This article will help you manage different situations that might come up when using Visitor Aware to check in visitors at your school. We'll cover common scenarios and give you easy-to-follow advice on what to do next.:

  • Visitor Check-in Does Not Match SIS Profile: Scenarios where the visitor's information doesn't match the school's Student Information System (SIS) 
  • Visitor Mismatched During Check-in: Addresses situations where a visitor is misidentified during the check-in process, possibly due to errors in the process or issues with facial recognition
  • Identical Twin or Look-Alike: Handle situations where Visitor Aware misidentifies a visitor as someone else due to similar appearances.
  • Options for Visitors Who Do Not Wish to Store or Collect Facial Recognition: Options for visitors who prefer not to use facial recognition, such as deleting stored facial recognition data and using visitor-specific QR codes.
  • Grant Temporary Authorized Guardian Rights: If the check in issue cannot be resolved and you must 


Please note: Ensure your team is prepared to discuss these situations and decide the appropriate protocols with your admin and/or IT team. Assign a point person if there should be specific staff in charge of data integrity.


Visitor Check-in Does Not Match SIS Profile


The information in the SIS might be outdated, or there might be typos in the SIS profile or the Visitor Aware profile. In this scenario, the person checking in will most likely not match with the profile that was created via the SIS sync, which would:

  • Prevent a guardian from having access to sign out a student
  • Result in multiple profiles for the visitor and cause confusion
  • Potentially make reporting capabilities confusing and/or inaccurate


If this happens, you can try the following:

  1. If you have synced your SIS and discover typos for the visitor in the Student Information System record, please correct them before proceeding.
    Note: We treat the SIS as the source of truth. This record needs to be up-to-date and accurate.

  2. If there are typos in the profile that was created directly through Visitor Aware, it's best to delete this profile and have the visitor check-in again, and verify there are no typos.
    • Locate the visitor's profile. From the left navigation bar, click People | Visitors | Visitors or  (https://app.visitor-aware.com/visitors). Click the visitor's image or name to access the profile. Click the Delete button located under the visitor's name and photo.
    • Ask the visitor to check in again using care to prevent typos
      Note: Ideally, the visitor's scanned ID will prevent typos and ensure data accuracy.

    • If the visitor information does not match the SIS profile after checking in again, continue to the step 3
  3. If the visitor still does not match the SIS profile and you've verified this is the same individual, merge the two profiles within Visitor Aware:
    • It is important to confirm the visitor is the same person as the one in the SIS profile because merging the two profiles gives guardian authorization as listed within the SIS
    • Follow the profile merging steps detailed here: Merging Visitor and Volunteer Profiles
    • After completing the steps detailed in the above article, the visitor's Visitor Aware profile (that was created upon check-in) will be merged with the synced SIS profile


Visitor Mismatched During Check-in


A visitor might mismatch during check-in. The likelihood of this happening is quite low and should be a relatively infrequent. 


Verify the Name and ID

If you use the Check-In Kiosk App on iPad, instruct visitors to verify their name is correct in the "Welcome back" message.  If the name is incorrect, instruct the visitor to click the ? (question mark) icon. This prompts the visitor to show their ID.



To resolve the following mismatch scenarios, start by accessing the visitor's profile. From the left navigation, click People | Visitors | Visitors. 

Check for Photo and Profile Mismatch
It's possible someone started the check-in process on the application and then another visitor unknowingly completed the check-in that was already in process. The indication of this would be:

  1. The visitor's real-time photo doesn't match the ID photo.
  2. The information located on the visitor's profile doesn't correspond to the real-time visitor photo.

First Visit Mismatch

If this is the visitor's first visit to any of your school locations, feel free to delete the visitor's profile. 


Click the visitor's image or name. On the Visitor Details page, click the Delete button. Then ask the visitor to repeat the check-in process from start to finish. No further action is required.

Existing Visitor Mismatch

  1. If you'd like to preserve the visitor's logs and correct the visitor's current profile, click the visitors image or name to access their profile.
  2. Once in the profile, hover over the real-time photo that was taken during check-in and a Face ID bubble should appear (this photo should not correspond to the current visitor that just completed the check-in process).
  3. An icon (a white circle with a line through it) should appear to the right of the photo. Click the icon to delete the photo.
    Note: If the photo has a white background it may be difficult to see the white circle icon. 
  4. If your school location uses facial recognition, click the Profile tab located on the lower half of the profile. Locate the Indexed Faces section and click the number. Confirm you'd like to delete the stored facial recognition.
  5. Ask the visitor to check in to confirm everything functions as expected.


