How to manage checkins under Events

The **Checkins** page under **Events** holds every check-in your agency records, whether your staff create it by hand or a visitor submits it from your web portal. From that page you create check-ins, filter them, set each one's status, review geolocation, and send messages.

### Overview

- **What it is:** **Events** > **Checkins** lists check-in records with their name, contact details, department, service, location, language, status, virtual flag, notes, and the **Created** and **Completed** times.
- **Why it matters:** The list is where your agency tracks who has checked in, who is still waiting, and who has checked out, and where your staff update the status on a record.
- **Who uses it:** Front counter staff, supervision and probation staff, and administrators who report on visits.
- **Expected outcomes:** A searchable record of every check-in, with status changes saved as you make them, CSV and PDF output, and an optional compensation report.

### Prerequisites

- An eCourtDate account that can reach the **Events** navigation and its **Checkins** tab
- A role that grants permission to create checkins, if you want the **Create Checkin** form (without it you can still search, open, and edit records)
- At least one location set up if you want to assign a **Location** to a check-in
- Check-in statuses set up under **Settings** > **Statuses**, if the built-in **Waiting**, **Ready**, **In Progress**, and **Checked Out** options do not fit your workflow
- A web portal if you want visitors to submit their own check-ins

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Open the Checkins page

1. Click **Events** in the main navigation.
2. Click **Checkins** in the tab bar above the page.

#### Step 2: Create a check-in

1. Enter the **Client Reference** and the **Name** in the **Create Checkin** card. Both are required.
2. Enter a **Phone**, an **Email**, a **Department**, and a **Service** if you have them.
3. Select a **Location** and a **Language**.
4. Select a **Status**.
5. Check **Virtual** if the visit is not in person.
6. Enter any **Notes**.
7. Click **Create**.

The card shows the fields your web portal defines for check-ins when it has its own check-in form, so your field list can differ from the one above.

#### Step 3: Search the list

1. Enter a name in **Search by Name**.
2. Enter a value in **Search Checkin Data** to match data submitted with the check-in.
3. Enter a value in **Search by Phone** or **Search by Email**.
4. Set **Created From** and **Created To** to limit the list by creation date.
5. Select a **Status**, a **Language**, or a **Location**.
6. Check **Virtual** or **In-Person** to limit the list to one type. The two boxes cannot both be checked.
7. Check **Archived** or **Trashed** to look at records that no longer show in the default list.
8. Click **Search**.
9. Click the eraser button at the top of the **Search Checkins** card to reset every search field.
10. Click **Load more** under the table to pull in the next page of results.

#### Step 4: Open and update a record

1. Click the **Edit** button in the first column of the row you want to open.
2. Select a **Status** option in the **Edit Checkin** card. The record saves as soon as you select it.
3. Update the **Name**, **Phone**, **Email**, **Location**, **Service**, **Department**, **Virtual**, **Language**, or **Notes**.
4. Click **Save**.
5. Click **Close** to go back to the list.

#### Step 5: Review geolocation on a record

1. Read the **Geolocation** card in the middle of the record.
2. Click **Go to Last Geo**, **Go to Checkin**, or **Go to Checkout** to move the map to that point.
3. Read the **Distance** badge to see how far the reported point sits from the assigned location, and the **Accuracy** badge for how precise the reading is.
4. Click **View Geolocations** to open the geolocation records tied to the portal link.

#### Step 6: Message people who checked in

1. Enter a **Subject** and **Content** in the **Send a Message** card on a record to reach one person.
2. Click **Send**. eCourtDate adds a link to the check-in at the end of the message.
3. Return to the list to message everyone loaded in it at once.
4. Click **Auto Messages** in the message card at the bottom of the search column and pick a saved template, or write your own **Subject** and **Message**.
5. Click **Auto Translate** and pick a language to translate what you wrote.
6. Click **Send Message**.
7. Click **View Messages** to open the messages created from check-ins.

#### Step 7: Export the list or generate a compensation report

1. Click **CSV** above the table to download every record that matches your search.
2. Click **PDF** to open your browser's print dialog with the full result set.
3. Click **Compensation** to open the **Compensation Report** card.
4. Select a **Rate Type** of **Flat**, **Daily**, **Hourly**, or **Mileage**.
5. Enter a **Rate**.
6. Set **Completed From** and **Completed To**.
7. Click **Generate** to download the report as a CSV file.

### What to Expect

New check-ins appear at the top of the list right after you click **Create**, and the page confirms with a "Checkin created" alert. Selecting a status option on a record saves immediately and confirms with a "Checkin saved" alert, and the badge next to the record name takes the color set for that status. Archiving or trashing selected rows removes them from the default list, and the **Archived** and **Trashed** checkboxes bring them back into view. The compensation report only counts check-ins that carry the checked out status.

### Best Practices

- Set up your own check-in statuses under **Settings** > **Statuses** so the list reflects your agency's workflow instead of the built-in options.
- Assign a **Location** to each check-in so the **Distance** badge on the record has something to measure against.
- Search and filter the list before you use the message card at the bottom of the search column, because it messages the check-ins currently loaded in the list.
- Save common notices as auto messages so you can pick them from **Auto Messages** and keep the wording and translations consistent.
- Set the **Created From** and **Created To** dates before exporting so the CSV covers the period you intend to report on.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Where do check-in records come from?**

A: Your staff create them in the **Create Checkin** card, and visitors submit them from the check-in page of your web portal. Click **Open Portal** above the table to open that page.

**Q: Can I change the status options shown on a check-in?**

A: Yes. Check-in statuses come from **Settings** > **Statuses** with the type set to checkin. When your agency has none, eCourtDate falls back to **Waiting**, **Ready**, **In Progress**, and **Checked Out**.

**Q: Who receives a message sent from the list page?**

A: Every phone number and email address on the check-ins currently loaded in the list, each in the language stored on that check-in.

**Q: How is the compensation figure calculated?**

A: The report includes only check-ins with the checked out status. **Daily** uses the rate as entered, and every other rate type multiplies the rate by the hours between **Created** and **Completed**, counting a minimum of one hour.

**Q: Why does a record show no map data?**

A: The **Geolocation** card reads "No geolocation data" when the check-in was saved without coordinates, which is the case for check-ins you create by hand.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The **Create Checkin** card is missing.

**Symptoms:** You can search, open, and edit check-ins, but no create form appears at the top of the left column.

**Solution:** Your role does not grant permission to create checkins. Ask an administrator to update the role under **Users** > **Roles**.

**Issue:** The list shows "No Checkins found."

**Symptoms:** The table is empty even though you expect results.

**Solution:** Click the eraser button in the **Search Checkins** card to clear every filter, then check **Archived** and **Trashed** to see whether the records were removed from the default list.

**Issue:** Sending a message reports "No records to send message to."

**Symptoms:** Clicking **Send Message** shows a red alert and nothing is queued.

**Solution:** The list is empty or none of the loaded check-ins has a phone number or an email address. Search again so records load, and add contact details to the check-ins you want to reach.

**Issue:** A status badge shows a raw value instead of a readable label.

**Symptoms:** The badge on the list or the record reads something like in_progress and shows the default gray instead of your status color.

**Solution:** The stored value does not match any status your agency has set up. Add a matching status under **Settings** > **Statuses** or select a current status on the record.

### Related Articles

- [How to Manage Portal Check-ins](/how-to-manage-portal-check-ins)
- [How to manage statuses](/how-to-manage-statuses)
- [How to Create Locations](/how-to-create-locations)
- [How to Track Geolocation on Portal Visits](/how-to-track-geolocation-on-portal-visits)
- [How to Manage Events](/how-to-manage-events)