Check-in sections

What is a Check-in section?

The Check-in section serves as the entry point for every class and is always displayed first. When guests access a class URL, this is their initial screen. Guests provide their email address to begin the class without needing an account or password.

The Check-in section generates a "check-in record" that connects the guest's identity to all subsequent activity in that class. All submissions in later sections — including form responses, test scores, video responses, and navigation choices — are tracked under this check-in record.

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What the admin configures

The Check-in section has limited configuration options since email capture is a fixed, required field. Customizable elements include:

Title

Administrators can click the section title to open a modal for renaming it. This title appears as the heading guests see on the check-in screen.

Example titles: "Welcome!", "Get started", "Register here", "Check in to Membership class"

Body text

Clicking the body text area opens a rich text editor for adding welcome messages, instructions, or context for guests before email entry.

Example: "Enter your email below to start your Membership class journey. Your progress will be saved."

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What guests see

Guests view:

• The section title as a heading
• Body text (if included)
• A required Email input field
• A Next button (no back button on this first screen)

After entering their email and clicking Next, guests proceed to a profile page where they provide their name and phone number.

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The check-in flow

1. Guest visits the class URL
2. Guest enters their email on the Check-in screen
3. Guest enters their name and phone number (first-time users), or confirms their saved profile (returning guests)
4. Guest enters the class sections

Returning guests: if a guest has previously checked in using the same email, their name and phone number are already stored. They see a confirmation screen displaying their saved information and can either update it or proceed without changes.

30-day session window: OnArk reuses an existing check-in if the guest has one for the class within the last 30 days. The check-in is matched by email address, so it works from any browser or device. After 30 days, a new check-in is created. This is why guests returning after more than 30 days may see the class from the beginning.

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Admin preview mode

When an administrator opens a class link with ?preview=true, the Check-in screen requires the admin's own email address. This prevents admin previews from appearing with actual guest records. Preview check-ins are marked distinctly and can be filtered out in the Guest list.

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Restrictions

The Check-in section cannot be:

• Deleted
• Duplicated
• Moved (it remains the first section)

Every class contains exactly one Check-in section.

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Common questions

Why is a guest forced to start over when returning?

Three typical reasons:

1. The person is on your admin team — admin check-ins always restart by design.
2. They used a different email address. A different browser or device is fine as long as the email matches.
3. Their original check-in was over 30 days ago.

Standard guests using the same email within 30 days should resume normally, on any browser or device.

Does a guest check-in count toward billing?

Only non-admin guest check-ins are counted. "Admin" means an email on your church's admin team: a check-in made with one of those emails never counts toward your billing limit, including previews (?preview=true URLs). Everyone else counts, including a teammate or friend who is only testing the class.

Can I remove the email field or make it optional?

No. The email field is required for all guests and cannot be removed or made optional. It identifies guests across sessions.

What if a guest uses a different email each time?

Each unique email creates a separate guest record. A guest using different emails will appear as multiple guests in your database.

Can I add custom fields to the Check-in section?

No. For custom data collection, add a Form section after the Check-in section.

Does previewing or testing a course count as a check-in for billing?

Only if you use an admin email. Preview (the Preview button or a ?preview=true URL) still asks for an email, and it is free only when that is an email on your admin team. Other people who test the class with their own emails count as guest check-ins.