Are you a user of The Receptionist who wants to migrate to Sign In App? Great! Sign In App is a more powerful, flexible visitor management platform, and this guide walks you through setting up your new Sign In App account and translating your existing Receptionist workflows to the new and improved system.
✅ Hardware compatible! Your existing iPad & Brother QL-820NWB(c) or Brother QL-810W printers work with Sign In App — no new hardware needed.
💰 A note on billing: You don't need to worry about billing changes. The Sign In App and Receptionist teams will handle your billing transition on the backend. Just focus on getting your new account set up!
Before You Start
Before creating your Sign In App account, take a few minutes to review your current Receptionist setup. Having this information handy will make the transition much smoother.
Gather from your Receptionist account:
Your list of check-in Buttons and the fields/questions each one asks
Any documents or agreements visitors need to sign (NDAs, waivers, etc.)
Your Contacts list (employees who receive visitor notifications)
Your company logo and any branding images used on the kiosk
💡 Tip: Log into your Receptionist account and take screenshots of your Button configurations and settings, or have your Receptionist account open on another screen. This will be a helpful reference as you set up Sign In App.
Feature Mapping
The Receptionist and Sign In App share many of the same core features, but many have different names. Here's how your existing setup translates:
The Receptionist | Sign In App | Notes |
Locations | Sites | Each site in Sign In App has its own subscription. |
Buttons (visitor types) | Visitor Groups | Each Button becomes a Visitor Group with its own sign-in flow. |
Check-in Fields | Custom Fields | Fields are configured per group under Manage > Sites > Custom Fields. |
Contacts (employee list) | Repeat Visitor Group (Members) | Contacts become members of a Repeat Visitor group used for host notifications. |
Contact Notifications | Host Notifications | Triggered via a Notify List custom field linked to your Repeat Visitor group. |
Visitor Badges | Badges | Customizable badge templates with flexible layout options. |
Agreements | Messages | Add documents (like NDAs or safety guides) as message pages within each group's sign-in flow. |
Kiosk App (iPad) | iPad Visitor App | Download "Sign In App Visitor Management" from the App Store. |
Visitor Log / Reports | History & Reports | Searchable visitor history with CSV export and timesheet reports. |
Active Directory Sync | Azure AD / Google Integration | Integrated group type syncs employees automatically. |
Contactless Check In | Contactless Sign In | Available from the iPad Home Screen. For a static QR code to place elsewhere, see Sign In Points. |
Pre-Registration | Pre-Registration | More field options in SIA! Pre-register visitors from the Today page and/or Companion app. |
Pre-Check In | Registration Portal | Available on Enhanced and above plans. |
🎉 New features unlocked! Sign In App also includes features not available in The Receptionist, such as the Companion mobile app for employees, Spaces (desk and room booking), ID scanning, and geofenced automatic sign-in/out.
Setting Up Your Sign In App Account
Follow these steps to create your account and recreate your Receptionist setup in Sign In App.
Step 1: Create Your Sign In App Account
Visit thereceptionist.com/signinapp to create your account. You'll get a 14-day free trial with full access to all features — no payment details required. Let us know you've started an account and we can extend that trial for you if needed.
Once you're registered, log into the online portal at my.signinapp.com. This is your central management hub where you'll configure everything.
Step 2: Name Your Site
Head to Manage > Sites and edit your site to add information, such as an easily identifiable name and an address.
Step 3: Upload Your Branding
Personalize your account with your company logo and colors:
Go to Manage > Account > Details to upload your logo. This will appear on your visitor emails.
To customize the kiosk background image, go to Manage > Sites > select your site > Branding.
Step 4: Upload Your Employee Contacts
In The Receptionist, Contacts are the employees who can be notified when a visitor checks in to see them. To set up employees in Sign In App, add your employees to the default Employees Group.
Navigate to Manage > Groups > Employees > Members. From here, you can upload a CSV file containing all employees you wish to be able to receive notifications.
💡 Tip: You can download an SIA-ready CSV file from The Receptionist and upload it to Sign In App by selecting the "Download SIA Export" button on the Receptionist Contacts page.
Head to the "Notifications" tab and toggle on the notification types you want visitors to be able to use.
If you want employees to check in and out via Sign In App, you're done! If you do not want employees to be able to check in via the iPad app, select "Data and Privacy" and toggle off "Show group on the iPad app."
Step 5: Create Your Visitor Groups (Replaces Buttons)
Each Button in The Receptionist becomes a Visitor Group in Sign In App. Go to Manage > Groups > Add New.
💡 Tip: Sign In App has a dedicated deliveries option that allows for package scanning! If you'd like to use it, add it via Manage > Deliveries.
💡 Tip: No need to create a check-out Group — that's included automatically.
Group types:
Standard Visitor — for guests, deliveries, contractors, etc. This is the group type that most closely resembles Receptionist Buttons.
Repeat Visitor — for staff and regular visitors who sign in often and may benefit from access to the Employee app (equivalent of your Contacts).
Integrated — if you sync employees from Azure AD or Google Workspace.
Button to Group mapping:
Check In Button → Standard Group
Employee Button → Repeat Group
Notification Button → Standard Group with custom Group Notification
Message Button → Standard Group (with no custom fields), use Messages or Welcome Message under the group's Sign In Options to display text
Step 6: Configure the Fields for Each Group
Unlike in The Receptionist, the questions asked of visitors during check-in are set up independently from Buttons. This means that if you've got a question that appears on three different Groups, you only have to set it up once!
Go to Manage > Sites > select site > Custom Fields to add the questions visitors answer during sign-in.
💡 Tip: Sign In App automatically asks visitors their name — no need to add a field for that! Additionally, visitor photos are toggled on or off from Manage > Sites > Features, not added as fields.
If you want visitors to select who they're here to see, you'll need a field set up as a "Notify List" type. You'll already start with one that's been templated called "Visiting" — you can rename it if you want (e.g., "Please type the name of the person you're here to see").
Step 7: Configure Badge Printing (If Applicable)
If you printed visitor badges with The Receptionist, Sign In App makes this easy to set up:
Go to Manage > Sites > select site > Badges to customize your badge template. You can choose which fields appear on the badge (name, company, photo, host, etc.) and adjust the layout.
Connect your printer to the same network as your iPad, and it will be detected automatically.
Step 8: Add Documents and Agreements (If Applicable)
If visitors sign NDAs, safety agreements, or other documents during check-in, you can replicate this in Sign In App.
Go to Manage > Sites > select group > Messages. Here you can add NDAs, waivers, or documents that visitors must acknowledge or sign before completing their check-in. You can upload PDFs, videos, or paste text.
Step 9: Connect Your iPad
Download "Sign In App Visitor Management" from the Apple App Store on your iPad.
Generate a 7-digit authorization code from the portal: Manage > Sites > select site > Devices > Connect.
Enter this code in the iPad app to link it to your site.
That's it — your iPad is now connected and ready to start signing in visitors!
Step 10: Test Your Setup
Before going live, we recommend performing a few test check-ins:
Tap through each Visitor Group and verify the correct fields and documents appear
Confirm that host notifications are delivered to the right people
Test badge printing if applicable
Try a contactless sign-in by scanning the QR code displayed on the kiosk
Helpful Resources
Sign In App has an extensive library of guides, videos, and articles to help you get the most out of your new platform.
Video Onboarding Series — Watch step-by-step videos covering groups, sites, reporting, evacuations, and the Companion App.
Help Center — Browse the full Sign In App knowledge base for detailed guides on every feature.
Need help? Our support team is here for you throughout the migration process. If you run into any questions or need assistance setting up your account, reach out to us at [email protected]