Overview
Finalsite Explore allows families to manage their school search and application process from one location.
Schools can coordinate to form a group based on location and (with the assistance of our team) can enable Finalsite Explore, offering families a more streamlined experience when it comes to searching for and applying to schools.
Read this article to review the steps of setting up Finalsite Explore.
In this Article
Site Setup
Finalsite Explore Content
On the Explore Content Page (under Settings > Portal > Finalsite Explore Content), you'll update key information identifying your school in Finalsite Explore.
(Only those designated as System Admins or Admins in your site can access this page.)
School Name
Enter your school's name here. This will be displayed on the parent end at the top of your Explore page and in the list of schools on the left.
School Information Snippet
This information is displayed in the top right of the Explore Schools Page when a school is selected.
Good to know:
- 500 character limit. Keep an eye on your text. There is no warning to let you know when you exceed 500, the box will just cut off your text.
- This area doesn't support emojis.
- This area doesn't recognize page breaks.
- Tip: Use the drag to expand feature to make this area easier to edit.
Upload School Logo
Add your school's logo image file here. This is like a thumbnail image that will display beside your school's name in both the list of schools and at the top of your school's Explore page.
More Information Hyperlink
This is the URL that parents will be directed to when they select the More Information button. You may wish to link to your school website or inquiry form here.
Min Grade Level and Max Grade Level
Select the lowest and highest grades at your school.
Portal Grade/System Grade:
- Portal Grade: On the left side, you see all grades within your min/max levels selected above.
- System Grade: On the right side, you can choose the grade that corresponds to the grade on your site. Inquires from Finalsite Explore will feed into the grade selected here.
- Out of Range: There is also a grade for Out of range. This is what an inquiry will map to if the student’s grade is not one you offer. For example, if the student selected Pre-K but your school does not offer that grade.
School Address
Enter your school's address here. This is displayed in the Explore page on the left side in the list on the left.
Programs
Within this field you can add a list of the programs that you offer. The programs you add here aren't connected to any fields in your site. This is just a way to add the programs that you offer to be displayed within the Explore page on the parent end.
Whatever you add here will display on the parent end at the top of your explore page.
Enabled?
IMPORTANT: This is your big red launch button. This button should not be pressed until your group is fully ready. Not sure?
- Still in onboarding: this will be after you launch. Connect with your onboarding manager for more info.
- No longer onboarding (your site is already live): Contact support if you are not sure.
Save
IMPORTANT: You have to save your changes at the bottom of the page. If you refresh or leave the page without saving, your changes will not be saved.
Explore Page
On the Parent Portal Content page ( under Settings > Portal > Parent Portal Content > Explore Content), you'll update the design of the main area that shows when a parent selects to explore your school.
Check it out!
Be sure to check out our dedicated article on setting up your Explore page: Finalsite Explore: Designing a Great Explore Page.
Best practices for making your Finalsite Explore page shine.
- Keep this page up to date.
- Be sure to include important deadlines and details that prospective families should know about.
- Add links for families to register for highlighted events.
- Design your page to stand out.
Data Setup
Important Notes on Receiving Inquiries through Finalsite Explore
When a parent chooses More Information their inquiry automatically is sent to your school in the background.
Here's what happens:
For Parents:
Clicking More Information directs them to the URL provided under Explore Content.
On the Backend:
An inquiry is dispatched to your school, containing all the information gathered during the portal intake.
If you wish to capitalize on these leads, ensure the following:
Terms Alignment
Confirm that your Start Year matches the Finalsite Explore format (XXXX).
To do this:
Go to Settings > General > Terms and verify the format of your Start Years.
The format should be XXXX. For example, 2025.
Important
If your Start Years do not match this format, please contact support before making any changes because altering term formats could disrupt existing integrations with other systems.
Important Notes on Field data: Ensuring that you are receiving all of the info submitted through the portal
Ethnicity Values in Finalsite Explore
Your group will need to decide on which ethnicity values to display in the Finalsite Explore Information form. You can list whatever options your group agrees on and our team will add them to your form.
