Applications

Applications lets you build membership application forms, review submitted applications, and move approved applicants into member accounts. The key thing to understand is that the workflow is split between two places: you set up forms in the Club Management Portal, but you review and approve applications on the website.

Who can use this area

Applications is typically managed by Administrators and Application Managers. Some clubs let multiple people review applications while only a smaller group edits the form itself.

The two parts of the workflow

Application Forms (Club Management Portal)

Under Membership Tools, Application Forms is where you:

Create or edit the form applicants fill out
Connect each form to a specific Membership Type
Add introduction text, questions, and Member Custom Fields
Set whether the form is currently Active
Reorder forms from the list page

Application review (website)

The website Applications page is where you:

Review submitted applications
Move applications through statuses (In Review, Approved, Dismissed, Declined)
Add internal notes and upload supporting documents
Enter offline applications from paper or PDF forms

Setting up an Application Form

Open Application Forms under Membership Tools.
Click Create.
Enter the form Name.
Choose the Membership Type this form belongs to.
Add introduction text for applicants to read before the form fields.
Use Add New Question to build the form (see question types below).
Turn on Active when the form is ready.
Save.

Create a separate form for each membership type you offer. Only one active form can exist per membership type at a time.

Built-in fields

Every application form automatically includes: Email, First Name, Last Name, Phone, Country, Address, Address 2, City, State, Postal Code, Opt-In for Electronic Communications, and Signature. You don't need to add these.

Question types

Use Add New Question to add:

Type	Best for
Text, Single Line	Short answers
Text, Multiple Lines	Longer answers
Dropdown with single choice	Pick one option
Checkboxes with multiple choices	Pick multiple options
Checkbox, Yes or No	Single acknowledgement
Date	Date-based answers
Number	Numeric answers
Text Content	Instructions or section headings inside the form (not a question)
Member Custom Field	Answer that carries into the member record on approval

A Member Custom Field can only be added once per form. If an answer should become part of the member record after approval, this is the right choice.

Reviewing applications on the website

Open the website Applications page.
Use the status filter buttons to narrow the list.
Click View to open an application.
Review the details, answers, notes, and documents.
Use the action buttons to move it forward.

Application statuses

Status	Meaning
Valid	Submitted and ready for review
Invalid	Has a problem that needs correction
In Review	Locked for committee/board review — applicant can no longer edit
Preapproved	Approved, but waiting for email verification before the member account is created
Approved	Member account created, application complete
Dismissed	Closed before approval (incomplete, spam, etc.)
Declined	Reviewed and not accepted

Email verification

New applicants need to verify their email address. If you approve an application before the email is verified, Clubistry marks it Preapproved and waits. Once the applicant verifies, Clubistry finishes the approval and creates the member account automatically.

Applicants can edit their application through a unique, time-limited edit link. Moving an application to In Review stops further edits.

Notes and documents

Notes are internal only — applicants can't see them. Documents are also internal and can include JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, and PDF files. Reviewers can upload or remove documents on the application detail page. Offline applications can include scanned paper forms as attached documents.

Adding an offline application

When someone completed a paper form or another offline process:

On the website Applications page, choose the correct form in the Add Offline Application area.
Click Add Application.
Enter the applicant's information and any relevant Member Custom Fields.
Upload documents if you want to attach a scanned form.
Submit.

This lets you review paper and online applications in one place.

Applications in the Club Management Portal

The Applications resource in the portal is mainly for review, spam cleanup, and limited corrections. You can edit only First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, and Admin Notes there. Status changes, approvals, and the main review workflow happen on the website.

Available portal actions: