Installation guide

Get ShowPrompt running in minutes.

Install Node.js once, then it's a double-click on Start ShowPrompt before every show. No configuration files, no commissioning, no IT department needed.

Windows & macOS Free tier — no licence key needed No account required

A · Getting started 1 · Install Node.js 2 · Start ShowPrompt 3 · Open the dashboard 4 · Activate licence 5 · Connect displays B · Running a show ? · Troubleshooting

Getting started

ShowPrompt sets itself up the first time you run it, then starts in seconds after that. You need the ShowPrompt folder — the one containing the Start ShowPrompt launcher — and a few minutes the first time. After Node.js is installed, running ShowPrompt is just a double-click.

Install Node.js (one-time)

ShowPrompt runs on Node.js — a free, standard piece of software used by millions of applications. Go to nodejs.org and download the LTS version, then run the installer and click through the defaults. This is the only thing you install by hand, and you only ever do it once per computer.

Windows tip: leave "Add to PATH" ticked during installation — it's on by default. If Node.js isn't installed, the Start ShowPrompt launcher will tell you and point you to nodejs.org.

Double-click Start ShowPrompt

Put the ShowPrompt folder somewhere easy to find — Desktop or Documents is fine. Open the folder and double-click the launcher:

Mac: Start ShowPrompt.command
Windows: Start ShowPrompt.bat

That's it — the launcher does everything for you. The first time it sets ShowPrompt up automatically (this takes a minute or so); every time after that it starts in seconds.

First time on Mac — macOS blocks it once. You'll see a box titled "Start ShowPrompt.command Not Opened" saying Apple could not verify it. This is normal for any app that isn't yet notarised by Apple — ShowPrompt is safe. Click Done (never Move to Bin), then open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down to the Security section, and click Open Anyway next to the ShowPrompt message; confirm with your password or Touch ID. You only do this once. Windows: if a blue SmartScreen box appears, click More info → Run anyway. On older macOS you can instead right-click the launcher → Open → Open.

Click Done — never “Move to Bin”. Then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.

The dashboard opens automatically

When you double-click Start ShowPrompt, a small status window opens and ShowPrompt automatically opens the dashboard in your web browser at http://localhost:3000. That window lists the address for every page, plus your local network IP.

Leave the status window open for the whole show — closing it stops ShowPrompt. When you're done, just close that window to shut down cleanly.

✓ On the machine running the show, the dashboard is at http://localhost:3000. On any other device on the same network, use the IP address shown in the status window — e.g. http://192.168.1.50:3000.

Activate your licence (Pro & Venue only)

ShowPrompt runs on the Free tier straight away with no key needed — skip this step if Free covers what you need. Pro and Venue are unlocked with a licence key that looks like this:

XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX

To activate:

Open http://localhost:3000 and click Settings (top-right of the dashboard).
Find the Licence section.
Paste your key and press Activate.

Your key is verified online when you activate, so the machine needs internet for that one step — it only takes a second — and the tier badge updates across every page. The key is saved, so you only activate once per machine, and paid tiers re-check online roughly once a month. To use ShowPrompt on another machine, activate the same key there too.

Tier reminder: Free Conference timer & flash, 1 display · Pro Conference + Music & Live + Broadcast, 4 displays · Venue adds Matchday, Worship & Theatre, unlimited displays.

Connect your displays

Single machine (simplest): open a display page in a second browser window on the same laptop, drag it to your external monitor, and press F for fullscreen. Feed that monitor into your screen or vision-mixer chain as normal.

Over the network: on any other device on the same Wi-Fi or wired network, open http://[YOUR-IP]:3000/ using the IP address shown in the ShowPrompt status window. Open the display you need — no software to install on the display device.

Install to home screen (iPad / phone): in Safari, open the dashboard and tap Share → Add to Home Screen. ShowPrompt gets its own icon and launches without browser chrome — useful for wall-mounted displays. On Android Chrome, the menu shows Install app.

✓ The controller header shows a live count of connected displays, and each display's top bar turns green once it's linked to the server.

