How to Manage Portal Check-ins

Portal check-ins let visitors check themselves in from your web portal so your staff can work arrivals from one screen. You build the form on the **Checkin** tab of a portal, then track what comes in under **Events** > **Checkins**.

### Overview

The **Checkin** tab of a web portal holds a form you design. You set a **Check-In Title**, a **Check-In Description**, a **Check-In Location**, and the list of fields a visitor fills in. The check-in page is one of your portal's public pages, so anyone with the link or the QR code can open it without signing in.

Submitted check-ins appear under **Events** > **Checkins** and on the **Events** > **Waitlists** screen, where your staff can change the status, send a message, and open the record. You can also notify staff on every check-in, send an auto message back to the visitor, and set a **Maximum Distance** in miles from the check-in location.

### Prerequisites

- Access to the **Admin** menu, which holds **Portals**, **Locations**, and **Settings**
- An existing web portal (see [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals))
- A location created under **Admin** > **Locations** if you want to set a **Check-In Location** or a **Maximum Distance**
- An auto message if you want to select one in **Auto Message on Check-In** (see [How to Create an Auto Message](/how-to-create-an-auto-message))
- Permission to create check-ins if you want to add one by hand from **Events** > **Checkins**

### How-To Steps

#### Configure the Check-In Tab

1. Go to **Admin** > **Portals**.
2. Click the **Edit** icon next to the portal you want to change.
3. Click the **Checkin** tab in the **Portal Preview**.
4. Click **Configure Default Fields** to create a starter form with a title, a description, and the Name, Email, Phone, Language, and Notes fields.
5. Edit the **Check-In Title** and **Check-In Description** to suit your agency.
6. Select a **Check-In Location** from the dropdown, which marks virtual locations with (VIRTUAL).
7. Enter phone numbers and email addresses in **Notify on Check-In**, separated by commas.
8. Check **Notify Assigned User on Check In** to also alert the assigned user.
9. Select an entry in **Auto Message on Check-In** to message the visitor after each check-in.
10. Enter a number in **Maximum Distance** to cap how many miles from the location a check-in is allowed.
11. Click **Save**.

#### Check-In Settings Reference

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Check-In Title** | Heading shown on the check-in page. Multilingual, so switch languages in the **Portal Preview** before editing. |
| **Check-In Description** | Text shown under the heading. Multilingual. |
| **Check-In Location** | Location used for the check-in, with an **Edit Location** link once one is selected. |
| **Enable Waitlist** | Turns on the portal waitlist for this portal. |
| **Hide Wait Time** | Appears once **Enable Waitlist** is checked and hides the wait time. |
| **View Waitlists** | Opens the portal's waitlist page in a new tab. |
| **Notify on Check-In** | Comma separated list of phones and emails to notify on check-ins. |
| **Notify Assigned User on Check In** | Also notifies the assigned user. |
| **Auto Message on Check-In** | Auto message sent when a check-in is created. |
| **Maximum Distance** | Max miles from the location to allow check-ins. |
| **Check-in Fields** | The fields that make up the form. |

#### Build the Check-In Form

1. Select fields in **Check-in Fields** to add them to the form. The list holds Client Reference, Name, First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Group, Language, Department, Service, Notes, Reference, Case Number, Judge, Officer, Case Type, and Case Status.
2. Type a name in **Add Custom Field** and click the **Add Custom Field** button to create a field of your own.
3. Edit **Field Label** in the panel for a field to rename it on the form.
4. Enter a **Default Value** to prefill the field, or leave it blank for no default.
5. Select a **Field Type** such as Text, Number, Date, Select, Checkbox, Radio, Textarea, Email, Phone, or Social Security Number.
6. Enter a comma separated list in **Options** for Select, Checkbox, and Radio fields.
7. Enter **Help Text** to display a hint below the field.
8. Enter a **Validation Rule**, or pick a pattern from **Common Rules**, for text, email, phone, URL, password, and Social Security Number fields.
9. Check **Required** to make the field mandatory.
10. Check **Hidden** to keep the field off the form while still storing its default value.
11. Click the up and down arrows on a field to reorder it.
12. Click **Save**.

#### Add the Check-In Page to the Portal Sidebar

1. Find the **Sidebar Info** card in the left column of the **Portal Preview** while the **Checkin** tab is open.
2. Click **Add CHECKIN** to add the check-in page to **Sidebar Navigation**.
3. Click **Save**.

To add any other link, enter a **New Nav Title** and a **New Nav Link**, then click **Add Navigation**.

#### Share the Check-In Link

1. Click **View Portal** above the **Portal Preview** to open the check-in page in a new tab.
2. Click **Copy Link** to copy the check-in URL for messages, letters, or your website.
3. Click **Generate QR Code** to open the QR builder prefilled with the check-in link, title, description, and fields.

#### Allow Check-Ins from Scheduled Events

1. Go to **Admin** > **Settings**.
2. Click **Check-ins and Waitlists** in the settings navigation.
3. Check **Enable Event Check-ins** to allow check-ins directly from an event portal.
4. Enter a number of hours in **Earliest Check-in**, which defaults to 24 hours before the scheduled event date.
5. Enter a number of hours in **Latest Check-in**, which defaults to 24 hours after the scheduled event date.
6. Click **Save**.

