Planning Center Publishing Data Model - Complete Documentation

This document provides complete documentation of ALL tables in the Planning Center Publishing data model in Parable, including all entity tables and relationship tables with full field definitions.

Overview

The Publishing module manages your church’s media content distribution, containing:

14 entity tables - Episodes, series, channels, speakers, and supporting data
1 relationship table - Speakerships linking episodes to speakers
Comprehensive metrics - View counts, downloads, and engagement tracking

Visual Data Model

The diagram below shows the core entities and their relationships in the Publishing module. Use it as a visual reference while exploring the detailed table definitions below.

Core Entity Relationships

Open diagram in new tab →

Key Relationships Explained

Content Hierarchy:

CHANNEL is the top-level podcast/media feed
SERIES organizes episodes by topic or theme
EPISODE is the individual sermon, message, or content piece
Hierarchy: Channel → Series → Episode

Publishing Schedule:

CHANNEL_DEFAULT_TIME defines recurring publish schedule
CHANNEL_NEXT_TIME overrides next publish date/time
EPISODE_TIME tracks when specific episodes were/will be published
Supports both recurring schedules and one-off publications

Media Resources:

EPISODE_RESOURCE stores multiple formats per episode
Kinds include: audio, video, PDF notes, etc.
Each resource has URL and file size tracking
Single episode can have audio, video, and supplementary files

Speaker Management:

SPEAKER defines individuals who present content
SPEAKERSHIP links episodes to speakers (many-to-many)
Single episode can have multiple speakers
Speakers can appear in multiple episodes/series

Analytics:

EPISODE_STATISTIC tracks engagement metrics
Metrics: total plays, total downloads, time periods
Historical tracking with date ranges
Enables trend analysis and content performance review

Templates & Onboarding:

NOTE_TEMPLATE provides reusable sermon note formats
ONBOARDING tracks publishing setup completion
ORGANIZATION links to Planning Center organization settings

Parent-Child Relationships:

Times and resources use parent_id pattern
Episode times belong to episodes
Episode resources belong to episodes
Channel times belong to channels

Query Requirements

Schema Prefix

IMPORTANT: All tables in the Planning Center Publishing module are in the planning_center schema. You MUST prefix all table names with planning_center. in your queries. ✅ CORRECT: SELECT * FROM planning_center.publishing_episodes ❌ INCORRECT: SELECT * FROM publishing_episodes

Row Level Security (RLS)

This database uses Row Level Security (RLS) to automatically filter data based on:

tenant_organization_id: You only see data for your current organization
system_status: You only see ‘active’ records by default

DO NOT add these filters to your WHERE clause - they are applied automatically:

❌ WHERE tenant_organization_id = 1 (unnecessary)
❌ WHERE system_status = 'active' (unnecessary)

The RLS policies ensure you only access data you’re authorized to see, making these filters redundant and potentially causing performance issues.

Complete Table Inventory

Core Content Tables

1. `publishing_episodes`

Individual sermons, messages, and content pieces.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`episode_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center episode ID
`title`	TEXT	Episode title
`description`	TEXT	Episode description
`series_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated series ID
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Primary channel ID
`published_live_at`	TIMESTAMP	When episode went live
`published_to_library_at`	TIMESTAMP	When added to library
`video_url`	TEXT	Primary video URL
`video_thumbnail_url`	TEXT	Video thumbnail image
`library_video_url`	TEXT	Library video URL
`library_video_thumbnail_url`	TEXT	Library thumbnail
`library_audio_url`	TEXT	Library audio URL
`library_streaming_service`	VARCHAR(255)	Streaming provider
`sermon_audio`	JSONB	Audio file metadata
`art`	JSONB	Artwork/images metadata
`church_center_url`	TEXT	Church Center app URL
`stream_type`	VARCHAR(255)	Live/recorded/hybrid
`streaming_service`	VARCHAR(255)	Streaming platform
`page_actions`	JSONB	Available page actions
`needs_library_audio_or_video_url`	BOOLEAN	Missing media flag
`needs_video_url`	BOOLEAN	Missing video flag
`services_plan_remote_identifier`	VARCHAR(64)	Services app plan ID
`services_service_type_remote_identifier`	VARCHAR(64)	Service type ID
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