Running a show

From the dashboard at http://localhost:3000 you can open any mode. Each mode has a controller (for the operator) and a display (for the screen your team or audience watches). Every button in the controller has built-in help — click ❓ Guide in any controller header to turn hover-help on.

Six modes — each purpose-built

Free+

🎤 Conference

Countdown timer, flash warning, cue messages, running order, slide tracker, speaker notes. Free tier gets the timer and flash; Pro unlocks everything else.

Pro

📡 Broadcast

TX clock, tally, production states (LIVE/VT/BREAK…), director messages, streaming destinations panel, show running order for the gallery.

Venue

🎭 Theatre

DSM cue lists per department (LX, Sound, Flys, Stage, FOH), acts & scenes, standby/go cue lights, parallel named countdowns.

Venue

🏟 Matchday

Nine sports, auto-adapting clock direction and scoring buttons, squads & substitutions, match announcements.

Venue

🕊 Worship

Six traditions (Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Multi-faith). Cue chips, order of service, pre-service countdown — all adapt to the tradition.

Pro

🎵 Music & Live

Setlist with now / next song, set and curfew timers, and MD / bandleader cues for bands, DJs, solo artists, function bands and comedy. Silent per-member cue lights.

Conference keyboard shortcuts

`Space`	Start / pause the timer
`F`	Flash the display screen
`[ ]`	Previous / next running-order segment
`1 – 8`	Send preset cue messages
`Esc`	Clear the current cue message
`← →`	Previous / next slide

Saving shows & event branding

Open the Shows button in the Conference controller (or Show Files in Settings) to save your full show setup and reload it before the next event. Show files cover every mode — Conference, Broadcast, Matchday (including teamsheets), Worship, and Theatre (including scenes and cue lists). Running timers are always saved paused.

In Settings → Event Logo, upload a PNG, JPG, or SVG to brand every display with your event or client logo.

Auto crash recovery: ShowPrompt saves the full show state automatically every 30 seconds to a recovery file. If it's force-closed mid-show, a recovery banner appears the next time you start ShowPrompt — click it to restore everything exactly as it was.

Troubleshooting

The first run didn't finish setting up

The first time you start ShowPrompt it needs an internet connection for about a minute to set itself up. If that step was interrupted, close the status window, check you're online, and double-click Start ShowPrompt again — it will finish the setup and then open as normal. (Only this first-run setup needs internet; running a show does not.) If it still won't start, make sure Node.js is installed from nodejs.org.

A display won't load on another device

Check both devices are on the same network, and that the IP address matches the one in the ShowPrompt status window. Make sure that status window is still open — if you closed it, ShowPrompt stopped. If the venue network is unreliable, use the single-machine setup instead: server and display on one laptop, output sent over HDMI to a second screen.

The display shows "Connecting…" and never goes green

The display page has loaded but can't reach the WebSocket server. Usually caused by a firewall blocking port 3000, or the browser being on a different network segment (e.g. a guest Wi-Fi vs the venue LAN). Try opening the display on the same machine as the server first to confirm it works locally, then investigate the network.

Windows firewall: the first time you start ShowPrompt, Windows may ask whether to allow Node.js on private and public networks. Allow both. If you dismissed the prompt, search for "Windows Firewall" → "Allow an app" → find Node.js and tick both.

My licence key isn't activating

Check the key is entered exactly as provided — no extra spaces, dashes in the right places. Activating verifies your subscription online, so you need internet for that one step (it takes a second). After activation, ShowPrompt runs fully offline. If you see a "Key not recognised" error, double-check the key against your Lemon Squeezy purchase confirmation email or contact support.

"Port 3000 is already in use"

Another program — most often a previous ShowPrompt session that's still running — is using port 3000. Close any other ShowPrompt status windows, then double-click Start ShowPrompt again. If you've just closed it, give it a few seconds before restarting so the port is released.

The server crashed mid-show — how do I recover?

Double-click Start ShowPrompt again. ShowPrompt auto-saves the full show state every 30 seconds, and on restart a recovery banner appears at the top of the dashboard. Click it to restore your running order, timer state, scores, cue lists, and all other settings exactly as they were before the crash.

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