Kola CRM is a full-featured B2B customer relationship management tool sold as a one-time purchase — no subscriptions, no monthly fees, no per-seat charges. You pay once and own it permanently.

It's designed for small and mid-sized businesses in B2B services: agencies, consultancies, professional services firms, logistics, trades, and any company that manages an active sales pipeline.

What's included

• Contact management — customers, suppliers, subcontractors, and partners
• Visual sales pipeline — Kanban board with drag-and-drop deal stages
• Deal tracking — linked to contacts, stage history, interaction log
• Activity logging — calls, emails, meetings, notes
• Follow-up tracking — reminders and upcoming task view
• Dashboard & reporting — pipeline value, win rate, forecast, recent activity
• Ask Kola AI — natural language queries against your live CRM data
• CSV export — your data, always

All tiers include the full core feature set. Professional and Business unlock workflow automation, email sequences, multi-user access, and company objects. Business adds API access and priority support.

For all tiers

Any modern web browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. No installation required. Works on Mac, Windows, and mobile (desktop layout recommended for daily use).

Starter tier

No server needed. The CRM is a single HTML file — open it in your browser and it runs. Data is stored in that browser on that device.

Professional & Business tiers

• A small VPS (virtual private server) — we recommend DigitalOcean Basic, ~$6–12/month, billed to you
• A domain name you control (e.g. crm.yourcompany.com)
• Approximately 30 minutes for initial setup (or use our White Glove service)

You purchase your tier once. Immediately after payment, you receive a license key by email. Enter that key into Kola CRM to unlock your tier's features.

There are no monthly fees, renewal fees, or per-user charges — ever. The license is perpetual.

Updates

Minor updates (bug fixes, improvements within the current version) are free and delivered as an updated HTML file. Future major version releases may be offered as a separate purchase at a discounted upgrade price for existing customers — this will be announced well in advance.

One codebase, three tiers

All tiers are the same CobaltCRM.html file. The license key determines which features are active. Upgrading is a key swap — no reinstallation, no data migration.

The Starter tier runs as a local file in your browser — no server, no installation, no IT department required.

1. Download CobaltCRM.html from your purchase confirmation email
2. Save it somewhere you won't accidentally delete it (e.g. Documents folder)
3. Double-click the file — it opens in your default browser
4. Enter your license key when prompted
5. The CRM loads with sample data on first run. Clear it when you're ready to start with real data

Professional and Business tiers run on your own server so your whole team can access the CRM from any browser. The setup takes 20–30 minutes and requires no ongoing technical maintenance.

What you'll need

• A DigitalOcean account (free to create at digitalocean.com)
• A domain name you control (e.g. crm.yourcompany.com)
• Your Kola CRM license file and key

Two paths

Do it yourself — follow our step-by-step Server Setup Guide. Eight steps, every command provided, takes 20–30 minutes.

White Glove Setup Service ($97, one-time) — we do the entire setup for you and hand you a live CRM URL within 1 business day. Learn more →

Your license key is in your purchase receipt email. It looks like a string of letters and numbers separated by dashes.

1. Open Kola CRM in your browser
2. A license prompt appears on first load — paste your key there, or go to Settings → License
3. Click Activate. Features for your tier unlock immediately

Professional & Business: domain locking

Your key is tied to the domain you registered it against. The URL in your browser must exactly match your registered domain — including whether it has www or not.

Example: if your key is registered to crm.acme.com, opening the app at www.crm.acme.com will fail validation. Use the exact form you registered.

The White Glove Setup Service ($97, one-time) is an optional add-on for Professional and Business tier customers. We handle your entire server setup and hand you a live, working CRM URL — no technical knowledge required on your end.

What's included

• DigitalOcean Droplet creation and security configuration
• Nginx web server installation
• Your licensed Kola CRM file uploaded and configured
• SSL/HTTPS certificate (padlock in browser)
• License key activation and validation check
• Handover email with your live URL and post-setup instructions
• 30-day post-setup support window

What you still do

Create your DigitalOcean account (5 minutes, we send instructions), point your domain DNS (we walk you through it), and fill in a short intake form. That's it.

To purchase: email support@kolacrm.com with subject "White Glove Setup" or add it at checkout.

Starter (1–3 users)

Starter uses shared credentials — one login shared across up to 3 people. There is no individual user tracking or audit trail at this tier. If your team needs individual logins, upgrade to Professional.

Professional (up to 10 users) & Business (unlimited)

Once your server is set up, every team member accesses the CRM at your server URL (e.g. https://crm.yourcompany.com) from their own browser. No apps to install. Works on any device.

Share the URL with your team — that's all they need. Each user logs in individually. Role-based permissions are on the roadmap for a future release.

