--- title: Initial Configuration description: Configure WaypointAds in Joomla with the Setup Assistant, complete the System Check, choose a guided Learning Example or start with an empty advertising system. canonical_url: https://waypointads.com/tutorials/core-edition/initial-configuration language: en-GB date: 2026-09-04T01:37:51Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://waypointads.com/tutorials/core-edition/initial-configuration. Schema.org structured data included at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. markdown-tokens: 1412 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://waypointads.com/tutorials/core-edition/initial-configuration. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Structured data** as JSON-LD may be found at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. The WaypointAds Setup Assistant has been designed to help you get your advertising system up and running as quickly as possible. Rather than expecting you to search through menus and configuration screens, the Setup Assistant walks you through the essential steps needed to prepare your website for advertising. After clicking **Begin Setup** on the Welcome screen, WaypointAds performs a brief System Check. This verifies that Joomla, PHP, your database connection, file permissions, and the required server components are all ready to support WaypointAds. No changes are made to your website during this process—it simply confirms that everything is in place before continuing. If every item displays Ready, you're all set. Click Continue Setup to proceed to the next step. ![The system check screen which is part of the installation and install verification of WaypointAds](https://waypointads.com/images/production/tutorial/waypointads-system-check.webp) Your website has passed the System Check. Click Continue Setup to move on to the next stage, where WaypointAds demonstrates how advertisements, Zones, Campaigns, and Advertisers work together. **Step 2 – Choose How You Would Like to Begin** Once your system has passed the System Check, click Continue Setup to move to the next stage of the Setup Assistant. Here you'll choose how you'd like to begin your WaypointAds journey. You have two options, and neither affects your live website. The choice simply determines whether you'd prefer to learn by exploring a working example or by building your advertising system from the ground up. ![WaypointAds Learn With An Example screen](https://waypointads.com/images/production/tutorial/learn-waypoints-with-an-example.webp "Learning with an example will not be a waste of your time.") Learn with an Example (Recommended) If you're new to WaypointAds, this is the recommended option. WaypointAds creates a small demonstration advertising system containing a fictional **Advertiser**, a **Campaign**, an unpublished **Zone**, and two inactive **Advertisements**. Nothing is displayed on your public website, giving you a safe environment to explore how the different parts of WaypointAds work together. Because the example is completely self-contained, you can inspect every record, experiment with the settings, or remove the example later without affecting your own advertising campaigns. ![The Lessons Complete Panel on WaypointAds](https://waypointads.com/images/production/tutorial/waypointads-lessons-complete-panel.webp "Much Have You Learned Padowan") Start with an Empty System If you already know how you'd like to organize your advertising, or simply prefer to build everything yourself, choose Start Empty. No example records are created, allowing you to begin with a completely clean installation. You'll create your own Advertisers, Zones, Campaigns, and Advertisements as you continue through the tutorials. Both options lead to the same destination. The only difference is whether you'd like a guided example to explore along the way. [Previous](https://waypointads.com/tutorials/core-edition/installing-waypointads) [Continue](https://waypointads.com/tutorials/core-edition/learning-waypointads) ```json { "@context": "http:\/\/schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "author": { "@id": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/#paul_stallibrass_144f731fa4" }, "dateModified": "2026-09-04T01:37:51Z", "datePublished": "2026-08-02T00:30:35Z", "description": "Configure WaypointAds in Joomla with the Setup Assistant, complete the System Check, choose a guided Learning Example or start with an empty advertising system.", "headline": "Initial Configuration", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/images\/production\/tutorial\/waypointads-system-check.webp", "caption": null, "description": "The system check screen which is part of the installation and install verification of WaypointAds", "width": 800, "height": 1091 } ], "inLanguage": "en-GB", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/tutorials\/core-edition\/initial-configuration" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/#defaultPublisher" }, "url": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/tutorials\/core-edition\/initial-configuration" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Stallibrass", "@id": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/#paul_stallibrass_144f731fa4" }, { "@id": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/#defaultPublisher", "@type": "Organization", "url": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/", "logo": { "@id": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/#defaultLogo" }, "name": "Waypoint Ads" }, { "@id": "https:\/\/waypointads.com\/#defaultLogo", "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "", "width": "", "height": "" } ] } ```