Before you can record attendances, run reports or send surveys, you need people in your database. This guide covers the three ways to add people to Plinth.
Option 1 — Add someone manually
This is the quickest way to add a single person.
Step 1: Click on People in the sidebar on the left.
Step 2: Click Add New Members in the top-right corner of the page.
Step 3: Select Add someone manually.
Step 4: Fill in the person's details. At a minimum you will need their first name and last name. You can also add an email address, phone number, postcode and any other fields you have set up.
Step 5: Click Save. The person will now appear in your People list and you can view their full profile.
You can also add tags to the person at this point, which is a great way to categorise them from the start (for example, tagging them with a project name or referral source).
Option 2 — Upload a spreadsheet
If you already have a list of people in Excel or CSV format, you can upload them all at once.
Step 1: Go to People and click Add New Members.
Step 2: Select Upload a spreadsheet.
Step 3: Choose your file and follow the on-screen instructions to map your spreadsheet columns to Plinth fields.
For a detailed walkthrough of this process, see the guide on Uploading a spreadsheet of People.
Option 3 — Share a registration form
Registration forms let people add themselves to your database by filling in an online form. This is ideal for new members signing up to your services.
Step 1: Go to People and click Add New Members.
Step 2: You will see your existing registration forms listed. You can edit one or create a new form.
Step 3: Once your form is ready, you can share it via a link, embed it on your website, or print a QR code.
For full details, see the guides on Registration forms and Sharing registration forms.
You can also add people from the calendar
When recording attendances at an event, if someone is not yet in your database you can add them on the spot. In the register view, search for the person by name — if they do not appear, you will see an option to add a new person directly from there.
This is handy for drop-in sessions where new people turn up without pre-registering.
Which method should I use?
One or two people — Add them manually.
A large existing list — Upload a spreadsheet.
Ongoing sign-ups — Share a registration form so people can register themselves over time.
Someone new at a session — Add them from the calendar register.
You can use any combination of these methods. Everyone ends up in the same People database regardless of how they were added.