#### Work Check-Ins as They Arrive

1. Go to **Events** > **Checkins**.
2. Narrow the list with **Search by Name**, **Search Checkin Data**, **Search by Phone**, **Search by Email**, **Created From**, **Created To**, **Status**, **Language**, and **Location**.
3. Click the **Edit** icon on a row to open the check-in record.
4. Select a **Status** on the record to move the visitor through **Waiting**, **Ready**, **In Progress**, and **Checked Out**.
5. Type a subject and content under **Send a Message** and click **Send** to message the visitor.
6. Click **Save**.

### What to Expect

New check-ins arrive on the **Events** > **Checkins** list without a page refresh, and the same records appear on the **Events** > **Waitlists** screen with a **View Check-in** button. The status shows as a colored badge on the list, on the record, and on the waitlist.

Opening a check-in record shows a **Geolocation** card. When the portal captured location data, the card reports the distance and the accuracy and offers **Go to Last Geo**, **Go to Checkin**, and **Go to Checkout**. When it did not, the card reads "No geolocation data". The record also shows a client card once the check-in is linked to a client, an event card when it belongs to an event, and the message history for that visitor.

On the list page, **Open Portal** opens the portal check-in page, and **Compensation** opens a form that generates a CSV of checked out records at a flat, daily, hourly, or mileage rate.

### Best Practices

- Click **Configure Default Fields** on a new portal first, since the **Check-In Title** and **Check-In Description** inputs only appear once a title exists.
- Keep the form short by marking only the fields you truly need as **Required**.
- Pair **Hidden** with a **Default Value** when you want to stamp a constant value on every check-in without asking the visitor for it.
- Use **Help Text** for guidance and **Common Rules** for formats like a zip code or a phone number, so you get clean data the first time.
- Fill in **Notify on Check-In** with your front desk contacts so someone is alerted the moment a visitor arrives.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Do visitors have to log in to check in?**

A: No. The **Checkin** tab is one of the portal's public pages, so anyone with the link or the QR code can open it. Only the tabs marked with a lock in the **Portal Preview** require a client to sign in.

**Q: Can I change the check-in statuses?**

A: Yes. Check-ins use **Waiting**, **Ready**, **In Progress**, and **Checked Out** by default. Create statuses with the type checkin under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Statuses** and those replace the defaults everywhere check-in statuses appear.

**Q: Can I add a field that is not in the list?**

A: Yes. Type the label in **Add Custom Field** and click the **Add Custom Field** button. The new field is added as a Text field and is set to **Required**, so change the **Field Type** and clear **Required** if you need something else.

**Q: How do I get a QR code that opens the check-in page?**

A: Click **Generate QR Code** while the **Checkin** tab is open, which prefills the QR builder with the check-in link, title, description, and fields. You can also select the **Event check-in** destination in **Admin** > **Portals** > **Design Studio**.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The **Check-In Title** and **Check-In Description** inputs are missing.

**Symptoms:** The **Checkin** tab shows **Check-In Location** and the other settings, but no title or description fields.

**Solution:** Click **Configure Default Fields**. It creates a default title and description, and the two inputs then appear for you to edit.

**Issue:** The **Check-In Location** dropdown has nothing to select.

**Symptoms:** The tab shows a "No locations available" message with a **Create a location** link.

**Solution:** Create a location under **Admin** > **Locations**, then return to the **Checkin** tab and select it. See [How to Create Locations](/how-to-create-locations).

**Issue:** Adding a custom field fails.

**Symptoms:** A "Field already exists" alert appears and the field is not added.

**Solution:** Field keys come from the label in lowercase with underscores in place of spaces, so a label that matches an existing field is rejected. Edit the existing field instead, or use a different label.

**Issue:** No one receives the check-in notification.

**Symptoms:** The check-in appears under **Events** > **Checkins**, but no message goes out.

**Solution:** Confirm **Notify on Check-In** holds valid phones and emails separated by commas, check **Notify Assigned User on Check In** if the assigned user should be alerted, and confirm **Send Mode** is set to send live under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Sending**. In send simulate, outbound messages are simulated and never reach the recipient.

**Issue:** Check-in records show no distance.

**Symptoms:** The **Geolocation** card on a check-in record reads "No geolocation data", so **Maximum Distance** has nothing to measure against.

**Solution:** Open the portal, find **Geolocation Tracking** in the **Tracking and Authentication** card, and select optional, required, or continuous instead of Disabled. See [How to Track Geolocation on Portal Visits](/how-to-track-geolocation-on-portal-visits).

### Related Articles

- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)
- [How to Create Locations](/how-to-create-locations)
- [How to manage waitlists](/how-to-manage-waitlists)
- [How to Track Geolocation on Portal Visits](/how-to-track-geolocation-on-portal-visits)
- [How to Create an Auto Message](/how-to-create-an-auto-message)