Adding People in Check-Ins

Updated August 29, 2024 20:32

People can be added to your database through a CSV import, station, or the Admin side. Once you add a person, they will be added to all applications across Planning Center, but they will not be counted against your total daily check-ins pricing until they're checked in.

Add from a Station

People can be added from a Manned or Roster Station. Self Stations are not available for adding new people.

On the station, search the new person's name, and, if there are no results, choose Add Person.

Fill out the information, add trusted people, and add other details by clicking Show all. Tap Add to add other people to the household.

Tip

Create a mobile pass or barcode for easy check-in next time!

Edit the information you request for new households in the household form editor.
To avoid confusion when contacting a parent, add email addresses and mobile phone numbers to the person they belong to.

Tip

Phone numbers and physical addresses with the "Home" label will be automatically added to all profiles in the household.
When adding children, enter their preferred name in the First Name field.

Tip

When adding more people to the household, you only need to enter the first name after you tap the button to add another person. We will automatically populate the last name of the original person.
In the household form, emphasize the mobile phone number field for adults and the birthdate and grade for each child, so that your volunteers remember to ask for this information.
Only add medical notes that are okay to be visible on a printed label.

To ensure a smooth check-in process and avoid communication issues down the road, follow these tips when adding new families at a station:

Add with a Form

You can have people create profiles for themselves by filling out a form. People can enter the requested information for themselves and their family members, and new profiles will be created for them in your database.

Create a Form

You will need permission in People to create a form. Forms are designed to be filled out by one individual, but you can add the Household members field to request information about a second adult and the children in the family so that profiles for all family members are created and grouped in one household.

While the fields you request and require are up to you, here are a few recommendations in order to get the most helpful information from a form.

For adults, require the phone number field. This ensures that the adult's name and phone number will be added to the child's label if they are selected as the checked in by person at the check-in station, so you can contact them in case an issue arises.

You can also text any household adults directly from the station if a valid mobile phone number is provided.
For children, make the grade, school, and medical note fields optional. People filling out the form won't need to select a grade or school for nursery-aged children, and they won't have to enter anything in the medical notes field for children who do not have applicable information.

Share the Form

Once you've created your form, click the View public form button to see how it will look to people filling it out.

Copy the URL of that page and share it in a text, an email, on social media, on your website, or as a navigation item on Church Center.

Add from the Admin Side

From the People tab, select Find or add person in the top right.

Type the name of the person in the box. If the person already exists, you'll see their name listed. If not, select Create A New Person and add their information. Once you've created the person, you can add members of their household.

Import with a CSV File

If you want to add lots of people to your database, import them with a CSV by going to People.

Important

If you don't see People on the list or don't have access to the Importer, you don't have permissions to import the file. Reach out to one of your Organization Administrators to import the file.

Important Fields to Import

Household ID: Keep the household members together with an ID, so you can easily choose who can check a child into or out of an event.
Primary Contact: Reports can show you this person in addition to the person checked in.
Mobile Number: You can send a text to an adult if you need them during the event.
Barcode: If you used barcodes previously, make it easy for people to continue to use them.
Grades: Some locations are filtered by grade; import that information, so people are able to check into the correct location quickly.
Birthdates: Some locations are filtered by age; import that information, so people are able to check into the correct location quickly.
Medical Notes: You can add medical notes to labels if they exist in a person's profile.