Adding a contact

Click + Contact in the Contacts view. Fill in name, company, email, and phone. Select a contact type: Customer, Supplier, Subcontractor, or Partner. Save.

Contact types

Chestnut supports the full relationship map of a B2B business — not just customers. Use contact types to filter your view: the Suppliers tab pre-filters to supplier contacts automatically.

Filtering and sorting

Use the search bar to filter by name or company. Click any column header to sort. Combine filters with the type dropdown to segment your list.

Exporting contacts

Click Export CSV to download your full contact list as a spreadsheet. Export works on filtered views too — filter first, then export for a segment-specific list.

Bulk actions

Check multiple contacts using the row checkboxes, then use the bulk action toolbar to set follow-up dates, change status, or export the selection.

The Pipeline view shows all your deals as cards organised by stage. It gives you an instant visual snapshot of where your revenue is.

The six stages

1. Prospect — early-stage, unqualified
2. Qualified — confirmed fit, active conversation
3. Proposal — quote or proposal sent
4. Negotiation — terms being discussed
5. Won — closed successfully
6. Lost — did not close

Moving deals

Drag a deal card to a new column to change its stage. The stage change is logged automatically in the deal's interaction history.

Deal age indicator

Cards show how many days a deal has been in its current stage. A colour indicator highlights deals going stale — use this to prioritise outreach.

Creating a deal

Click + Deal from the Pipeline or Deals view. Enter a deal name, value, linked contact, current stage, and expected close date. Save.

The deal slide-out panel

Click any deal to open its detail panel. From here you can: change the stage, edit deal details, log interactions, add notes, view full history, and link additional contacts.

Linking deals to contacts

Each deal can be linked to a primary contact. The contact's deal history is visible from their contact panel. You can also email directly from a deal panel using the Send button.

Closing a deal

Move the deal to Won or Lost on the Kanban board, or change the stage in the panel. Won deals count toward your dashboard win rate and closed revenue metrics.

Quick-log (from contact or deal panel)

Click the Log button in any contact or deal slide-out panel. Select the interaction type: Call, Email, or Meeting. Add a note. Save. The interaction is timestamped and added to the activity feed.

Setting follow-ups

When logging an interaction, set a follow-up date. This creates a reminder that appears in your Dashboard's "Upcoming Follow-ups" section and in the contact/deal panel.

Bulk follow-up dates

Select multiple contacts with the checkbox, then use the bulk action toolbar to set a follow-up date for all of them at once — useful after a campaign or outreach batch.

Note templates

Frequently-used notes (e.g. "Left voicemail", "Sent proposal") are available as one-click templates in the quick-log to save time.

Metric cards (top row)

• Total pipeline value — sum of all open deal values
• Win rate — closed-won deals as a percentage of all closed deals
• Active deals — deals not yet Won or Lost
• Overdue follow-ups — contacts/deals past their follow-up date

Pipeline funnel

Shows deal count and value at each stage. A funnel that narrows sharply between Prospect and Qualified suggests a qualification bottleneck. A narrow Negotiation-to-Won drop suggests a closing issue.

Upcoming follow-ups

A prioritised list of the contacts and deals due for follow-up today and this week. Click any item to jump straight to the contact or deal panel.

Recent activity

A live feed of the most recent interactions logged across all contacts and deals — useful for quickly reviewing what your team has been doing.

Ask Kola is a natural language assistant that queries your live CRM data. Ask it things like "which deals have been in Proposal for more than 2 weeks?" or "summarise my activity this month."

Setup (one time per device)

1. Press ⌘K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows), or click "Ask Kola" in the header
2. Click the gear icon → Settings
3. Choose your AI provider: Anthropic (Claude Haiku) or OpenAI (GPT-4o-mini)
4. Paste your API key. Get one free at console.anthropic.com or platform.openai.com
5. Your key saves locally — re-enter it if you switch browsers or devices

Cost

Typical usage costs $1–3 per year at Haiku/GPT-4o-mini rates. Chestnut does not charge anything for AI — you pay your provider directly, and only for what you use.

Example queries

• "Which contacts haven't heard from us in over 30 days?"
• "What's our pipeline value in the Proposal stage?"
• "Draft a follow-up email for [contact name]"
• "Which deals are most likely to close this month?"

Your Kola CRM license is perpetual — it does not expire, and there are no renewal fees.

What's included

• The current version of Kola CRM at the tier you purchased
• All minor updates (bug fixes, improvements, new minor features) — free, delivered as updated HTML files
• Support entitlements per your tier (see support terms)

Major version releases

Future major versions (e.g. version 2.0 with significantly expanded features) may be offered as a separate purchase. Existing customers will receive a discounted upgrade price. This will be communicated well in advance — your current version continues working regardless.