Gender Values in Finalsite Explore
You can choose from the following gender options to include: Female, Male, Non-Binary, Self-Identify, Prefer Not To Answer.
You can list all or part of these options in the Finalsite Explore Student Information form.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Gender, Race, and Household can be set as optional or hidden altogether from the Student Information form (the form parents complete when they first access Finalsite Explore) and within the My profile page (where parents can add/update info). This is set up internally so please connect with your CSM or our support team if you'd like to adjust that.
- Your group can request updates to the ethnicity and/or gender options on your Finalsite Explore Information form at any point by contacting support.
Fields on the Application
When a parent applies to a school in Finalsite Explore, the information collected in the Student Information form will all prepopulate into the application. Keep the following in mind:
- When applying, parents will have to complete any additional fields on your application that are not on the Student Information form.
- Reminder: parents only need to submit answers for questions marked as required within a form.
- Application Fees remain the same. If you are set up to collect one, parents will be prompted to pay one just as they would if accessing your application from your site or parent portal.
A few additional notes on Grades in Finalsite Explore
Parents can apply to schools directly in Finalsite Explore with the Apply Now button. Here's what you need to know about how grades work on the application form in Finalsite Explore.
- You can have additional grades set up within your site/available on your application. If you do, parents will be able to select them on the application as long as you have set them to be available on your site.
- Grades marked as unavailable on your site don't prepopulate for parents on the application in Finalsite Explore.
- If a grade is marked as unavailable in your site (collect applications toggled to no), and the parent selects that grade as the grade they are applying to when completing the student information form ( the form they complete when they create a Finalsite Explore account), the 'grade applying to' section on the application will be blank. The parent will not see the unavailable grade in the list of options and they'll be required to select from any of the other grades that you are accepting applications for.
- What's the takeaway? If you mark grades as unavailable, consider adding a note to the application so that parents are aware you are not accepting applications for that grade level.
Field Mapping Guide for Finalsite Explore
Expand each of the following dropdowns to learn how fields are mapped from the Finalsite Explore Information form to your application.
As a reminder, the Finalsite Explore Information form is the form that parents complete when they visit Finalsite Explore for the first time.
| Display Name | Canonical | Mapping | Field Type | Notes |
| Name | name | CHILD | Name Field | First, Middle, Last, Preferred, Suffix |
| Gender | gender | CHILD | Single Select | These options are set up internally by our team when we set up your Finalsite Explore instance. Contact support if your group needs to change them. |
| Date of Birth | birth_date | CHILD | Date Field | |
| Applying for Term | apply_year | CHILD | Apply Year |
Format: XXXX-XXXX |
| Current Grade | current_grade | CHILD | Current Grade | Nursery, PK, K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Post Grad |
| Applying for Grade | apply_grade | CHILD | Apply Grade | Nursery, PK, K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Post Grad |
| Race | race_ms | CHILD | Boolean List | These options are set up internally by our team when we set up your Finalsite Explore instance. Contact support if your group needs to change them. |
| Current School | current-school | CHILD | Text Field | |
| Primary Household Address | address | Household1 | Address |
if the parent selects the plus icon to add a second address:
| Secondary Household Address | address | Household2 | Address |
Please note: Parent 1 is represented in this chart but if the family adds additional parents, they are mapped internally to PARENT 2, PARENT 3, and PARENT 4.
| Display Name | Canonical | Mapping | Field Type | Notes |
| Parent 1 Name | name | PARENT 1 | Name | Title, First, Middle, Last, Preferred, Suffix |
| Relationship to (the student) | relationship | PARENT 1 | Relationship | |
| Address | address | PARENT 1 | Address | |
| Primary Phone | phone_1 | PARENT 1 | Phone | Phone Type and Phone Number. If they select cell as the type, they will need to opt in or out of texts (if you are using that feature.) |
| Secondary Phone | phone_2 | PARENT 1 | Phone | Phone Type and Phone Number. If they select cell as the type, they will need to opt in or out of texts (if you are using that feature.) |
| Employer | employer | PARENT 1 | Text | |
| Job Title | employment_job_title | PARENT 1 | Text |
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