Start Here: Configuring Circool for Your School
Use this guide to review the main Circool settings your school should confirm before using Guest Management, student check-in/check-out, events, or reunification.
Before you are ready to start using Circool, there are a few things you need to make sure are properly configured for your school. These must be done before Circool will be functional. We made this a simple process and after the initial configuration, you'll be ready to receive guests and students.
Before you start
Circool settings are usually configured during implementation, but it is a good idea to review them before the school year starts or anytime your front desk process changes.
You may want to review:
Guest Management - Destinations, Alert Contacts, SOR Screening, and Named WatchLists
Attendance - Late Check-in Reasons and Attendance Codes
Reunification
Hardware - Label Printers and Self-Service Kiosks
Communications
Tip: If you are unsure whether a setting should be changed, check with your school or district Circool administrator before updating it.
Step 1: Open Settings
- Log in to Circool.
- Confirm you are viewing the correct school.
- Click Settings in the top menu.
Guest Management
Destinations
Destinations are the options your team selects when a guest checks in and says where they are going.
- Add new destinations if needed
- Rename destinations that have changed
- Remove destinations your school no longer uses
Alert Contacts
Alert Contacts are the people who receive a text message and email when the Send Alert button is used.
Make sure this list includes the right school staff members, such as administrators, front office leadership, and your SRO if applicable.
Watchlists
Watchlists prevent guests from entering your school.
Review your Watchlists and confirm the names, descriptions, expiration dates, and operator instructions are accurate.
Hardware
Label Printers
If your school prints guest badges or student hall passes, confirm your badge printer is connected and available in Circool.
Kiosks
If your school uses a self-service kiosk, confirm each device is enrolled and assigned to the correct badge printer.
A kiosk may be an iPad, Chromebook, or other device used by guests to begin check-in without the front desk handling every step.
Attendance Reasons
If your school uses Circool Attendance, review your student check-in and check-out settings before using the feature with students.
- Late check-in reasons
- Early check-out reasons
- Attendance codes
- SIS mapping, if your school sends attendance records back to the SIS
Helpful setup checklist
- 1School selected: Confirm you are configuring the correct school.
- 2Destinations reviewed: Make sure the list matches your school’s current visitor flow.
- 3Alert contacts confirmed: Make sure the right staff members receive alerts.
- 4Printer tested: Restart the badge printer and run a test print.
- 5Kiosks checked: Confirm self-service kiosks are enrolled and assigned to the correct printer.
- 6Posters printed: Place updated check-in posters where guests can easily scan them.
What happens next
After these settings are reviewed, your school will be better prepared to use Circool for daily front desk workflows.
Keep the related help guides nearby so your team can quickly review specific workflows such as guest check-in, guest check-out, kiosk setup, Watchlists, and student attendance.
That’s it. Taking a few minutes to review these settings helps your front desk team start the year with confidence.
Need help?
Circool support is here to help.
If you need help configuring Circool for your school, contact Circool support by phone at 205.202.1124 or email support@circool.com.
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