Constituents can be given the ability to edit their own profiles when logged into the site, provided the self-updating setting is enabled for their role in Constituent Manager.
- This is only recommended for Finalsite-authenticated users.
- For integration-linked users, whether an edit sticks depends on the specific field: edits to synced fields get erased at the next sync, while edits to non-synced fields are safe.
💡Quick answers
- Where do you enable self-updating of profiles? In Constituent Manager > Settings > Constituent Roles > select the role > General Settings tab; check "Enable self-updating of profiles."
- Controlling which profile fields constituents can edit? In the Profile Fields tab for the role, click the edit pencil for each field and enable "Enable updates to this profile field by group constituents."
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Should this feature be enabled for users synced from a SIS integration? It depends on the field, not the user as a whole:
- Synced fields — any field mapped to your SIS (student information system), like home address or phone number. Do not enable self-editing here. The SIS will re-write its own value into the field at the next sync, erasing whatever the constituent typed.
- Non-synced fields — any field NOT mapped to your SIS, like Biography or Profile Photo. Safe to enable self-editing here. The sync never touches these fields, so edits stay exactly as entered.
- Where do constituents access their profile to make edits? They log in and select Profile from the dropdown menu on their login page.
- How do you monitor when constituents update their profiles? Set up profile update alerts in Constituent Manager; see the "Setting user profile update alerts" article for details.
Constituents can be given access to make minor edits on their profiles when they log in to the website. This article will show you how it works!
In this article
- Step 1: Allow for self-editing of profiles
- Step 2: Log in to the website
- Step 3: Manage Account Profile
Important notes and example
Updating profiles is only recommended for Finalsite authenticated users, otherwise any changes will be overwritten when a sync runs from an integration.
For integration-linked profiles, every field falls into one of two buckets:
- Synced field = mapped to your SIS integration. The SIS owns this data. Every time a sync runs, it pushes the SIS's value back into this field, overwriting anything a constituent manually typed. So a manual edit here is temporary; it survives only until the next sync.
- Non-synced field = not mapped to your SIS integration. Finalsite owns this data. The sync never writes to this field, so a manual edit here is permanent. Nothing overwrites it.
For example:
A parent's Home Phone Number may be pulled from PowerSchool (a synced field). If the parent updates it in their profile, the change appears to save successfully, but the next PowerSchool sync overwrites it with the information stored in PowerSchool, erasing the edit. By contrast, if that same parent updates their Biography field, which isn't connected to PowerSchool (a non-synced field), the edit remains in place permanently, since no sync ever touches it.
Step 1: Allow for self-editing of profiles
In order for constituents to have access to make these edits, their Constituent Role Settings must be set to allow for self-editing of profiles.
- Go to Constituent Manager > Settings > Constituent Roles > *select a Role* > General Settings tab, and select Enable self-updating of profiles.
- Review the fields available for self updating for that Role, via Constituent Manager > Settings > Constituent Roles > Select a Role > Profile Fields Tab > Edit Pencil for a field > Enable updates to this profile field by group constituents, as this controls whether or not users can update their profile fields via the Profile account menu link.
⚠️ Important Note
Before enabling a field, confirm whether it's mapped to your SIS integration. If it is, skip it, since any self-edits will be erased at the next sync.
Step 2: Log in to the website
Your constituent will first need to log in to the website, whether as an admin user or a portal user.
Step 3: Manage Account Profile
The Profile option within the dropdown menu on their login page is where the constituent can access their profile.
Learn more about what options are available for constituents in the article, "Manage your account preferences" specifically in the section, "Manage your Profile." The article for school leaders is similar but goes a bit more in depth, "Help your community users manage their account preferences."
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