Typically, visitors are added as complete 'person' records so they can be added to Groups, followed up via Interactions or Mass Communication, and so on. However, when taking Attendance, you have the ability to add just a first and last name for simple record-keeping purposes. We call this a visitor record.
Once a visitor record is added, you can continue to track attendance for this person. However, you cannot add these "first and last name-only" types of visitors to Groups, send them mass communication, or record follow-up interactions until you turn them into full-person records.
If your ministry tends to wait to see if an individual returns several times before follow-up action is taken, this can simplify your processes and keep unnecessary full-person records out of your complete list of members.
Pro-Tip: In most cases, we suggest tracking visitors by creating full-person records and adding them to a Group designated for visitors. However, if you commonly have events where follow-up may not be necessary (ex: large children's events), creating visitor records may be advantageous.
How to Add "Simple" Visitors
When taking attendance, select a Group and type the name of the person in the Search box. If the person cannot be found, click the Create New Individual button.
On the screen that appears, you can add a full-person record or a visitor.
Select the Add as Visitor radio button, click Save, and continue adding further attendance records if necessary.
Where to Find Visitor Records:
All individuals added as Visitors appear on the Individuals screen under the Visitors tab.
If a person returns multiple times and you'd like to turn them into a full-person record, click on their name under the Visitors tab. A screen will appear with a drop-down to add them to a Group (below).
When you click Continue, you'll be taken to the person's Profile page where you can add any other contact information you may have *(no new information is required). Click Save and this person will now be a full-person record. You'll be able to mass communicate, assign interactions, and use all other tools available with person records.
Note: Visitors are not counted towards your total record count, which determines your long-term pricing. Full-person records are totaled to determine your pricing.
Updated