2. `publishing_series`

Sermon series and content collections.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`series_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center series ID
`title`	VARCHAR(255)	Series title
`description`	TEXT	Series description
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Primary channel ID
`art`	JSONB	Series artwork metadata
`church_center_url`	VARCHAR(255)	Church Center URL
`started_at`	TIMESTAMP	Series start date
`ended_at`	TIMESTAMP	Series end date
`episodes_count`	INTEGER	Number of episodes
`published`	BOOLEAN	Publication status
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

3. `publishing_channels`

Distribution channels and platforms.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center channel ID
`name`	VARCHAR(255)	Channel name
`kind`	VARCHAR(100)	Channel type (podcast/video/etc)
`description`	TEXT	Channel description
`art`	JSONB	Channel artwork metadata
`streaming_service`	VARCHAR(255)	Streaming platform
`livestream_url`	TEXT	Live streaming URL
`embed_code`	TEXT	Embed HTML code
`default_publish_time`	TIME	Default publish time
`time_zone`	VARCHAR(100)	Channel timezone
`church_center_enabled`	BOOLEAN	Church Center visibility
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

4. `publishing_speakers`

Speaker profiles and information.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`speaker_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center speaker ID
`name`	VARCHAR(255)	Speaker full name
`description`	TEXT	Speaker bio/description
`photo_url`	TEXT	Speaker photo URL
`person_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Link to People app
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

Relationship Tables

5. `publishing_speakerships`

Links episodes to speakers (junction table).

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`speakership_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center speakership ID
`episode_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated episode ID
`speaker_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated speaker ID
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

Resource and Media Tables

6. `publishing_episode_resources`

Files and resources attached to episodes.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`episode_resource_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center resource ID
`episode_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated episode ID
`name`	VARCHAR(255)	Resource name
`kind`	VARCHAR(100)	Resource type (notes/slides/etc)
`url`	TEXT	Resource download URL
`file_size`	BIGINT	File size in bytes
`content_type`	VARCHAR(255)	MIME type
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

7. `publishing_note_templates`

Templates for sermon notes and outlines.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`note_template_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center template ID
`episode_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated episode ID
`name`	VARCHAR(255)	Template name
`content`	TEXT	Template content/markdown
`kind`	VARCHAR(100)	Template type
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

Scheduling Tables

8. `publishing_episode_times`

Publishing schedule for episodes on different channels.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`episode_time_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center time ID
`episode_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated episode ID
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Target channel ID
`published_at`	TIMESTAMP	Scheduled publish time
`status`	VARCHAR(50)	Publishing status
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

9. `publishing_channel_default_times`

Default publishing schedules per channel.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`channel_default_time_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center default time ID
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated channel ID
`day_of_week`	INTEGER	Day (0=Sunday, 6=Saturday)
`time_of_day`	TIME	Default publish time
`enabled`	BOOLEAN	Schedule active flag
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

10. `publishing_channel_next_times`

Upcoming scheduled publishes per channel.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`channel_next_time_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center next time ID
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated channel ID
`next_publish_at`	TIMESTAMP	Next scheduled publish
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

Analytics Tables

11. `publishing_episode_statistics`

View counts, downloads, and engagement metrics.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`episode_statistic_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center statistic ID
`episode_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated episode ID
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated channel ID
`view_count`	INTEGER	Total view count
`download_count`	INTEGER	Total download count
`unique_viewers`	INTEGER	Unique viewer count
`average_watch_time`	INTEGER	Average watch time (seconds)
`total_watch_time`	BIGINT	Total watch time (seconds)
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Statistic timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

