Overview
As we describe in our People Overview article, People or person records are at the heart of the Element451 platform. This article will explore the various methods for adding and removing person (contact) records and provide instructions for deleting or deactivating a person.
You can find a complete list of your records in the People module by navigating to Contacts > People.
Option 1: Manually Adding a Person (Contact)
The first option is to add your person record into Element451 manually. This is helpful if you need to add contacts in one-off situations.
Navigate to Contacts > People.
Click the + sign in the toolbar.
The Add New User form will open for you to complete. There are four tabs to navigate through: Basic Information, Sources, Milestones, and Education. We explain each section below in the 'New User Details Explained' section.
Once you've navigated through all four tabs and completed as much of the profile as you wish, click Create from the Education tab to finalize the profile creation.
New User Details Explained
New User Details Explained
Basic Information
The basic information section collects the student's personal information, contact information, and academic information.
The only required field is an email address, but we encourage you to complete as many fields as possible.
Sources
When records are added automatically, the source is automatically generated and defines how a student record was created. When you add a user manually, you can select a custom source to track the source of this contact (whether it be a college fair, phone call, high school visit, etc.). Manage custom sources by navigating to Contacts > Categories > Source Codes. You can find more information on sources here.
Alias: Sources are optional, but if you add a source, you must select the alias (or name) of the custom source code you want to use.
Segment: If you have segments configured for that source code, they will automatically populate in the segment dropdown once you have selected an alias.
Timestamp: You can also include a timestamp for tracking purposes.
Milestones
You have the option to add milestone(s) when you manually add a user. A milestone is a distinct event, capturing crucial moments in the person's engagement with your institution, from the inception of their profile to the enrollment date. Once you finalize adding this person's record, the system will automatically generate a 'Record Created' milestone, but if you'd like to add any others, you can do that here.
If you choose to add a milestone here, the type, name, and date are required fields.
Type: You can add the following milestone types manually:
Admitted Date
Application Complete Date
Application Decision Date
Application Start Date
Application Submit Date
Checklist Complete Date
Date of Inquiry
Deny Date
Deposited Date
Email Unsubscribe Date
Enrolled Date
Graduated Date
Interview Date
SMS Unsubscribe Date
Visit Date
Waitlist Date
Withdrawn Date
On Hold Date
Defer Date
Conditional Admit Date
Name: The Name dropdown is dynamically updated based on the milestone type selected in the previous step. Think of the milestone name as the “source” from which the milestone was created.
In most cases, you’ll want to select Dashboard as the milestone name. This indicates that an internal user (you) manually added the milestone via the dashboard.
Other name options exist primarily for system-generated milestones added through automated processes. While these options are available, they are mainly there as a safeguard—allowing you to manually recreate a milestone if one is accidentally deleted.
Metadata: After selecting a milestone name, additional fields may appear depending on the milestone type. For example, if you add an application-related milestone, you can specify details such as application, type, date, term, major, and student type.
While these fields are optional, providing as much detail as possible is recommended to enhance reporting accuracy and maintain comprehensive historical records.
Date: A date is required for any milestones added.
Education
In the education tab, you have the option to add the student's high school/college and counselor information. You can use the search tool to find the high school or college quickly.
If you add a contact while viewing a segment, it won’t automatically be included in that segment unless it’s a calculated segment AND the contact meets the conditions. This process simply adds the contact to your database.
Option 2: Importing People (Contacts)
The second option is if you have a lot of contact data, you need to get into Element451. Instead of manually adding contacts individually, you can import your data using the Import + Export module.
Removing and Deactivating a Person (Contact)
When deleting a person, it is permanently removed from Element451, along with all information related to the person. For data retention purposes, it is recommended to deactivate instead of deleting unless it is absolutely necessary.
Deleting a Person
Deleting a person from Element451 will permanently remove the person and their data from the system.
Navigate to Contacts > People
Locate and open the person that you wish to delete.
Click on the settings icon (gray person silhouette with gear) in the upper right of the screen.
Click delete user.
You will be prompted to confirm deletion. If you are sure, click Confirm.
Deactivating a Person
Deactivating a person in Element451 will stop the person from receiving emails and other communications and appearing on event attendee lists. Their data will, however, be preserved in the system.
In addition to deactivating a person, it's essential to also remove them from any Workflows + Rules. This step is necessary because internal users assigned to automations, such as tasks or territories, will continue receiving assignments even if the person's status is inactive.
Navigate to Contacts > People
Locate and open the person that you wish to deactivate.
Click on the settings icon (gray person silhouette with gear) in the upper right of the screen.
Click deactivate user.
You will be prompted to confirm deactivation. If you are sure, click Confirm.
Notes on Deactivation
Deactivated people will have a red chip in their profile header to indicate their deactivated status.
If a deactivated person has had a Decision generated from an application, it will hidden from the All Decisions list automatically. However, you can still access it from the Applications profile card on their profile.
If a deactivated person submits another application, they will be reactivated automatically.