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The Basics

Selections

  • A selection is a collection of records that you've chosen.
  • A selection can be as small as one record or as large as all the records on a page.
  • Selections are "sticky." That means a selection always stays on the page you made it on until you clear it.
  • Selections are user-specific. Selections you make can only be seen by you (unless you use the Transfer Selection Tool to copy the selection to another user).
  • Selections in sub-pages are record specific. A selection made on a subpage always stays on the record you made it on until you clear it, and is not accessible from another record.
  • Selections are static. No records are added to or removed from a selection unless you actively do so.
  • The records in a selection reflect the latest-and-greatest info. For example, if a user updates the email address for one of the records in your selection, the selection reflects the new email address.
  • The selection count in the bottom left corner of your screen reflects the number of records in a given selection.
Note: Any empty selections are cleared every night by the Data Quality Routine.

Make a Selection

Important: Selections are sticky! If you made a selection on a page and are going to make another selection on the same page, you should clear the initial selection unless you want to append the initial selection.
Tip: Wondering if you already have a selection on a page? Check the bottom left corner of the window. If it says "0 Selected", you don't have any records selected.
  1. To select one record, click the checkbox next to it in the list.
  2. To select a group of records, click the checkbox next to the first record, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard, then select the last record.
    All records in between the first and last record are selected.
  3. To select all records in the list, click the checkbox beside the selection information at the bottom.

    List of records with a checkbox at the bottom to indicated all are selected

  4. To view the records you've selected in a new list, click the selection menu at the bottom, and select Current/Unsaved Selection.

    The selection menu at the bottom of the list of records showing options for All Records and Current/Unsaved Selection

Remove Records from a Selection

To remove records from a selection without clearing the entire selection, click the checkbox next to the record to clear it.

List of records with all selected except one with a cleared checkbox beside it to indicate it is not selected

Clear a Selection

To clear an entire selection, choose your selection in the selection menu. (This is Current/Unsaved Selection unless you previously saved or named your selection.) Then click the clear button X with a circle around it next to the selection menu. Once you've cleared a selection, the selection count at the bottom will show "0 Selected".

The selection menu at the bottom of the list of records with the X button next to it

Save a Selection

You can save a selection to return to it at a later time. In the selection menu, make sure Current/Unsaved Selection is selected, then click the save icon floppy disc. You can choose:

  • Append to Existing Selection – Displays if at least one saved selection already exists. In the Selection Name drop-down list, choose the selection to append the selected records to.

  • Create New Selection – Enter a Selection Name to save your selection.

Upon saving your selection, the selected records clear from the grid view. But the selection is immediately accessible as an item in the selection drop-down menu.

Remember: Selections are static! If you saved a selection of your Usher Team last week and someone joined the team this week, your selection does not include the new team member unless you append to the selection.

Export a Selection

When you export your selection, you can use the information outside of MinistryPlatform.
Note: The layout of the export is determined by the fields defined in the Page (All Records view) or the selected Page View. You may need to create a custom View to get the fields you need in your export if they do not exist in the Page field list or View you are using.
  1. From the Actions menu, select Export.
  2. Select an export option:
    • Current View – Exports the columns in the current view. This option is not available if the current view and the selected records are identical.
    • Selected Records – Exports the columns in the All Records view.
  3. Select your output format.
  4. Click Export.
A file is downloaded for your use in another application.

Transfer a Selection

The transfer button two arrows on top of each each other pointing in opposite directions is available on all pages and sub-pages, and moves a selection from one page to another. There are many reasons transferring a selection might be useful, including taking advantage of page-specific reports or page-specific merge fields in the New Message Tool.

To transfer your selection, click the transfer arrows at the bottom. Then, indicate the selection name of the appropriate page to transfer the selection to. (The available pages vary based on the page your selection is currently on.)

You can also use the Transfer Selection Tool from the Tools menu. Using the tool, you can select heads of households instead, creating missing records, transfer your selection to another user, and more.

List of records with a current/unsaved selection showing the transfer button and the Transfer Selection tool option

Tip: If you're gathering lists of people who are associated with a Group, Event, Milestone, or something like that, you'll need to start on one of the People List pages. Or, you can open the Group, Event, Milestone, or record, and select the participants on the sub-page.

Use a Selection

Selections have a wide variety of uses. Using selections, you can:

  • Run reports – Any report that has "Selected" in the title runs the report on the selected records.
  • Email and Text – With the New Message Tool, you can send an email or an SMS text message to the selected records.
  • Map it out – With the Map My Selection Tool, you can see the selected records on a map.
  • Move your selection – With the Transfer Selection Tool, you can move your selection to different pages of the Platform.
  • Refine your selection – With the Trim Selection Tool, you can hone in on the appropriate records by trimming out records that meet certain criteria.
  • Combine duplicates – With the Combine Contacts Tool, you can combine the selected records.
  • Inactivate records – With the Inactivate Tool, you can inactivate the selected records.

Build a Complex Selection

At times, you may need to build a selection from several pages or areas of the system. The best way to do this is to use the Transfer Selection Tool. You can create one selection of people who have attended multiple events, been participants in various groups, or achieved certain milestones.

As an example, the following is how you would select participants from Groups and Events:

  1. Start on the Group Participants Page.
  2. Search for a group that you want, and select the participants.
  3. Continue searching for and selecting records until all appropriate Group Participants are selected.
  4. Click Tools > Transfer Selection.
  5. Select Copy to another Page.
  6. Give your selection a name.
  7. Click Transfer.
  8. Go to the Event Participants Page.
  9. Search for an event that you want, and select the participants.
  10. Continue searching for and selecting records until all appropriate Event Participants are selected.
  11. Click Tools > Transfer Selection.
  12. Select Add to an Existing Selection.
  13. Choose the selection you created earlier.
  14. Click Transfer.
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Last updated: May 17, 2024