> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.lightpost.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/visitor-tracking/visitor-tracking-whats-new.md).

# What's New (Update Guide)

We've given Visitor Tracking a major upgrade focused on one thing: making it effortless to capture and follow up with the people who visit your congregation. Here's what changed, and why it's better.

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**The headline:** You no longer need to create a user profile before you can track a visitor — just add a name and go. And for the first time, you can add and manage visitors **right from the mobile app (version 10 and later, coming this summer 2026)**.\
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This update applies to the **admin and web app versions** currently, and will be fully featured in v10.0 of the mobile app.
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## What changed

* **Visitor records now stand on their own.** A visitor is just a name and whatever details you have — no user profile required to get started.
* **Enter contact details directly.** Add a phone number, email, and address right on the visitor record. Have more than one? Add as many as you need.
* **Capture the whole family.** Note the people in a visiting family (name, relationship, and a comment) without creating a separate record for each person.
* **Link to an existing user — optionally.** If the visitor is already in your directory, you can connect them. If not, no problem.
* **Add visitors from your phone.** Log a visitor the moment you meet them, right from the mobile app.
* **Visitor Cards are simpler.** Turning a Visitor Card into a tracked visitor is now a single step.

## The old way vs. the new way

|                               | Before                                                             | Now                                                     |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Starting a visitor record** | You first had to create the person as a user (marked as a visitor) | Just type their name — no profile needed                |
| **Contact info**              | Pulled from the user's directory profile                           | Entered directly on the visitor (or from a linked user) |
| **Families**                  | Each person needed their own user record                           | Jot down family members right on the visitor record     |
| **Mobile app**                | View only — you couldn't add a visitor                             | Add, edit, and follow up from your phone (v10+)         |
| **Visitor Cards**             | Converted into user profiles first                                 | One step: **Send to Visitor Tracking**                  |

## Adding a visitor is now instant

Previously, tracking a visitor meant first adding them to your directory as a user and marking them as a visitor — an extra step that had to happen before anyone could follow up. That clutter is gone.

Now you simply choose **Add Visitor**, enter a name, and (optionally) add their phone, email, and address. That's it — the record is ready for notes, statuses, and follow-up.

## Tracking a visiting family

When a family visits, you rarely have full details for everyone — and you shouldn't have to create a profile for each person just to remember them. You can now list the people in a visiting family right on the visitor record, with a name, relationship, and a short note (for example, *"John — spouse"* or *"Emma — daughter, age 8"*).

It's a lightweight way to keep everyone together and organized. Add as much or as little as you know, and fill in the rest later.

## Linking to an existing user (optional)

If a visitor turns out to be someone already in your directory — or is added to your directory later — you can **link** the visitor record to their user profile at any time. Linking is always optional and never required, so it never gets in the way of quickly capturing a new visitor.

## New in the mobile app (version 10)

The biggest improvement for teams on the go: you can now **create and update visitors directly in the mobile app**. Meet someone after a service, pull out your phone, and add them before you forget the details — no more waiting to get back to a computer.

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**Pending submission and App Store approval.  Update your app to unlock this.** Adding and editing visitors on mobile requires **mobile app version 10 or later**. Grab the latest version from the **App Store** or **Google Play**. On older versions you'll still see your visitors, but you'll need v10 to add or edit them.
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## Visitor Cards now "Send to Visitor Tracking"

[Visitor Cards](/add-on-features/attendance-tracking/visitor-cards.md) are the digital "pew cards" visitors fill out via your QR code or link. Previously, turning one into a tracked visitor meant first converting it into user profiles.

Now there's a single **Send to Visitor Tracking** action. It creates one visitor record straight from the card — the name and contact details come along automatically, and anyone else listed on the card is added as family members. No user profiles are created in the process.

## What happens to my current visitors?

Nothing is lost. All of your existing visitor records carry over automatically, along with their names, contact information, notes, and history. Records that were connected to a user stay connected — you simply gain the new flexibility on top.

As always, visitors you no longer need to follow up with are **archived** (not deleted), so your history stays intact.

## Why this is better

* **Faster** — capture a walk-in in seconds, with just a name.
* **Cleaner directory** — visitors no longer clutter your directory.
* **Mobile-first** — log visitors in the moment, right after you meet them.
* **Flexible** — track a single guest or a whole family, with as much or as little detail as you like.
* **Still connected** — link a visitor to a user profile whenever it makes sense.

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Access is controlled by the same **Visitor Tracking roles and permissions** you already use, so the right people on your team keep exactly the access they had before.
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