Upgrading is a license key swap — you do not reinstall the software or lose any data.

Purchasing the upgrade

Purchase your new tier from our website. You'll receive a new license key by email within minutes.

Activating the upgrade

Open Kola CRM → Settings → License → enter your new key → click Activate. Your new tier's features unlock immediately.

Starter → Professional: one extra step

Starter runs locally; Professional runs on your own server so your team can access it. When upgrading from Starter to Professional, you'll need to set up a server (see our Setup Guide) and transfer your data:

1. Export your contacts and deals as CSV from Starter
2. Set up your server and upload the Professional-licensed file
3. Import your CSV data in the new installation

If you'd like help with this transition, our White Glove service covers it.

Professional → Business

Pure key swap. No migration, no server changes. Unlimited users and API access unlock immediately.

Kola CRM comes with an unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee. If it's not the right fit for any reason, email us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

How to request

Email support@kolacrm.com with your purchase email address and order reference number. Refunds are processed within 3–5 business days to your original payment method.

After a refund

Your license key is deactivated. Export your data before requesting a refund if you'd like to keep a copy.

Cloud Backup is an optional add-on at $49/year (flat rate, any tier). It creates encrypted off-site snapshots of your CRM data, stored securely by Chestnut.

Why you might want it

Kola CRM stores data in your browser's localStorage. If you accidentally clear your browser storage, switch devices without exporting, or your server is lost, your CRM data is gone. Cloud Backup is your insurance policy against that scenario.

What it covers

• Automatic encrypted snapshots on a regular schedule
• One-click restore from any saved point
• Chestnut-side storage — your data is never on your server for this

Cancellation

Cancel at any time. You lose backup coverage, but your app continues working and you can export your data as CSV at any time. There is no lock-in.

Your CRM data never touches Chestnut's servers. Here's exactly where it lives:

Starter

Stored in your browser's localStorage — on your computer, in your browser. It does not leave your machine unless you export it.

Professional & Business

Stored in the localStorage of each team member's browser. Your self-hosted server contains only the application file — not your CRM records. Each user's data is in their own browser on their own device.

Cloud Backup (if purchased)

Encrypted snapshots are stored on Chestnut's secure servers. This is the only scenario in which your data touches Chestnut infrastructure — and it's an optional, opt-in service.

Export is always available at all tiers, regardless of your subscription or license status. It does not require Chestnut's permission or involvement.

Exporting contacts

Go to Contacts → click Export CSV. Downloads a spreadsheet with all contact fields.

Exporting deals

Go to Deals → click Export CSV. Downloads a spreadsheet with all deal fields and stage information.

Filtered exports

Apply a filter first (e.g. filter by contact type or deal stage), then export. The download contains only the filtered records.

Starter

The file runs locally in your browser. No network traffic beyond the license validation ping. Your data does not leave your computer.

Professional & Business

Your server runs over HTTPS (SSL/TLS) — all traffic between your team's browsers and the server is encrypted. The SSL certificate is issued by Let's Encrypt and renews automatically.

Your server is on infrastructure you control. Chestnut has no access to your server after setup (and zero access if you set it up yourself).

AI queries

Ask Kola sends your query and CRM context directly from your browser to your chosen AI provider (Anthropic or OpenAI) — it does not pass through Chestnut's systems. Your API key is stored locally and never transmitted to Chestnut.

License validation

On load, the app makes a brief ping to Chestnut's license server to confirm your key is valid. This ping contains only your license key and domain — no CRM data. It fails open (the CRM continues working) if the ping doesn't reach us.

Kola CRM is built by Chestnut Compute Corp, based in Ontario, Canada. Our privacy practices comply with PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act).

What Chestnut collects

• Purchase information (name, email, payment — via our payment processor)
• License validation pings (key + domain only, no CRM data)
• Support communications
• Cloud Backup data (encrypted, if you've purchased the add-on)

What Chestnut does NOT collect

Your CRM contacts, deals, interactions, notes, or any business data. That data lives on your infrastructure and is outside Chestnut's reach by design.

Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

Check for extra spaces

Copy the key directly from your receipt email. Manually-typed keys often have a hidden space at the start or end. Paste, don't type.

Professional/Business: domain mismatch

Your key is locked to the domain it was registered against. Open your browser's address bar and confirm the URL exactly matches — including whether it has www.

Registered as crm.acme.com? The app must be accessed at exactly that address, not www.crm.acme.com or http://crm.acme.com.

Still failing?

