set your company slug in SettingsThis becomes your subdomain and your email address on the platform.
2
Activate the subdomain service (20 credits/year)Goes live immediately once activated.
3
Go to Settings → Website and click GenerateAdd any extra details (tagline, certifications, markets you serve, contact person, WhatsApp). The AI generates and publishes the site — usually within 30 seconds.

You can regenerate the site anytime your product catalog changes (8 credits per regeneration).

Telegram Bot

ExporterOS includes a Telegram bot so you can stay on top of your business from your phone — no browser required.

Connecting your account

1
Go to Settings → Telegram NotificationsClick "Connect Telegram." The system generates a one-time verification code.
2
Open the bot in TelegramSend /link your-code to the bot. Your account is connected immediately.
3
Start receiving alertsNew inquiries, confirmed orders, payment receipts, and payment-due reminders will now push directly to your Telegram.

All bot commands

Command What it does
/today Daily summary — new inquiries, orders pending action, payments received today
/inquiries List your most recent unhandled inquiries
/balance Check your current credit balance
/alerts View all pending reminders — overdue payments, follow-up tasks, expected deliveries
/search keyword Search a customer name or product name
/quote Create a quotation in plain language, e.g. "quote Acme 100 units FOB $12"
/help Show all available commands
/link code Used once when first connecting your account
Send a photo AI reads a business card image and creates a customer profile from the extracted details
Business card scanning: Snap a photo of a business card at a trade show and send it to the bot. AI extracts the name, company, title, email, and phone automatically — your customer profile is created in seconds, no manual entry needed.

Install as a Phone App

ExporterOS supports PWA (Progressive Web App) — you can install it on your home screen and use it just like a native app. It loads instantly, works offline for basic navigation, and supports badge notifications on the icon.

How to install

1
Open app.exporteros.com in your phone browserLog in to your account. The system detects your browser and device automatically.
2
Add to Home ScreeniOS Safari: tap the Share button at the bottom → Add to Home Screen. Android Chrome: tap the menu at the top right → Install App.
3
Open from your home screen iconTap the icon to go straight into the app — no browser address bar, no typing URLs.
Badge notifications: Once installed, the app icon shows a number badge when you have unread inquiries or pending reminders — just like a messaging app. You know something needs attention without even opening the app.
Note: Full PWA features (badge notifications, install prompt) require iOS 16.4+ or a recent version of Android Chrome. If badges aren't appearing, check that you've allowed notifications for the app in your phone's system settings.

Team & Permissions

ExporterOS uses a 9-seat role system. When you register, all 9 seats are yours — you're doing everything. As you hire, you assign seats to colleagues.

Roles

  • Owner — full access to everything, including settings and billing
  • Sales — customers, inquiries, quotations, orders
  • Finance — receivables, payables, reports
  • Purchasing — suppliers, purchase orders
  • Warehouse — goods receipts, inventory, outbound
  • Production — work orders

Adding a team member

Go to Settings → Team Members and click Add Member. Enter their email and select their role. They'll receive an invitation email with a login link. They log in with their own email — no shared passwords.

Note: Team members have their own login but share your company's data. A Sales user can see all customer inquiries, not just their own. Fine-grained per-user data filtering is not currently supported.

Data Export & Account Management

You can download a complete backup of all your business data at any time — no need to contact support.

How to export your data

Go to Settings → Danger Zone and find "Download JSON Backup." When you click it, the system bundles all your customers, inquiries, orders, products, documents, and financials into a JSON file and downloads it directly to your device. The entire process happens in your browser — we don't store a copy on our servers.

Export quota

  • Accounts that have never purchased credits: 1 free export per month
  • Accounts with any prior purchase: 2 free exports per month
  • Beyond the free quota: 3 credits per export
Privacy commitment: Data export is entirely self-service. We don't send your data anywhere, and we don't keep a copy. Your data is yours — take it whenever you want it.

Still have questions? Email us at [email protected] — we typically reply within 24 hours.

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