Planning Center Check-ins SQL Queries

Transform Your Check-in Data Into Ministry InsightsCopy Anchor Link

Your check-in system is the heartbeat of your weekend services and events. With Parable's SQL access to Planning Center Check-ins data, you can analyze attendance patterns, optimize volunteer placement, and ensure child safety—all with nightly-synchronized data at your fingertips.

Quick StartCopy Anchor Link

Ready to see who checked in today? Here's your first query:

-- See the 10 most recent check-ins
SELECT
    c.check_in_id,
    c.first_name,
    c.last_name,
    c.kind,  -- 'Regular', 'Guest', 'Volunteer'
    c.security_code,
    c.created_at as checked_in_at,
    c.checked_out_at
FROM planning_center.checkins_check_ins c
WHERE c.created_at >= CURRENT_DATE
ORDER BY c.created_at DESC
LIMIT 10;

What You Can Do With Check-ins QueriesCopy Anchor Link

👥 Track Attendance PatternsCopy Anchor Link

• Monitor weekly service attendance trends
• Compare attendance across different service times
• Identify seasonal patterns in attendance
• Track first-time guest retention

👶 Manage Children's MinistryCopy Anchor Link

• Monitor classroom capacity and ratios
• Track volunteer-to-child ratios with current data
• Analyze age group distributions
• Generate security reports for child safety

🙋 Optimize Volunteer PlacementCopy Anchor Link

• Identify understaffed locations
• Track volunteer attendance and reliability
• Balance volunteer assignments across services
• Monitor volunteer check-in patterns

📊 Generate Leadership ReportsCopy Anchor Link

• Create attendance dashboards for leadership
• Track growth metrics across campuses
• Monitor event effectiveness
• Export data for strategic planning

Available TablesCopy Anchor Link

Your Planning Center Check-ins data is organized into these main tables:

Understanding RelationshipsCopy Anchor Link

Just like with other Planning Center data, Check-ins stores relationships in separate tables to maintain data integrity:

• checkins_check_ins_relationships - Links check-ins to people, events, locations
• checkins_events_relationships - Links events to related entities
• checkins_locations_relationships - Links locations to events and parent locations
• checkins_event_times_relationships - Links event times to events and locations

We'll show you exactly how to join these tables in our examples!

Common Check-ins ScenariosCopy Anchor Link

Finding Today's Check-ins by LocationCopy Anchor Link

-- Get check-ins grouped by location for today
SELECT
    l.name as location_name,
    l.kind as location_type,
    COUNT(DISTINCT c.check_in_id) as total_checkins,
    COUNT(DISTINCT CASE WHEN c.kind = 'Regular' THEN c.check_in_id END) as regular_checkins,
    COUNT(DISTINCT CASE WHEN c.kind = 'Guest' THEN c.check_in_id END) as guest_checkins,
    COUNT(DISTINCT CASE WHEN c.kind = 'Volunteer' THEN c.check_in_id END) as volunteer_checkins
FROM planning_center.checkins_check_ins c
JOIN planning_center.checkins_check_ins_relationships cr
    ON c.check_in_id = cr.check_in_id
    AND cr.relationship_type = 'Location'
JOIN planning_center.checkins_locations l
    ON cr.relationship_id = l.location_id
WHERE DATE(c.created_at) = CURRENT_DATE
GROUP BY l.name, l.kind
ORDER BY total_checkins DESC;

Tracking Volunteer CoverageCopy Anchor Link

-- Check volunteer-to-child ratios by location
SELECT
    l.name as location,
    l.attendees_per_volunteer as required_ratio,
    COUNT(DISTINCT CASE WHEN c.kind = 'Regular' THEN c.check_in_id END) as children,
    COUNT(DISTINCT CASE WHEN c.kind = 'Volunteer' THEN c.check_in_id END) as volunteers,
    CASE 
        WHEN COUNT(DISTINCT CASE WHEN c.kind = 'Volunteer' THEN c.check_in_id END) > 0
        THEN ROUND(COUNT(DISTINCT CASE WHEN c.kind = 'Regular' THEN c.check_in_id END)::NUMERIC / 
                   COUNT(DISTINCT CASE WHEN c.kind = 'Volunteer' THEN c.check_in_id END), 1)
        ELSE NULL
    END as actual_ratio
FROM planning_center.checkins_locations l
LEFT JOIN planning_center.checkins_check_ins_relationships cr
    ON l.location_id = cr.relationship_id
    AND cr.relationship_type = 'Location'
LEFT JOIN planning_center.checkins_check_ins c
    ON cr.check_in_id = c.check_in_id
    AND DATE(c.created_at) = CURRENT_DATE
    AND c.checked_out_at IS NULL  -- Only currently checked in
WHERE l.kind = 'Location'  -- Physical rooms only (Folder rows are groupings)
    AND l.child_or_adult = 'C'
GROUP BY l.name, l.attendees_per_volunteer
ORDER BY l.name;

Next StepsCopy Anchor Link

📚 New to SQL? Start with Basic Queries for simple, powerful queries you can use today.

🚀 Ready for More? Check out Advanced Queries for complex analysis and reporting.

📊 Need Reports? See Reporting Examples for complete, production-ready reports.

🔍 Want Details? Review the Data Model for complete table documentation.

Common QuestionsCopy Anchor Link

What's the difference between an Event and an Event Time?Copy Anchor Link

• An Event is the recurring definition (e.g., "Sunday Service")
• An Event Time is a specific instance (e.g., "Sunday Service at 9:00 AM on Jan 7, 2024")
• Event Periods represent active check-in sessions

How do I find people who haven't checked out?Copy Anchor Link

Look for records where checked_out_at IS NULL:

SELECT first_name, last_name, security_code, created_at
FROM planning_center.checkins_check_ins
WHERE checked_out_at IS NULL
  AND DATE(created_at) = CURRENT_DATE
ORDER BY created_at DESC;

What does the 'kind' field mean?Copy Anchor Link

The kind field identifies the type of check-in:

• Regular - Standard attendee (usually children)
• Guest - First-time or visiting attendee
• Volunteer - Someone serving in ministry

How do I track guests?Copy Anchor Link

Use kind = 'Guest'. The separate one_time_guest flag means the guest was checked in without creating a person record, and covers only about 29% of guest check-ins — it is not a first-visit flag.

SELECT
    COUNT(*) as guest_check_ins,
    COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE one_time_guest = true) as without_a_profile
FROM planning_center.checkins_check_ins
WHERE kind = 'Guest'
  AND DATE(created_at) >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '7 days';

For genuine first visits, compare each person's earliest check-in date — see First-Time Guest Return Rate.

Getting HelpCopy Anchor Link

• 🐛 Found an issue? Report it at github.com/getparable/parable-api/issues
• 📖 Need more examples? Check our other query guides in this folder
• 💬 Have questions? Reach out to your Parable support team

Your attendance data tells a story of growth and engagement. Let's help you understand it.