Email support@kolacrm.com with your purchase email address, your domain (Pro/Business), and a screenshot of the error. We'll resolve it within your tier's SLA.

Work through these in order:

1. Check Nginx is running

SSH into your server and run:

If inactive: systemctl start nginx

2. Confirm the file is in the right place

The app must be at /var/www/html/index.html — not CobaltCRM.html or in a subfolder.

3. DNS not propagated

If you recently created or changed your domain's DNS records, check dnschecker.org. Your server's IP must show globally before the domain works.

4. SSL certificate issue

If you see a security warning (not a blank page), your SSL may need renewal:

"Invalid API key"

The key was entered incorrectly, or it has been revoked. Go to your provider's dashboard (console.anthropic.com or platform.openai.com), generate a new key, and re-enter it in Chestnut's AI settings.

"Insufficient quota" / "No credit"

Your API account is out of credit. Add a small amount at your provider's billing page ($5 covers months of typical usage). This is billed by your provider, not Chestnut.

Key disappears after browser close

Some browsers clear localStorage on exit (Private/Incognito mode does this by default). Use a standard browser window, not private mode. Re-enter your key in a normal window.

No response at all

Check that you've selected a provider and entered a key in Settings (gear icon in the AI panel). If the issue persists, try switching providers — e.g. if you use Anthropic, try OpenAI temporarily to isolate the issue.

Kola CRM stores data in browser localStorage. Data can appear missing for a few reasons:

Wrong browser or device

localStorage is specific to the browser and device. If you usually use Chrome and opened the app in Safari, your data won't be there. Open the correct browser.

Hard refresh first

Try a hard refresh: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac). This forces the browser to reload the app fresh.

Browser storage was cleared

If you (or a browser cleanup tool) cleared site data, localStorage may have been wiped. Check browser settings history for storage clearing events. Unfortunately, data cleared from localStorage without a Cloud Backup cannot be recovered.

Still on sample data

On first load, the app seeds sample contacts and deals. If your real data isn't showing, confirm you're on the same browser/device where you entered it.

The amber "License check unavailable" banner means Kola CRM tried to validate your license key with our server and couldn't reach it within the timeout window.

Your CRM continues working normally. The app is designed to fail open — a network blip never locks you out.

Common causes

• Temporary internet connectivity issue on your server or device
• Chestnut's validation server experiencing brief downtime
• Firewall or network policy blocking outbound requests

What to do

Dismiss the banner and continue working. It will re-attempt on next load. If it persists for more than 24 hours, email support — it may indicate something worth looking at.

We've built specific protections so that a worst-case scenario for Chestnut does not become a worst-case scenario for you.

Your CRM keeps working

Kola CRM runs on your own computer (Starter) or your own server (Professional/Business). It does not require Chestnut's servers to function day-to-day. If Chestnut ceased to exist tonight, you'd open your CRM tomorrow and nothing would be different.

License validation fails open

If our license servers are unreachable, the app displays an informational banner and continues working. It never locks you out due to a server-side issue.

Permanent bypass key

We've published a bypass key on GitHub that permanently unlocks the app regardless of license server status. If Chestnut ever ceases operations, this key becomes the permanent unlock mechanism.

Data portability guarantee

CSV export is always available. If Chestnut shuts down, you export your data and migrate to another CRM with a clean spreadsheet. No data is trapped.

Cloud Backup cessation

If Chestnut ceases operations, we provide 90 days notice and a full refund of your current Cloud Backup year. Your data is available for export before shutdown.

Full details are in our Terms & Conditions, Section 23.

The bypass key is a permanent unlock code for Kola CRM that works regardless of whether our license servers are online. It exists as a customer protection — not something you need in normal operation.

Where it is

Published at our GitHub repository under the /emergency folder. The file is publicly accessible and will remain so regardless of Chestnut's operational status.

When to use it

Only if: (a) Chestnut has ceased operations, or (b) our license server has been unreachable for an extended period and you need to remove the validation check permanently. Under normal operation, your standard license key is what you use.

How to use it

Enter the bypass key in Settings → License in place of your standard key. It removes all license validation and unlocks all features permanently.

Yes — unconditionally. CSV export is available at all times, at all tiers, regardless of your license status, subscription status, or relationship with Chestnut.

This is a deliberate design choice. Data lock-in is a weapon subscription CRM vendors use to prevent customers from leaving. Chestnut has no interest in trapping you — if you ever decide to move to a different tool, you leave with your data intact.

What you can export

• All contacts with every field
• All deals with stage history and values

Format

Standard CSV — importable into any spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets) or CRM that accepts CSV import. No proprietary format, no export request process, no waiting.

The perpetual export guarantee is written into our Terms & Conditions, Section 23.