How visits work
Walk-ins and invited guests, visitor types, approvals, check-out and the statuses a visit moves through.
Agoo is in early access. This page describes the feature as it ships to early-access organisations; screens are illustrative.
A visit is one person coming to one of your sites, usually to see a host. Every visit in Agoo, whether it started on the kiosk, from an invitation or from a booking, follows the same lifecycle and ends up in the same place: Console → Visitors.
Two ways a visit starts
| Invited (expected) | Walk-in | |
|---|---|---|
| Created by | A host or receptionist, ahead of time; or automatically from a booking | The visitor on the kiosk, or a receptionist or guard on their behalf |
| Visitor gets | A pass by SMS, WhatsApp or email, with a QR code, map pin and calendar file | A badge (printed or on screen) at check-in |
| At arrival | Scans the pass at the kiosk or gate; details are already filled in | Answers the questions for their visitor type |
| Host approval | Not needed: the host created or accepted the visit | Needed if your check-in rules say so |
| Starts as | Expected | Awaiting approval, or straight to Checked in |
Invited visitors are quicker at the desk and give reception a list of who to expect. Walk-ins are normal too, and Agoo handles them without fuss. Returning visitors are recognised by their phone number, so their name and company fill in for them.
Visit statuses
| Status | Means | Moves to |
|---|---|---|
| Expected | Invited or booked, not arrived yet. | Checked in, Awaiting approval, Cancelled, No-show |
| Awaiting approval | Arrived, waiting for the host (or security) to let them in. "Ask to wait" keeps the visit here. Also a request from your public "request a visit" page, waiting for the host's go-ahead. | Checked in, Denied, Cancelled; Expected when the host approves a request before the visitor arrives |
| Checked in | On site now. Shows in the live register and in roll calls. | Checked out |
| Checked out | Has left. The visit is complete. | (final) |
| Denied | The host or security declined. The visitor is told politely to speak to reception. | (final) |
| Cancelled | The host, reception or the visitor cancelled before arrival. The pass stops working. | (final) |
| No-show | The visitor didn't arrive within their visit's time window. | (final) |
Every change is recorded on the visit's timeline, with who did it, when, and on which device: invited, pass sent, arrived at the Lobby, approved by Kwame Mensah, badge printed, checked out at the Main gate. Open any visit in Console → Visitors to see it.
Visitor types
Each visit has a visitor type. Every organisation starts with six built-in types: Meeting, Interview, Delivery, Contractor, Event and Other. You can rename them, turn off the ones you don't use, and add your own, such as Parent pickup at a school, Vendor at a bank or Service at a church. Each type has its own:
- form: the questions the visitor answers, and whether you capture a photo or ID,
- documents: whether they sign an NDA or site rules,
- rules: whether the host must approve,
- badge: what's printed on it.
A type that's turned off can't be chosen for new visits; visits already recorded keep it. Built-in types can be renamed or turned off, but not deleted.
Visitors can choose a type when they pre-register only if you've opened it for pre-registration; it's off by default. They then answer only the questions asked of the visitor, never the fields your staff fill in.
The built-in types never count towards your plan's custom-forms limit. Each type you add counts as one custom form (Starter 3, Growth 15, Pro and Enterprise unlimited; Free has the built-in types only), and turning a type off frees its place.
You set up visitor types and their forms in Console → Settings → Forms. See Forms and fields.
Approvals
When a visitor arrives, Agoo tells the host by push notification, WhatsApp, SMS or email, in the order you choose. If approval is needed, the host can Approve, Ask to wait or Decline from the message itself (with the apps and visitor pages; until then, hosts who sign in answer in the Console, and reception answers for the rest). If they don't answer in time, reception is shown, and their delegate is asked first once delegates ship.
You decide when approval is needed, per site, in Console → Settings → Sites → (site) → Check-in rules. A watchlist match always holds the check-in for security, whatever the rules say. See Host approvals.
Check-out
Visitors can check out at the kiosk, by scanning their pass at the exit, with a guard, from a link in a text message, or automatically at the end of the day. Accurate check-outs matter: the live register and the roll-call list are only as good as them. See Check-out.
Where to manage visits
| Where | Who | For | Delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Console → Visitors | Receptionists, security, admins | Expected, On site and History tabs; inviting; manual check-in and out | P3 |
| Kiosk app, kiosk mode | Visitors | Self check-in, pass scanning, check-out | iPad P5, Android P6 |
| Kiosk app, guard mode | Guards | Gate check-in, pass scanning, vehicles | iPad P5, Android P6 |
| Workspace app | Hosts, receptionists | Inviting, approving, seeing your own visitors | iPhone P5, Android P6 |