# How to Invite Families and Manage Your Member Directory

## Overview

Once your co-op site is set up, you are ready to bring families on board. This guide covers:

- Sending a membership invitation to a family
- What the invited family sees when they follow the link
- Tracking invitation status
- Viewing and searching the member directory
- Opening a member record and updating a member's role

---

## Step 1: Send an invitation

1. Sign in to your admin panel.
2. In the left sidebar, click **Invite Members**.

![Invite Members form — desktop view](https://kb.cooplyhq.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/portal-admin-members-invite-desktop.png)

The **Invite Members** page opens with the **Single Invite** tab selected.

3. Under **Invite as**, choose the role you are assigning:

| Option | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| **Member** | A family joining to participate in co-op activities |
| **Co-Admin** | A trusted parent you want to help manage the co-op |

4. Enter the family's **Email Address** (required).
5. Optionally, add the family's **Name** and select their **Family Association** from the dropdown if you have families already set up.
6. Optionally, type a short note in the **Personal Message** field — this appears in the invitation email.
7. Click **Send Invitation**.

CooplyHQ sends the family an email with a link to complete their membership application.

> **Tip:** To invite several families at once, click the **Bulk Invite** tab and follow the on-screen instructions.

---

## Step 2: What the family sees

When a family receives the invitation email and clicks the link, they arrive at your co-op's membership application.

![Family membership application — desktop view](https://kb.cooplyhq.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/join-desktop.png)

The application walks the family through three steps:

1. **Contact Info** — primary guardian's name, email address, and phone number
2. **Household** — adding children and other household members
3. **Membership** — selecting a membership plan and completing payment (if applicable)

Once submitted, the family appears in your **Membership Signups** queue for approval.

---

## Step 3: Track invitations

To see the status of every invitation you have sent:

1. In the left sidebar, click **Invitations**.

![Invitation Tracking page — desktop view](https://kb.cooplyhq.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/portal-admin-members-invitations-desktop.png)

The **Invitation Tracking** page shows summary counts at the top:

| Counter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Total Sent** | All invitations ever sent |
| **Pending** | Sent but not yet accepted |
| **Accepted** | Family completed their application |
| **Expired** | Invitation link is no longer valid |

Use the **Search by email** box to find a specific invitation, or use the **All / Pending / Accepted / Expired** filter tabs to narrow the list.

From the **Actions** column you can resend or cancel individual invitations.

---

## Step 4: View the member directory

The member directory shows every person who has joined your co-op.

1. Go to your admin **Dashboard**.
2. In the dashboard widgets, click **Active Families** to open the member directory.

![Member directory — desktop view](https://kb.cooplyhq.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/portal-admin-users-desktop.png)

The **Members** page shows a table with each member's name, email, role, and the date they last logged in.

### Filter by role

Use the filter buttons at the top of the list to show only members with a specific role:

| Filter | Who it shows |
|---|---|
| **All** | Every member, regardless of role |
| **Admins** | Co-op administrators |
| **Staff** | Staff members who help manage events and registrations |
| **Guardians** | Parents and guardians who have completed membership |
| **Members** | Members with basic access |

### Search by name or email

Type in the **Search by name or email** box to filter the list as you type. This is useful when your co-op has many members and you are looking for a specific person.

---

## Step 5: Open a member record

1. In the member directory, find the person you want to view.
2. Click **Manage** on their row.

![Member detail page — desktop view](https://kb.cooplyhq.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/portal-admin-users-20-desktop.png)

The member detail page shows two sections:

**Member Information**

| Field | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Email | The member's login email address |
| Email Verified | Whether the email has been verified, and when |
| Last Login | The date and time of their most recent sign-in |
| Member Since | The date their account was created |

**Manage Role**

The current role is highlighted. See Step 6 to change it.

---

## Step 6: Change a member's role

1. On the member detail page, find the **Manage Role** section.
2. Select the role you want to assign:

| Role | Access level |
|---|---|
| **Admin** | Full access to all co-op features and settings |
| **Staff** | Can manage events, registrations, and view member information |
| **Guardian** | Can view events, register for events, and manage their family |
| **Member** | Basic access to view events and registrations |

3. Click **Update Role**.

A confirmation message appears when the role is saved.

---

## Next steps

- To approve a family's membership application after they sign up, see **How to Review and Approve Membership Signups**.
- To create an event for your members to register for, see [How to Create an Event and Enable Member Registration](https://kb.cooplyhq.com/books/getting-started).