Archived People Records
=======================

At TouchPoint, we do not recommend deleting People Records. However, we understand there may be cases where you don't want certain records to appear in search results or be included in church communications. In these situations, we suggest archiving the People Records instead.

Here are some common scenarios where archiving might be the best option:

-   A church member has changed churches. You don't want to lose all of his/her information, but you don't need this person to appear in Search results.
-   Someone provided financial support for a Mission Trip participant. This person needs to remain in your database for the purpose of a giving statement, but you don't anticipate having any additional interaction with him/her.
-   Out-of-town family members attend church with their relatives. They have their own home church. They may visit again in the future, but they won't be joining unless they relocate.

Your church may decide when to Archive individuals...and when to remove the Archived status (read more about that below).

.. seealso::
    :doc:`DeletePerson`

.. important::
    TouchPoint does not allow you to send emails or text messages to Archived people by default. If you attempt to send a message to someone from a people record, tag, or Involvement, those people will automatically be skipped and the message will not be sent.

    Exception: You *can* email or text an Archived person from Search Builder if you add the **Include Archived** condition.

    .. seealso::
        :doc:`../SearchBuilder/QB-IncludeArchived`


How To Archive A Person
-----------------------

A User with the `Admin` or `Manager` role may Archive a person by following these steps:

Step 1
    Go to the individual's record in the database and click the `Gear` Icon from the `Blue Toolbar.`

Step 2
    Select `Archive Person` and then `Yes, change record status.`

    That's it! You will now notice a mustard-colored `Archived` badge at the top of the People Page, along with the other
    badges.

.. note::
   You may also Archive people multiple people at once using the `Update Fields from a Tag/Query` found under `Admin > Tools > People.`
   
   .. seealso::
    | :doc:`../Administration/Batch_UpdateFields`
    | :doc:`PersonPageTabs`


.. tip::
    After a person is flagged as Archived, you can only find them using the Basic People Search as Archived people do not display when using Quick Search. Also, all Search Builder queries will omit Archived people unless you add the Condition `Include Archived` or you are using a Condition that relates specifically to an Archived person -- such as
    `Archived Flag`.

.. seealso::
    | :doc:`PeopleSearch_Index`
    | :doc:`QuickSearch`
    | :doc:`../SearchBuilder/QB-ArchivedFlag`
    | :doc:`../SearchBuilder/QB-IncludeArchived`



How to Remove an Archived Flag
------------------------------

A User with the `Admin` or `Manager` role may remove the Archived status from a person by following the same steps as for Archiving a person:

Step 1
    Go to the individual's record in the database and click the `Gear` Icon from the `Blue Toolbar.`

Step 2
    Select `UnArchive Person` and then `Yes, change record status.`

    The mustard-colored `Archived` badge will immediately disappear.

.. important::
   As people become more involved with the church, you will want to remove the Archived status so that these individuals may become known and appear in searches again. Each database has a Saved Search Builder Search called `Auto Remove Archive Flag` that will determine how an Archived flag will be automatically removed each morning with the batch update. To enable this saved search, toggle the `Auto Remove Archive Flag` setting by navigating to `Admin > Advanced > Settings > System > Administration`.

   .. seealso::
       :doc:`../SearchBuilder/SavedQuery_Index`

Viewing an Archived Person
--------------------------

Staff and Lay Leaders with the `Access` role may view Archived people, as may relatives of the Archived person (with MyData access).

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| **Latest Update**  |   **6/20/2025**  |
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Updated for New Navigation