Church Settings
What Is the Church Settings Page?
The Church Settings page is where you manage your church's core information: the name displayed to guests, your unique URL, your timezone, and optional integrations like live chat and Planning Center Online (PCO).
Navigate to Admin → Settings → Church to access these settings.
All changes auto-save with a 500ms debounce — there is no save button. Changes take effect immediately.
Church Information
Church Name
The name of your church as displayed on guest-facing class pages and in your public class directory.
Field: Church Name (required, text)
Update this any time your church's name changes. This name is visible to all guests who visit your class pages.
URL
Your church's unique URL slug. This is the path used in all your class page addresses:
onark.app/[your-url]/[class-url]
Field: URL (required)
Rules: Only lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes are allowed. No spaces or special characters.
• Valid: grace-community, firstbaptist, river-church-atl
• Invalid: Grace Community, first baptist, river_church
Important: Changing your URL changes all your class page addresses immediately. Any previously shared links will break. Make sure to update any links you have shared with your community after changing this field.
Timezone
Your church's local timezone. This is used to display correct times in reports and guest activity logs.
Field: Timezone picker dropdown
After selecting a timezone, a preview shows the current time in that timezone to help you confirm the correct selection.
Live Chat Embed Code
OnArk supports embedding a live chat widget (from a third-party live chat provider) on your class pages. When a live chat code is added, the widget appears on every guest-facing class page so guests can reach out to your team while taking a class.
Field: Live Chat Embed Code (textarea)
How to Add a Live Chat Widget
1. Get the embed script code from your live chat provider (e.g., Intercom, Drift, Zendesk, Tidio, etc.)
2. Paste the full embed script code into the Live Chat Embed Code field.
3. The code auto-saves and the widget will appear on your class pages.
To remove the live chat widget, clear the embed code field.
Planning Center Online (PCO) Integration
Planning Center Online (PCO) is a popular church management system. Connecting PCO to OnArk lets you:
• Use PCO automations (Save To Profile Field, Add to Workflow) — see Automations
• Show a campus selector on the guest check-in welcome screen (if your church has multiple PCO campuses)
• Use PCO campus as a filter condition in automations and reports
Connecting PCO
1. Click "Connect PCO" (a blue button with the PCO logo).
2. A new tab opens to Planning Center's OAuth authorization page.
3. Log in to your PCO account and authorize the connection.
4. Return to OnArk. The button changes to "Disconnect PCO" when the connection is active.
Checking PCO Data
Once connected, you will see read-only information showing:
• Fields: [N] — the number of PCO profile fields synced
• Workflows: [N] — the number of PCO workflows available
Click "Refresh Data" to re-sync the latest fields and workflows from your PCO account. This is useful if you recently added new custom fields or workflows in PCO.
Tip: After first connecting PCO, it can take a few minutes for OnArk to read all of your PCO data. If fields or workflows aren't appearing immediately, wait about 5 minutes, click "Refresh Data", then refresh the page.
Disconnecting PCO
Click "Disconnect PCO" to remove the integration. PCO automations on your classes will no longer fire after disconnection.
Common Questions
What happens to my shared class links if I change the URL slug? All existing links with the old URL will stop working. OnArk does not automatically redirect from the old URL to the new one. Update all links (social media posts, website, email campaigns, etc.) after changing your URL.
Can two churches have the same URL slug? No. URL slugs are unique across all OnArk accounts.
Do I need a paid PCO account to connect it? You need a Planning Center account with admin access. The specific PCO plan requirements depend on PCO's own subscription tiers.
Why don't I see PCO automation options after connecting? After first connecting PCO, wait about 5 minutes, then click "Refresh Data" and refresh the page. If fields or workflows still don't appear, disconnect and reconnect the integration. Also confirm that the PCO account used to connect OnArk has access to the workflows you're looking for — the connecting user must be a manager of any workflows you want to use in automations.
PCO fields or workflows I added in PCO aren't showing in OnArk — what do I do? Click "Refresh Data" in Church Settings to pull in newly created custom fields and workflows. You may need to refresh the page afterward for the updated list to appear in automation dropdowns.
Is the live chat widget visible on every class page? Yes. The live chat embed code is applied church-wide and appears on all guest-facing class pages.
How do I connect OnArk to Planning Center (PCO)? Go to Church Settings and click Connect to PCO. The admin who clicks Connect must have PCO permission to edit profiles. After connecting, open each class and add automations in the sidebar to save data to PCO fields or add people to workflows.