Allowing Membership Updates

The Membership Updates tool allows your subscribed members to modify their own membership information. This is a helpful way to let your members take some of the administrative work off your hands. You decide which member types your members can modify, and they can also make changes to their contact information or add another contact to their membership. This article will walk you through the process of allowing Membership Updates.

You'll need to allow for Membership Updates by adding the "Update Your Membership" option to your website. To do this, log in to the Control Panel, and navigate to:

  *Member Assembler > Members > Membership Updates*

The Membership Updates page will look like this:

  *Figure 1. Membership Updates Page*

The Membership Updates page is separated into two tabs. The first tab is entitled "Update Types". Here you can choose the member types that your customers have permission to update. You will have to be mindful of what to allow them to change and should remove what types are editable when appropriate. You don't want someone 9 weeks into your CSA to be able to change their 16-week share to an 8-week share.

The "Page Settings" tab is where you configure the title and description of the Update Membership page. This is also where you select the season that your customers can update as well as "turn on" the Update Membership page. To allow members to update their memberships, click the box next to "Enable membership updates." Don't forget to click Submit when you are finished!

If you also have a Small Farm Central website along with your Member Assembler subscription, you may see a header on the Membership Updates page that informs you that there is no menu item on your site's navigation bar to direct members to the Update Membership page. Click on the link and a menu item will be created for you. If you would like to move or modify the new menu item, click the next link that shows up to get to the Menu Manager.You can also add a prebuilt widget to your website which will add a link to the Update Membership page directly on your website. To add a prebuilt widget, follow the instructions below.
(For more information on managing menus, read the "Managing Menus & Assigning Weight" article in the Website Tools section of the Knowledge Base.)

For Member Assembler only accounts, you must add a widget to your website which will include a link to the Update Membership Page. We have already created this widget for you. To enable it, navigate to:

  *Display > Widgets > Add Prebuilt*

Scroll down the page to find the Member Assembler Links widget and click the Add this widget to template button. (For more information about widgets, read the "Using Widgets" article in the Website Tools section of the Knowledge Base.

Once you have allowed your members to update their memberships and set up a menu item or widget on your website, they will be able to visit the Update Membership page. See below:

  *Figure 2. Update Membership Page on a Small Farm Central Website.*

When your members navigate to the page, they must first submit their email address to confirm their identity. An email will be sent to them, with a link to a unique page with their membership info where they can make the changes you have allowed. You will also receive an email any time one of your members has updated their membership information.

Remember: As you move through the seasons, you'll have to return to the Page settings tab of the Update Memberships page to change the Season so that members are updating their information in the current Season and not of Seasons past.

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