How the Instant Sync Works
The instant sync feature enables more seamless synchronization between Planning Center and Text In Church People Records. This means that certain changes made in either system to a People record will be promptly reflected in the other.
Here's a breakdown of how it works:
Record Updates:
When you modify a contact's name, primary phone number, or primary email address in Planning Center, the change will automatically be updated in Text In Church.
Planning Center allows for multiple phone numbers and emails. The instant sync will focus on the primary and map it to Text In Church, just like the regular sync.
If a contact is updated in Text In Church, the data will not be pushed to Planning Center to maintain data integrity in Planning Center.
If a phone number or email address is deleted in Planning Center, it will not be removed from Text In Church. The information will be retained.
Which People Records are Impacted:
Only individuals existing on a list or within a group that syncs with a Text In Church group will be affected by updates, creations, or deletions. Individuals not syncing will be unaffected.
Children will not be added to Text In Church through the sync. If a record is changed from an adult to a child in Planning Center, they will be removed from syncing groups in Text In Church.
Merged Records:
If two records are merged in Planning Center, both records will be kept in Text In Church. However, the record removed in Planning Center due to the merge will be unlinked from any records in Planning Center. You would need to manually adjust these records in Text In Church.
Archiving and Deleting Contacts:
If a contact is archived or deleted in Text In Church, the record will not be deleted in Planning Center but it will be removed from the syncing groups in TIC and PCO.
If a contact is archived or deleted in Planning Center, the record will not be deleted in Text In Church but it will be removed from the syncing groups in TIC and PCO.
Additional Considerations:
The instant sync may not happen instantly in every case. All the webhooks that run this instant sync are put into a queue and are processed as the system works through the queue. During periods of high usage, it may take longer to process the records in the queue. For example, importing a large number of contacts via a CSV file may flood the queue with syncing record updates. This may cause the system to take time to process all the changes.
It is important for users to remember that an instant sync will process changes immediately. So, for example, if a user wants to reset their group and decides to remove all the members within that TIC group, the system will immediately try to remove all the people from the group in Planning Center as well.
Understanding these details will help you make the most out of the instant sync feature in your workflow.
How to Enable Instant Sync
Access Account Settings
Begin by logging into the website version of your Text In Church account. Once logged in, navigate to the Account Settings section.
View Integrations
Within Account Settings, look for the Integrations option and click on it.
Manage Planning Center Integration
Locate the 'Manage' option next to the Planning Center integration. Click on it to proceed.
Configure Sync Preferences
In this section, you'll be prompted to select the Lists you want to sync and set the frequency for the synchronization. Make your selections and then click 'Next.'
Enable Instant Sync
Under this section, you'll find a toggle option labeled 'Sync Instantly when there are changes.' Toggle it on to green to ensure that information updates in real time whenever a change occurs.
Initiate Sync
Once you've set up your preferences, click on 'Begin Sync' to start the instant synchronization process.
That's it! Your Text In Church and Planning Center accounts are now set up for instant sync, ensuring that changes made to People records in one platform are promptly reflected in the other.
For further assistance or additional questions, feel free to reach out to our support team.
