Prevent duplicate profiles
When someone gives, joins a group, or fills out a form, they must enter their name and email address. If those fields don't match an existing profile, the system creates a new profile. You can prevent people from making duplicate profiles by either encouraging them to log in to Church Center or by sending them specific instructions via email.
Warning
In Registrations, if someone registers a person not in their household, a duplicate profile will be created even if the registration contact uses the same name and email address as their existing profile.
It's safer to create a new profile that can be merged with the correct person than to add the wrong person's information to an existing profile, so Planning Center products utilize a combination of several fields to determine if a profile matches one in your database. Fields must match exactly, or the system will create a new profile.
Here's an example of the name and email fields on a person's profile:
First Name: Tom
Given Name: Thomas
Nickname: Neo
Last Name: Anderson
Home Email: Tom@home.com
Work Email: Tom@work.com
Any Church Center activity under "Tom Anderson", "Thomas Anderson", or "Neo Anderson" will be tied to this existing profile, regardless of which email is used. However, if he uses "Tommy" or "Tom@other.com," a new profile will be created.
Tip
The Profile overview article will help you handle first name, given name, and nickname fields in your database!
Encourage people to log in
When a person registers for an event, makes a donation, signs up for a group, or fills out a form, they do it from the Church Center website. To ensure their information is attached to their profile, ask them to log in first!
Select the Require submitters to be logged in to Church Center option in a form's Settings tab and the Require login option on a signup's Settings tab if you want to ensure people are logged in before filling out a form or signup.
When a login is required for a form, the form cannot be embedded.
Email specific instructions
When you email a link to an event, donation, group, or form, give specific instructions about how to log in first. For example:
"Use the email address to which this message was sent."
"Enter your name exactly as you see it here: First Name {{ to.first_name }} Last Name {{ to.last_name }}"