Using Profiles

A profile is a collection of fields (both predefined and custom) from the CRM. By adding them to pages in your CRM or website (contribution pages, event pages, sign-up pages, etc.) you give your users a way to provide additional information about themselves.

Predefined fields include all the fields that are core to the CRM. These include things like:

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Email, etc.

Custom fields are defined and created by you. For example, you may want to record additional information about a Hebrew school student or about an upcoming Yom Tov.

A few of the most common ways in which profiles may be used are:

  • Stand-Alone Forms – for collecting information
  • Adding fields to Event/Contribution page – allowing you to capture additional information on these pages
     

Note: Profiles can be used over and over again in different ways. You do not necessarily have to create a new profile for each task. For example, all Chabad Suite accounts come with a pre-built profile called Your Registration Info. This profile is intended for use on contributions and events for gathering first name, last name, and email address information. It is a generic form that can be applied wherever a profile can be used.

Working with Profiles

You may want to make use of custom fields for your profiles. While you're not required to create those fields before you create the profile, it is often easier in the long run if you do. For more information on working with Custom Fields click here.

 

Create a New Profile or Modify an Existing One

  1. In the menu across the top of your page, select Administer > Customize Data and Screens > Profiles.
  2. Click the Add Profile button.
  3. Enter an appropriate name in the Profile Name field. The name you enter will appear above the fields when it is used for an event or contribution page.
  4. If you enter a Public Title this will be the title that will appear above your fields and the Profile Name will just be for internal tracking.
  5. Check the appropriate Used For checkbox(es).
    1. Check Standalone From if you want it to use this profile as a standalone form.
    2. Check Search Views to use this profile to display an alternate set of results columns for Basic and Advanced Search.
    3. The other options are not generally applicable.
  6. Usually, you won't edit this but you have the option to enter an Order other than the default. This is the display order on the Profile list page.
  7. Enter Pre-Form or Post-Form Help, if desired.
  8. Make sure that Is this CiviCRM Profile active? is checked.
  9. Click and expand the Advanced Settings field set.

    Advance Settings

    • If you are using this profile for a specific group that you want to automatically add to that group, select the group from the Add new contacts to a Group? dropdown.
    • Select a group from Add new contacts to a Group? if you want the new contacts to be automatically assigned to a group.
    • Enter an email to be notified, in the Notify when profile form is submitted? field.
    • If you are using this profile as a stand-alone form, and want to redirect the user to a page of your creation upon submission, enter the complete URL in the Redirect URL. If this field is left blank, the built-in Profile form will be redisplayed with a generic status message - 'Your contact information has been saved.'
    • Enter a URL for a unique cancellation page in the Cancel Redirect URL field. If this field is left blank, the built-in Profile form will be redisplayed.
    • Check Include reCAPTCHA? to enabled Google's anti-spam tool reCaptcha. For reCaptcha to work you must have your Captcha settings configured. If this has not been done yet contact support.
    • You can select Allow duplicate contact to be created in the What to do upon duplicate match field. We do not recommend selecting Issue warning and do not save as it creates an unfriendly user experience. Update the matching contact will automatically update an existing record. For a full explanation on Duplicate Rules click here.
    • The Proximity search option is associated with mapping and is used within a profile search to determine a search radius in relationship to an address.
    • Check Enable mapping for this profile? if you want to have a google map associated with the profile results
    • Check Include profile edit links in search results? if you want users with the appropriate permissions to be able to edit these profile fields.
  10. Click the Save button.

     

Adding Fields to Your Profile

  1. Click Add Field.
  2. Select the appropriate component from the Field Name dropdown. Different fields are associated with different components, so depending on which field you are looking for you will need to select the corresponding component. For example, Select Contact when you want to include phone and address information. Select Individual when you want to select First Name or Last Name.
  3. The Field Label will be the label displayed next to the field on the profile.
  4. If the user should be required to fill out this field, check the Required? checkbox.
  5. Check View only? if users are allowed to view but not edit the field.
  6. Visibility is not applicable to most users.
  7. Enter instructions for the end-user who is filling out this form in the Field Help field.
  8. Enter a display order in the Order field, if necessary. This is the order that the fields will appear on the form. The CRM will automatically number beginning with 1.
  9. Make sure that Active? checked.
  10. Click either the Save button (to complete) or Save and New button to create an additional field.

Once you have created the profile and saved either it or a field within it, you can exit and come back to add or edit or disable fields at any time.

 

Using a Profile on a Contribution/Event Page
 

Contribution Page

  1. To add a Profile to a Contribution page go to Contributions > Manage Contribution Pages. 
  2. Find the Contribution page you want to add a profile to and click Configure > Include Profiles.
  3. Then by Include Profile select the profile you want to add.
     

Event Page

  1. To add a Profile to an Event page go to Events > Manage Events. 
  2. Find the Event page you want to add a profile to and click Configure > Online Registration.
  3. Then in the Registration Screen section, by Include Profile select the profile you want to add.

     

Using a Profile as a Stand-Alone Form

  1. Navigate to Administer > Customize Data and Screens > Profiles
  2. Click the three dots (⋮) next to the profile you want to use.
  3. Select the Use - Create Mode from the options. (If you don't see the Use - Create Mode option that means this profile wasn't set to be used as a stand-alone form. To correct this, click Settings and next to Used For check the box next to Standalone Form.)
  4. After clicking Use - Create Mode you should be routed to the stand-alone form. Simply copy the URL. This URL will be how you will access the form. You can either send people the URL or add it as an external link on your website.