Managing Visitors

Last updated March 2026

Live Visitor Dashboard

The live visitor dashboard gives you a real-time view of everyone currently checked in across all your locations. Accessible from the main navigation under "Visitors", the dashboard updates automatically as visitors check in and out, with no need to refresh the page.

Each visitor entry on the dashboard displays the visitor's name, company, host, check-in time, and current status. If photo capture is enabled, the visitor's photo is shown as a thumbnail alongside their details. Status indicators use colour coding: green for currently on site, amber for expected (pre-registered but not yet arrived), and grey for checked out.

For organisations with multiple locations, you can filter the dashboard by location using the dropdown at the top of the page. The "All Locations" view provides a consolidated overview, while individual location views focus on a single site. The visitor count badge in the navigation bar always shows the total number of visitors currently on site across all locations.

The dashboard also supports quick actions. Hover over any visitor entry to reveal action buttons for checking out the visitor, viewing their full details, or contacting their host. These quick actions make it easy for reception staff to manage visitors without navigating away from the dashboard.

• Real-time updates — no page refresh needed
• Visitor photo thumbnails alongside details
• Status indicators: green (on site), amber (expected), grey (checked out)
• Filter by location or view all locations
• Quick actions: check out, view details, contact host

Visitor Log

The visitor log maintains a complete history of every visitor who has checked in through Porter. Unlike the live dashboard which shows only current visitors, the log provides a searchable, filterable archive of all past and present visits. Access it from the Visitors section by clicking the "Log" tab.

Use the search bar to find visitors by name, company name, or host name. Porter searches across all fields simultaneously, so typing "Smith" will return results matching visitor names, company names, and host names containing that term. Search results update in real time as you type.

Filters help you narrow down the log to specific time periods, locations, and visitor types. The date range filter supports quick presets (today, yesterday, last 7 days, last 30 days) as well as custom date ranges. Location and visitor type filters use dropdown menus with multi-select capability, allowing you to view multiple locations or types simultaneously.

The export feature allows you to download the current filtered view as a CSV file. This is useful for compliance reporting, fire evacuation records, and sharing visitor data with security teams. The exported CSV includes all visible columns plus the visitor's full details, check-in and check-out timestamps, and any custom field data collected during check-in.

Each entry in the log can be expanded to view the complete visitor record, including their photo, signed agreements, custom field responses, and a timeline showing when they checked in, were notified to their host, and checked out.

• Complete history of all visits across all locations
• Search by visitor name, company, or host
• Filter by date range, location, and visitor type
• Export filtered results as CSV
• Expand entries to view full visitor details and timeline

Manual Check-Out

While visitors can check themselves out at the kiosk, there are situations where an admin or receptionist needs to manually check out visitors. This might happen when a visitor forgets to check out, when closing the office for the day, or when a visitor leaves through a different exit.

To manually check out a single visitor, find them on the live dashboard and click the check-out button (the exit door icon) on their entry. You will be asked to confirm the action. Once confirmed, the visitor's status changes to "checked out" and their check-out time is recorded as the current time.

For end-of-day operations, Porter provides a bulk check-out feature. Click the "Bulk Check-Out" button at the top of the dashboard to check out all remaining visitors at once. This is particularly useful for buildings that close at a set time each day. You can also schedule automatic bulk check-out at a specific time in your location settings.

Automatic check-out can be configured per location. Navigate to Location Settings > Check-Out and set an auto check-out time. At the specified time each day, any visitors still marked as "on site" will be automatically checked out. This ensures your visitor records remain accurate even if visitors forget to sign out.

• Check out individual visitors from the live dashboard
• Bulk check-out all visitors at once for end-of-day
• Schedule automatic check-out at a specific daily time
• Check-out time is recorded for accurate duration tracking

Pre-Registering Visitors

Pre-registration allows hosts to register visitors in advance, streamlining the check-in process on arrival day. When a visitor is pre-registered, they receive an email containing their visit details, directions to your location, and a unique QR code for express check-in.

To pre-register a visitor, navigate to Visitors > Pre-Register and fill in the visitor's details. Required fields include the visitor's full name, email address, company name, and the host they are visiting. You also specify the expected date and time of the visit. Optional fields include phone number, purpose of visit, and any custom fields configured for your location.

Once submitted, Porter sends a confirmation email to the visitor with all the relevant information. The email includes the location address with a map link, expected date and time, host name, and a QR code. On the day of their visit, the visitor simply scans the QR code at the kiosk to complete check-in in seconds.

Pre-registered visitors appear on the live dashboard with an "expected" status (amber indicator) before they arrive. This gives reception staff advance notice of who to expect. Once the visitor checks in, their status changes to "on site" (green). If a pre-registered visitor does not arrive by the end of their expected day, the entry is automatically archived.

Hosts can also pre-register visitors directly from their own Porter profile without needing admin access. This distributed approach reduces the burden on reception staff and empowers hosts to manage their own visitors independently.

• Fields: name, email, company, host, expected date/time
• Visitor receives confirmation email with QR code
• QR code enables express check-in at the kiosk
• Pre-registered visitors appear as "expected" on the dashboard
• Hosts can pre-register their own visitors

Bulk Invites

For events, conferences, or group visits, manually pre-registering each visitor would be impractical. Porter's bulk invite feature allows you to upload a CSV file containing multiple visitor records and pre-register them all at once. Each visitor receives their own individual confirmation email with a unique QR code.

To get started, navigate to Visitors > Pre-Register and click the "Bulk Upload" button. Download the CSV template by clicking "Download Template". The template includes columns for all required and optional fields, with example data to guide you. Fill in the template with your visitor data using any spreadsheet application.

Upload the completed CSV file and Porter will validate the data before processing. The validation step checks for required fields, valid email formats, and matching host names. Any errors are highlighted with row numbers and descriptions so you can quickly fix issues. Valid records can be processed even if some rows have errors.

After validation, review the summary showing the number of visitors to be registered, and click "Send Invitations" to confirm. Porter processes the bulk upload in the background and sends confirmation emails to all visitors. You can track the progress and status of the bulk upload from the Visitors > Bulk Uploads history page.

• Upload a CSV file to pre-register multiple visitors at once
• Download the CSV template with required columns and examples
• Validation checks for errors before processing
• Each visitor receives an individual confirmation email with QR code
• Track bulk upload progress from the history page

Visitor Types

Porter supports multiple visitor types to help you categorise and manage different kinds of guests. Each visitor type can have its own check-in flow, required fields, and notification settings. This allows you to collect different information from a job candidate than you would from a delivery driver, for example.

Porter comes with four built-in visitor types: Regular Visitors, Contractors, Deliveries, and Interviews. Regular Visitors is the default type used for standard guest check-ins. Contractors includes additional fields for company, trade, and document uploads. Deliveries is a simplified flow asking for courier company and package details. Interviews collects the candidate name, position applied for, and interviewer.

You can create custom visitor types to suit your specific needs. Navigate to Settings > Visitor Types and click "Add Type". Give the type a name and icon, then configure which fields are displayed and required during check-in. Custom types appear as options on the kiosk welcome screen, allowing visitors to select the most appropriate category.

Each visitor type can be assigned different notification rules. For instance, deliveries might notify the reception team via Slack, while interview candidates trigger an email to the hiring manager. You can also assign different NDA or agreement documents per visitor type, ensuring contractors sign safety agreements while regular visitors sign a standard confidentiality notice.

• Built-in types: Regular Visitors, Contractors, Deliveries, Interviews
• Create custom visitor types with unique check-in flows
• Configure required fields per visitor type
• Assign different notifications per type
• Set different NDA/agreement documents per type