Gating Volunteer Signup Behind Requirements

When a campaign requirement is set to the Required rule, BetterUnite blocks volunteer signup until that requirement is satisfied. This page explains how gating is evaluated and what volunteers experience at signup and at check-in.

How gating is evaluated

At signup, the system checks every campaign requirement with the Required rule against the volunteer's existing records. A requirement counts as satisfied only if the volunteer has a Completed or Waived record for it that has not expired. Anything else — no record, a Pending record, a Rejected record, or an expired record — counts as unmet.

This check always happens on the server. The signup page never relies on the browser alone to decide whether a requirement has been met.

Page-wide vs. job-specific requirements

• Page-wide requirements (no specific job attached) apply to every volunteer signing up on the page, no matter which job they choose.
• Job-specific requirements apply only when the volunteer selects that particular job. Choosing a different job on the same page won't trigger it.

New vs. returning volunteers

A brand-new volunteer – someone with no existing contact record – has every required requirement showing as unmet, since there's no history to check against. They must complete each one during signup:

• Required waivers render inline as must-sign documents. The volunteer types their name (and optionally draws a signature) before they can proceed.
• Application-type requirements show as a checklist item linking to a vetting form the volunteer must fill out.
• "Show as reference" documents are displayed for the volunteer to read but do not block progress.

A returning volunteer who already has a valid, unexpired Completed or Waived record for a requirement skips it automatically — they won't be asked to re-sign or re-submit something they've already satisfied.

Kiosk check-in gating

Gating isn't limited to the signup page. At kiosk check-in, if a volunteer has any unmet required requirements, the kiosk shows a signing overlay instead of letting check-in complete. The volunteer resolves the outstanding requirement (e.g. signs the waiver) on the kiosk before check-in proceeds.

Expiry and re-gating

Once a completed requirement's validity period lapses, its record moves to Expired and the volunteer is treated as if they had never completed it. The next time they attempt to sign up or check in, the requirement is gated again and they must complete it once more. Requirements with no ValidityDays set never expire and never re-gate a volunteer who has already completed them.