A freshly installed SENAITE LIMS is empty. There are no sample types, no analysis services, no clients. Before you can register your first sample, you need to set up the basic configuration. The demo data profile does this for you in a single click.
This guide shows how to install demo data so you can immediately start exploring SENAITE with realistic laboratory content. The video above walks through every step.
What the Demo Data Includes
The demo profile creates a complete laboratory setup:
- Clients with contact persons and addresses
- Sample types (e.g. water, soil, blood)
- Analysis services with result ranges and specifications
- Analysis categories and departments
- Lab contacts and analyst accounts
- Instruments and instrument types
- Sample points and containers
- Report templates
This gives you enough structure to register samples, enter results, run verifications, and publish reports without having to configure anything manually first.
How to Install Demo Data
1. Log in as admin
Open your SENAITE instance (e.g. http://localhost:8080/senaite) and log in with admin credentials.
2. Navigate to the Setup
Go to the SENAITE Setup page. You can find it in the top navigation under your user menu or by navigating to /senaite/bika_setup.
3. Apply the demo profile
In the Setup, navigate to Add-ons (or /senaite/prefs_install_products_form). Find senaite.core (Demo Data) in the list of available profiles and click Install.
The import runs for about 30 seconds. When it finishes, your SENAITE instance is populated with demo content.
4. Register your first sample
Navigate to a client (e.g. Happy Hills), click Add Sample, and fill in the registration form. Select a sample type, choose analysis services, and submit. You now have a working sample in the pipeline.
Next Steps
- Run SENAITE with Docker if you do not have an instance running yet
- What is SENAITE LIMS? for a complete overview of features and architecture
- SENAITE Care for professional support and maintenance of your installation
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