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How do I set up an event to track attendance via the check-in system?
How do I set up an event to track attendance via the check-in system?

Describes the steps needed to set up an event to track attendance via the check-in system.

Updated over a week ago

If the event is not part of a group calendar, you will need the Full Write Events permission to perform these actions. If it is part of a group calendar, you will either need to be the group leader, have Full Write Groups, or Full Write Events permission to perform this action.

Check-ins are done during an event and therefore check-in configuration is done on the event itself. It is recommended to create a recurring event for each of your worship services.

While adding or editing an event, go to the Events button in the left-hand menu > Calendar > select the desired event > Actions > Edit event. Select the "Options" tab and make sure the "Enable check-in system?" option is set to "Yes." If the event already exists, edit the event so that the option is correctly set.

At a minimum, this is all you need to be able to perform check-ins for an event (any one can check in and no labels will print). However, we recommend doing the following additional set up as well.

  • Define sessions

  • Assign labels to print

  • Specify check-in times

Define Sessions

This step is optional, but highly recommended. A session defines restrictions on who can check into the event. It is also responsible for defining the permissions for the station for that particular event. 

You must be a member of the selected groups to check-in (unless you allow adding to the roster). We recommend creating a session for your kids' groups and one for your volunteers (if applicable). For example, you could have a kids' sessions which is responsible for checking in kids into grades 1 - 12.

To define a new session, click on the "Attendance" tab within the event and select the "Settings" sub tab. Then click on "Add Session."


A pop up will appear with the following fields:

  • Name - the name of the session (e.g. Kids, Volunteers)

  • Theme - the theme to use when this session loads. The default is to use whatever theme is set up for the check-in station. However, if you do define multiple sessions, we recommend using a different theme for each one to more easily tell the difference from a distance. See this article for more information on adding custom themes.

The following options only apply to manned check-in stations. Self-check-in stations cannot manage profiles or rosters. 

Pro tip: If the following options are all set to "No," the station will behave just like a self-check-in station except users will be able to search using the search box instead of just the keypad.

  • Can manage profiles? - whether check-in stations can add and edit person profiles and family information.

  • Can view age? - whether check-in stations show a person's birthday and age.

  • Can add to roster? - whether check-in stations can add people to a group allowed by this session if the person is not currently enrolled.

  • Restrict roster? - If yes, only people who have the selected family positions within their primary family can be added to the group roster. It is recommended to restrict the roster for your kids' sessions to avoid accidentally adding an adult to the group roster.

  • Group required? - Whether to require the person to check into a group. If no, anyone will be able to check in. You can still define optional groups a person can check into (see below).

Selecting Groups

Next, you choose which group rosters are allowed to check-in. You will need to add the groups beforehand. Add a group for each children's group you have (e.g. Preschool, Grade 1, Grade 2).

Using the drop down at the bottom, select a group category containing groups you want to add to the session. Once selected, all active groups within that category will appear. Then just check the groups to include in the session. Hovering over the category header will show "check all" and "uncheck all" buttons to help with selection. To remove a category, simply uncheck all. It will be removed from the session upon save.

Once you're finished, click on "Save" to add the session. You can check "Keep open and add another" if you're adding multiple sessions.

Specifying Check-In Times

The check-in system is only accessible during specific times when an event is happening. This section explains how to set these times. See this article if you are interested in adding check-ins after the event occurs.

Times are set from the "Meeting" tab when adding or editing an event. 

All Day Events

If an event is marked as happening all day, you can access that event in the check-in system at any time during the day.

Restricting Times

To add times, deselect the "All day" check box under the "General" tab when editing an event. Then click on the "manage event times" button.

A pop up will appear where you can enter one or more event times. For example, if the event is a worship service, you can enter each service time here. You can click on the plus or minus buttons at the end of a row to add or delete that row respectively. The following fields are available:

  • Name - an optional name for the event time. If empty, the start time is used (e.g. 9:00 am).

  • Start Time - the time the event is scheduled to start. This field is required.

  • End Time - the time the event is schedule to end.

  • Start Check-In - the time when you would like to start doing check-ins. Use this to have the check-in system open before the event start time.

  • End Check-In - the time you will no longer allow check-ins. The check-in system will close for the event at this time.

If start check-in time is specified, then the end check-in time is required (and vice versa). Otherwise, they are not required.

The system uses the following rules to determine if an event is currently active. In the list below, it is assumed today's date is the same as the event date.

  • The current time is within Start Check-In and End Check-In

  • The current time is within the event Start Time and End Time

  • A future event time that does NOT have a Start Check-In time

The first event time entry that matches the above checks is the one that is active when a station opens the event in the check-in system. If none match, the check-in system is closed for that event.

Assigning Labels to Print

This step is required if you want to print labels during the check-in process. You can control when and which labels print during check-in.

To set a label, click on the "Check-In" tab within the event and select the "Labels" sub tab. Then click on "Assign Label." 

A pop up will appear with the following fields:

  • Label - this is the label to print. The drop down contains all labels uploaded to the system. These include both built-in and custom labels. Each label shows which printer it was designed for and will only actually print if that specific printer is online at the time of check-in. See this article for more information on uploading your own custom labels (Dymo only). 

  • Family Positions- check the family positions (within their primary family) this label should print for. The label will ONLY print if the person being checked in has one of the selected family positions.

  • Groups- check the groups that this label should print for. The label will ONLY print if the person is being checked into one of the selected groups.

Important: name labels print per individual being checked in while security labels print for the entire group being checked in. 

You can assign as many labels to print as you would like. For kids check-in, we recommend at least having a name and security label printed when a child checks-in. See screenshot below for configuration.

Important: Make sure you choose the label for the printer manufacturer you will use at the check-in station.

Next Steps

Now that you have the event set up for check-in, the next steps are to authorize your check-in stations and start checking in. See this article for an in-depth tutorial on using the check-in system.

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