A station is a check-in point — the actual screen that people interact with to check in. Think of it as a digital welcome desk. Each station gets its own unique URL, its own branding, and connects to a specific schedule or event.
It's a web page, not a device
A station is not a physical device. It's a web page. You open the station's URL on whatever device you want — an iPad on a stand, a laptop at a table, a wall-mounted tablet, or even a phone. The device becomes the station.
The URL looks like: usestudio.app/checkin/123/kidzone
Bookmark it, add it to your iPad home screen, or embed it on your church website. The same URL works every week.
Why multiple stations?
Most churches need more than one check-in point. Each ministry or location can have its own station with its own look and feel:
| Station | Where | Schedule | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|---|
| KidZone | Children's wing lobby | Sunday Morning Kids | Parents checking in kids ages 0–12 |
| Youth Room | Youth building entrance | Wednesday Youth | Teens checking themselves in |
| Main Lobby | Front door | Sunday Morning | Adults, first-time visitors |
| VBS Check-In | Fellowship hall | VBS 2026 (one-time) | VBS families for one week |
What makes each station unique
- Name — displayed in the station header (e.g. "KidZone").
- Logo — your ministry's logo, shown on the station and printed labels. Upload any image.
- Accent Color — the color used for buttons, highlights, and focus rings on the station. Match your ministry branding.
- Welcome Message — the greeting on the station home screen (e.g. "Welcome to KidZone!").
- Schedule or Event — determines which locations are available at this station. A station linked to "Sunday Morning Kids" shows nursery, preschool, and elementary rooms. A station linked to "Wednesday Youth" shows only youth rooms.
- Guest Registration — whether first-time visitors can sign up at this station. You might enable this at the main lobby but disable it at a volunteer-only station.
- URL slug — the last part of the station URL. Auto-generated from the name but you can customize it.
Station vs room vs schedule
These three work together:
- Schedule = when check-in happens (Sunday 9am, Wednesday 6:30pm)
- Room = where a person goes (Nursery, Elementary, Youth Room)
- Station = how they check in (the station screen with its URL and branding)
A station connects to a service. The schedule has rooms. When someone checks in at the station, the system looks at the service's rooms and assigns them based on age, grade, and gender rules.
Embedding on your website
You can embed any station on your church website using an iframe:
<iframe src="https://usestudio.app/checkin/123/kidzone" width="100%" height="700"></iframe>
This lets parents check in from your own domain. The embed works on any website — WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, or a custom site.
iPad setup tip
On an iPad, open the station URL in Safari, tap the share button, and choose "Add to Home Screen." This creates an app-like icon that opens the station in full-screen mode — no browser bar, no tabs, just the check-in screen.