Delete the Indexed Faces (Number)


 Identical Twin or Look-Alike

If a visitor checks in for the first time and Visitor Aware identifies them as someone else in the system, it may see them as a twin or look alike. 


To fix it and prevent problems:

  1. Click the incorrectly matched visitor's profile.
  2. Once in the profile, hover over the real-time photo that was taken during check-in and a Face ID bubble should appear (this photo should not match the current visitor that just completed the check-in process).
  3. An icon (a white circle with a line through it) should appear to the right of the photo. Click the icon to delete the photo.
    Note: If the photo has a white background it may be difficult to see the white circle icon.
  4. In the lower portion of the profile ensure you have clicked the Profile tab. Locate the Indexed Faces section and click the number. Confirm you'd like to delete the facial recognition that was stored. (This is the facial recognition just stored from the visitor who just checked in.)
  5. Click the Visitor Settings tab.
  6.  Scroll down to the Disable Facial Recognition for this Visitor? section. Click Yes and then click the Save button.
    Note: This prompts the visitor to present their ID during return visits to ensure match accuracy. When the visitor returns, you can issue a visitor-specific QR code ID, which serves a quick re-entry check-in option. Read the following article for more information: Sending Visitor Specific QR Code IDs
  7. Ask the visitor to check in. They will be prompted for their ID/visitor information to complete the check-in process and their corresponding information will store properly. 
  8. Click their profile image or name and locate the Indexed Faces heading. Click the number and confirm you'd like to delete the facial recognition. It is likely the mismatch will continue for both visitors. We will issue a visitor-specific QR code and/or require that they provide an ID upon re-entry.
  9. Finally, click the Visitor Settings tab located in the visitor's profile and scroll down to the Disable Facial Recognition for this Visitor? section and click Yes and then click the Save button.

Options for Visitors Who Do Not Wish to Store or Collect Facial Recognition 

If a visitor or guest is hesitant about using facial recognition or having it stored, you have a few options.


Note: For states that do not have legislation for facial recognition or its associated use requirements within the markets we serve (Education, Healthcare, and Commercial). For reference, please refer to State Legislation Compliance.


Customers Who Use Facial Recognition

You can securely destroy the facial recognition that is stored upon check-in. Before or after deleting the visitor's facial recognition, you can use a visitor-specific QR code to speed up the return visitor check-in process. You can send this QR code to their mobile number or email, or print it for them in the office.


Delete Indexed Faces and Disable Facial Recognition for the visitor:

  1. Ask the visitor or guest check in at a self-service check-in kiosk.
  2. Log in to the web application. 
  3. From the left navigation click People | Visitors | Visitors. 
  4. On the Visitors page, click the visitor's photo or name.
  5. On the Profile tab, in the Indexed Faces heading, click the pencil icon, and then click the number and confirm you would like to delete their facial recognition.
  6. Select the Visitor Settings tab and scroll to the Additional Settings section.
  7. For the Disable facial recognition for this visitor? section, click the Yes radio button, and then click the Save button. 
  8. Provide the visitor-specific QR code to them: Sending Visitor-Specific QR Code IDs. This will require the visitor's email or mobile number (you can also print this for them in the office).


If staff are checking in the visitor or guest:

  1. Have staff navigate through the same check-in process as normal (In the top navigation click Activities | Check-in Kiosk | Staff Assisted and fill out the required fields on the form.
  2. In the Mobile Phone Number field, type the visitor's phone number.
  3. Click the Auto-generate and the send a QR Code ID? checkbox. 
  4. Ensure the Mark Visitor as Validated? checkbox is unclicked.
  5. Check in the visitor.
  6. Follow steps 3-8 in the section above.


Grant Temporary Authorized Guardian Rights


If a guardian cannot sign out a student, the SIS information might not have synced to Visitor Aware yet. For instance, if a parent grants someone authorized guardian rights the same day that they want the same person to pick up their child the SIS sync may not be scheduled in time before students are picked up for the day. In this scenario you may need to grant temporary guardian authorization through Visitor Aware. Follow the instructions in the Temporary Guardian Relationship article. 


Ensure you confirm this person should have access to sign out a student by following your school protocol before proceeding. For example, look in the SIS to confirm and/or call the associated parent to confirm.


If you have encountered a scenario we did not cover here, search our help article database to see if another article addresses the issue. If you're unable to find a resolution, please submit a request for support.