12. `publishing_episode_statistic_times`

Statistics tracked over time periods.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`episode_statistic_time_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center stat time ID
`episode_statistic_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Parent statistic ID
`period_start`	TIMESTAMP	Period start time
`period_end`	TIMESTAMP	Period end time
`view_count`	INTEGER	Views in period
`download_count`	INTEGER	Downloads in period
`unique_viewers`	INTEGER	Unique viewers in period
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

Configuration Tables

13. `publishing_organizations`

Organization-level publishing settings.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`organization_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center org ID
`name`	VARCHAR(255)	Organization name
`settings`	JSONB	Publishing settings
`default_channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Default channel
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

14. `publishing_channel_channel_default_episode_resources`

Default resources automatically attached to episodes per channel.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`channel_default_episode_resource_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center default resource ID
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated channel ID
`name`	VARCHAR(255)	Resource name
`kind`	VARCHAR(100)	Resource type
`url`	TEXT	Resource URL
`auto_attach`	BOOLEAN	Auto-attach flag
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

Administrative Tables

15. `publishing_onboardings`

Tracks onboarding process for new channels.

Column	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique internal identifier
`onboarding_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Planning Center onboarding ID
`channel_id`	VARCHAR(64)	Associated channel ID
`status`	VARCHAR(50)	Onboarding status
`steps_completed`	JSONB	Completed steps tracking
`created_at`	TIMESTAMP	Creation timestamp
`updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	Last update timestamp
`tenant_organization_id`	INTEGER	Organization identifier
`system_status`	VARCHAR(50)	Data lifecycle status
`system_created_at`	TIMESTAMP	System creation time
`system_updated_at`	TIMESTAMP	System update time

System Fields

All tables include these system fields for data management:

tenant_organization_id - Multi-tenant organization identifier
system_status - Data lifecycle status (active, transferring, stale)
system_created_at - When the record was created in Parable
system_updated_at - When the record was last updated in Parable

Row Level Security

All tables implement Row Level Security (RLS) to ensure tenant isolation:

-- Example RLS policy
CREATE POLICY tenant_read_only ON planning_center.publishing_episodes
  FOR SELECT
  TO PUBLIC
  USING (
    system_status = 'active'
    AND EXISTS (
      SELECT 1 FROM public.tenant_dsn_credentials dsn
      WHERE dsn.role_name = CURRENT_ROLE
        AND dsn.tenant_organization_id = planning_center.publishing_episodes.tenant_organization_id
    )
  );

Data Integrity Rules

Schema Qualification: Always use planning_center. prefix for all table references
Row Level Security: RLS automatically handles multi-tenancy and status filtering - do not add manual filters
Monetary Values: Any monetization or purchase amount columns are stored in cents - divide by 100.0 for display
Media Flags: Use booleans like needs_video_url and needs_library_audio_or_video_url to identify missing assets instead of relying on system_status
Direct ID Columns: Tables such as publishing_episodes, publishing_series, and publishing_speakerships expose direct IDs for performance-sensitive joins

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Missing Schema Prefix
- ❌ FROM publishing_episodes
- ✅ FROM planning_center.publishing_episodes
Adding Redundant RLS Filters
- ❌ WHERE tenant_organization_id = 1 AND system_status = 'active'
- ✅ Trust RLS to handle this automatically
Joining Without Schema
- ❌ JOIN publishing_series s ON ...
- ✅ JOIN planning_center.publishing_series s ON ...
Skipping Currency Conversion
- ❌ SELECT purchase_price_cents as purchase_price
- ✅ SELECT purchase_price_cents / 100.0 as purchase_price

Performance Considerations

Indexes: All tables have optimized indexes on:
- Primary keys and entity IDs
- Join columns and foreign keys
- Date columns for time-based queries
Query Optimization:
- Always use the planning_center. schema prefix
- RLS handles tenant and status filtering automatically
- Filter by publication state or media availability when relevant
- Consider CTEs for aggregating view/download metrics
- Use direct ID columns when available instead of relationship tables

Data Synchronization

Publishing data is synchronized through Temporal workflows:

Master Workflow - Orchestrates all child workflows
Independent Entities - Channels, Series, Speakers, Organizations
Dependent Entities - Episodes (depends on channels)
Related Data - Resources, times, statistics (depends on episodes)
Junction Tables - Speakerships linking episodes to speakers

Usage Tips

Trust RLS for active data - Skip manual system_status or tenant filters
Join through IDs - Use episode_id, series_id, speaker_id
Consider NULL values - Many fields are optional
Use JSONB operators for nested data in art, settings fields
Aggregate statistics over time periods for trends

Common Join Patterns

Episodes with Series and Speakers

SELECT 
    e.title as episode_title,
    s.title as series_title,
    sp.name as speaker_name
FROM planning_center.publishing_episodes e
LEFT JOIN planning_center.publishing_series s 
    ON e.series_id = s.series_id
LEFT JOIN planning_center.publishing_speakerships ship 
    ON e.episode_id = ship.episode_id
LEFT JOIN planning_center.publishing_speakers sp 
    ON ship.speaker_id = sp.speaker_id;

Episodes with Statistics and Resources

SELECT 
    e.title,
    est.view_count,
    est.download_count,
    er.name as resource_name,
    er.url as resource_url
FROM planning_center.publishing_episodes e
LEFT JOIN planning_center.publishing_episode_statistics est 
    ON e.episode_id = est.episode_id
LEFT JOIN planning_center.publishing_episode_resources er 
    ON e.episode_id = er.episode_id;

Data Quality Notes

Episode published_live_at indicates published content
Series may have NULL ended_at for ongoing series
Statistics are point-in-time snapshots, use latest for current counts
Speakerships table enables many-to-many episode-speaker relationships
Channel IDs in episodes indicate primary publishing channel

This data model enables comprehensive media analytics and content management for your church’s publishing ministry.

​Planning Center Publishing Data Model - Complete Documentation

​Overview

​Visual Data Model

​Core Entity Relationships

​Key Relationships Explained

​Query Requirements

​Schema Prefix

​Row Level Security (RLS)

​Complete Table Inventory

​Core Content Tables

​1. publishing_episodes

​2. publishing_series

​3. publishing_channels

​4. publishing_speakers

​Relationship Tables

​5. publishing_speakerships

​Resource and Media Tables

​6. publishing_episode_resources

​7. publishing_note_templates

​Scheduling Tables

​8. publishing_episode_times

​9. publishing_channel_default_times

​10. publishing_channel_next_times

​Analytics Tables

​11. publishing_episode_statistics

​12. publishing_episode_statistic_times

​Configuration Tables

​13. publishing_organizations

​14. publishing_channel_channel_default_episode_resources

​Administrative Tables

​15. publishing_onboardings

​System Fields

​Row Level Security

​Data Integrity Rules

​Common Mistakes to Avoid

​Performance Considerations

​Data Synchronization

​Usage Tips

​Common Join Patterns

​Episodes with Series and Speakers

​Episodes with Statistics and Resources

​Data Quality Notes

Planning Center Publishing Data Model - Complete Documentation

Overview

Visual Data Model

Core Entity Relationships

Key Relationships Explained

Query Requirements

Schema Prefix

Row Level Security (RLS)

Complete Table Inventory

Core Content Tables

1. `publishing_episodes`

2. `publishing_series`

3. `publishing_channels`

4. `publishing_speakers`

Relationship Tables

5. `publishing_speakerships`

Resource and Media Tables

6. `publishing_episode_resources`

7. `publishing_note_templates`

Scheduling Tables

8. `publishing_episode_times`

9. `publishing_channel_default_times`

10. `publishing_channel_next_times`

Analytics Tables

11. `publishing_episode_statistics`

12. `publishing_episode_statistic_times`

Configuration Tables

13. `publishing_organizations`

14. `publishing_channel_channel_default_episode_resources`

Administrative Tables

15. `publishing_onboardings`

System Fields

Row Level Security

Data Integrity Rules

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Performance Considerations

Data Synchronization

Usage Tips

Common Join Patterns

Episodes with Series and Speakers

Episodes with Statistics and Resources

Data Quality Notes